Hey Everyone!
So wow. The last couple of days have been really crazy and intense!
On Thursday I was able to go to the temple! Which was really cool to be able to just sit in the temple and feel the spirit. It was also really cool to be able to feel that happiness swell up inside! It was also just really special for me to be able to look at all the other Elders that came out with me and see how much they have grown and changed in just a years time! Its a great testimony that when you allow yourself to be maleable that the Lord will shape us into something that is really great!
I was also able to go back to my area in Nampa and watch one of the investigators that i found get baptized this Saturday! He is really cool. I remember when we found him sitting outside as we were going to contact some people in an apartment complex. He was smoking a cigarette and watching some videos on his phone, and to be honest in my head I thought to myself for a seccond that he Was just a college aged student that probably really didn't want to be bothered by missionaries to talk about God with him. When this thought popped into my head I quickly pushed off to the side and talked to him anyways and well.. now he is the newest member of the church! Its a testament that you really dont know what will happen until you talk to them!
As far as my current proselyting area! things are going really awesome as we have stuck to talking to everyone we see.. we have been able to come in contact with quite a few individuals that all are open to meeting and the timing couldn't have been better.
My thought for the week comes from an experience that we had with a new investigator that we found this last week that ran out of his house to talk to us. His name is Billy. In our first lesson he told us his story about how he used to believe in God but now claims to be an athiest... But.. He told us that if we passed the Zippo challenge that he would get baptized this very night... and he meant it. What is the zippo challenge? Well.. he took his lighter and said if God will light this lighter than I will believe God exists and I will get baptized. He then proceeded to pray that God would light this lighter and he would join the church fully pledging to do so. After the prayer.. nothing happened the lighter remained unlit.. until the member that was with us took the lighter and lighted it and set it back on the table and said,"God answer's prayers through other people."
But ultimately that was the end of the challenge... I was thinking about this experience, because in Billy's words.. "why wouldn't God do this one tiny little thing so that one of his children could be saved?" What comes to my mind is what we read in
Matthew 27:35-42
35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
36 And sitting down they watched him there;
37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 ¶ And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
36 And sitting down they watched him there;
37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 ¶ And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
We all know that God IS capable of lighting the Zippo lighter and Jesus Christ WAS capable of taking himself down from the cross. And in both of these instances some of Gods precious children were saying.. they would believe. But the fact of the matter is God's will must be done. And that is what is important for us to keep in consideration. That God does have a plan for all of us to come to know him and that is his will. I wish I had more time to talk about this but i hope everyone has a awesome week.
Keep Smiling,
Love Elder Gerrard
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| Alex Baptism |
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| Elder Gerrard and President Sorenson- year mark Temple Trip |
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| Elder Gerrard and Elder Collette (MTC companion) |
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