Oh Warrensburg. "Oh wretched man that I am" I love the look of this
place, but man it feels dark here. That means there's a lot of work to
do! There is a college in our town along with the Whiteman Air Force
base so our ward is very unique! So many people moving in and out!
I was walking around contacting people the other day and came across a
man who asked me a very distinct question "What is the Holy Ghost?"
What a golden question! I think that was the Lord showing me that
people are searching here! I am extremely excited to have some success
in this area. My new companion is from Tooele. His name is Elder
Sagers. He works hard! He went to Stansbury and played on their
drum line. (Red head kid next to Ron) Pretty good dude. I'm still
getting to know him!
I'm also starting my 4 months to sexy challenge! I have been slacking
on my morning workout and a member is going to let me come over and
use his sweet gym! I'M pumped!
I came to an interesting observation this week.
We cannot live our lives with the risky chance of dying as an enemy to
God. Not only is it miserable, it is extremely unintelligent. We never
know when our "time to prepare to meet God" will be ended. We cannot
with good conscious say "when I am brought to that awful crisis; I'll
repent and return to my God". Life is not about squeezing our way into
the kingdom, but rather learning how to act appropriately so we can be
comfortable there. There is a better way to live life; repentance.
Though it is hard to face our challenges and transgressions at times,
it makes an eternal difference in the end because we will hear the
Lord say at the final inning "well done, thou good and faithful
servant". I know people who live there lives in complete and utter
misery, when they do not have to!
I had an experience this week that sunk deep into my heart. So deep
that it brought my own soul to ponder my life more fully, to
appreciate my life to its fullest. This moment that is so
sacred....changed me.
Before I got to Warrensburg I met with a family in Blue Springs to
thank them for serving me, and allowing me to serve them. At this
point I did not know where I was going. When the time to say good bye
came, I offered a prayer. After the prayer, the patriarch of the home
pulled me aside and said "Elder, you might know more about this than I
do. But I got a strong impression to tell you that there is someone in
your next area that has heard the gospel for quite some time now, but
when you invite him to be baptized, he will say yes. You need to find
him son." Pondering this experience for several days before transfers,
I was greeted with the calling to Warrensburg. I got here, and there
is indeed a special man that has been meeting with missionaries for
quite some time. I felt a connection with him immediately. I knew then
that this was the guy. The Lord has guided me along the path to teach
to this mans needs, though I have not invited him to be baptized yet,
I know that when I do, the Lord will be with me as I strive to
influence him.
The night before teaching him I had a dream. A man came to me in this
dream and began to explain to me that he had passed away several years
ago in an automobile accident. He went into great lengths of detail
about the accident. The car (bronco) was tipped upside down, and that
he had 4 friends with him. The car had rolled and each person was
ejected from their seats. The man that was talking to me did not make
it, he had died on scene. He said he had pulled his friends off the
road and laid them side by side to avoid further injury, and to ensure
that the paramedics would find them. He looked at me and said "I need
you to find my family and Baptize them. I want to baptized, and the
only way I can do that is if you find them and teach them." What a
powerful experience.
I wrote down the experience and pondered it throughout the day.
Finally, I arrived at this mans house to teach him. As we taught we
got on the subject of the gospel being preached to the dead. Somehow
he began to speak of a near death experience he had when he was
younger. He began to tell me the exact details of the dream I had the
night before. He said "my friend did not make it. But he made sure I
did". Through this experience I know exactly where to find the dead
mans family. I also know exactly who will be doing his work too. It
will be the man "that has been studying the gospel for quite some
time" This experience changed my outlook on life for at least 3
reasons.
1.) The dead man came to me seeking consultation, because he had not
received the gospel on earth, and was seeking redemption. He chose not
to repent while in the flesh, and allowed himself with the risky way
of living his life, and dying as an enemy to God.
2.) Finding investigators to teach goes far beyond this life. There
are people on the other side that are praying that we find there loved
ones. When we find and baptize there loved ones we get them into the
temple immediately so they can be baptized for those who have been
seeking redemption on the other side of the veil.
3.) I need to live my life in such a way that if I were called home
today, I would be ready. I need to live a life that will not cause me
to be an enemy to God for eternity.
I know that the Lord directs this week!
Love y'all!
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