The work in this area continues to speed up. This area is not the same as when I first came here. Transfers are in 3 weeks, and I pray that I will stay here. I say that for every area I've been in, but I am amazed by the miracles the Lord has blessed us with.
We had dinner with an active member family, and they invited their non-member friend, E, over for dinner as well. They've be talking with her for a while, and she has grown up her whole life with Mormon friends. She didn't grow up in Utah or Idaho, but she was that girl who didn't want to smoke or drink or be immoral, so she tried to find friends like that. Turns out that was the Mormons. She grew up in a different church which she described as very dogmatic, and after some things, she became estranged from the member of that church. Since then her relationship with God has been strained. We had a nice fun conversation about the Church and other things, and we taught her briefly about the Restoration. She said she'd text the members if she wanted us to come by again, but the whole time we were there it was fantastic. We did service for the members' other next-door neighbors, moving them out, and E was there. She texted the members later and told them how impressed she was with us. By the way, the mother of the member family happens to be the sister of one of the AWESOME guys I graduated with! Hopefully more will come out of this.
We met with I again for the second time, and taught the family the Plan of Salvation. We tried to extend a baptismal invitation, but he refused, saying, "You can't set a date on a spiritual journey." He said some other things as well besides that, but that was what I remember the most. We invited him to look at all his favorite aspects of all the religions and philosophies he studies, and to compare them to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to see if the Church doesn't match up to or improve those aspects.
B, our less-active member, has come to church 3 times in a row now! Before that he hadn't come in years from what I understand. He even came to Gospel Principles with us! He is progressing by leaps and bounds, and I don't think he even realizes it! He is incredible!
We had a Stake Priesthood Meeting yesterday, and they emphasized temple attendance and Sabbath Day observance. President L told a story about a family that was pressed for time in finishing their new house. They decided that they'd stop coming to church for the next 6 months to focus on finishing the home, since that was the father's only day off of work. It was strongly advised against, but they stopped coming anyway, deciding that it would only be a short amount of time, and after that they'd come every Sunday. That family never came back. Six months came and went, and the house was finished, but the family never returned to church. Brothers and sisters, in the words of Elder Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve, "An old proverb says, 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step', so watch your step," With every passing Sabbath Day that they did not attend Sacrament Meeting, that family took one step farther away from the path of light and truth. Soon they were far off course and in the dark, and they forgot the blessings that come from partaking of the Sacrament. We cannot allow this to happen to us. President L said that back in the days where there were three separate meetings, instead of one three-hour block, his family used to drive home from Priesthood Meeting and buy donuts, but President Kimball came out and said that shopping on Sunday was breaking the spirit of the Sabbath, so they immediately stopped. Look at your own Sabbath day observance, and see if there is anything you can do to be better. I promise you that you will feel more rejuvenated and refreshed as you do so each Sunday. The Lord loves you, and so do I.
Until next week, remember, "You don't know WHO you are." -Elder Holland (in an address to the youth in the Colorado Springs Mission boundaries)
The Lord's Soldier,
Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts
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| Me at the top of the Castle Rock |
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| It's the CIRCLE OF LIFE!!!!! |
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