Mission Blog |
A dangerously acute account of 18 months in Nicaraguan Territory.
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…(from the song Solitaire”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRQwCGNc0K8 go listen to it now…it’s beautiful! …..Mamabee As the subject title so delicately describes, there was (and is) a man, a lonely man. His name is Juan Pablo. He is married and has three kids. Why, then, was he so lonely? Well, it might be because his wife went every night to her church, leaving her husband alone in the house. But instead of playing solitaire, he read the bible. One day, he went with his son to the park. On his return journey home, two young women approached him. They introduced themselves as representatives of Jesus Christ. “An opportunity to study the bible,” thought he so he gave them his address and forgot about them. But then one lonely night, they came and taught him. “What a confusing religion,” he thought, but he invited them to return. And soon one lesson led to another, which led to an invitation to go to church, which led to more lessons, which landed him in the firm conviction that this really is the Church of Jesus Christ.
The next logical step was baptism, but we all know that if we choose to follow Christ, there will always be trials. This trial, specifically, came in the form of his wife. After talking and talking and talking, he consoled her enough to allow him to be baptized. And now he was that much more firm in his own decision. It was so lovely to see the changes he has made. You can see it in his eyes. And now "solitaire isn’t the only game in town", He’s received the Holy Ghost and a whole ward of members to accompany him on this mortal journey. Isn’t this gospel just awesome ?!? I think so J And being a missionary is one of the funnest things I’ve ever done! Remember the story when Jesus was tempted three times in the desert? Well, I’ve definitely been tested three times, once in every area, all with the same exam. This exam is one I hope to pass soon and finally graduate from this university. What shall we call it? Maybe, R.O.U.S (Rats of Unusual Size) Why do they follow me wherever I go!?! I guess I should remember that I’m in Nicaragua :/ While cleaning this morning, we discovered four eaten skirts and a 72 hour kit that was left without food. The impressive part was that they ate the backpack where the food was stored. If only I could learn to be as persistent as these rats! J We had a zone conference with our Mission President. He shared with us this year’s youth theme: “Oh ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” It was amazing how he applied it to our lives as missionaries and as sons and daughters of God. I shall try to help you just grasp the slightest bit of what he taught us. First off, God is a God of order. He always does thing in an orderly manner. Thus, 1- Heart, 2- Soul, 3- Mind, 4- Strength. In this order specifically. Now, let’s say that each of these has a deeper meaning. 1. Heart…our obedience 2. Soul…Faith, trusting 3. Mind…Planning, goal setting 4. Strength…Working, walking, doing Trying to put them out of order, or only doing a few just doesn’t work. To have success and to really serve God, we have to give ALL our heart, ALL our soul, ALL our mind, and ALL our strength. Only then will we be able to stand before Him completely satisfied that we did ALL we could. Now for the real question: What is your “ALL”? --Hermana Beatty
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November 2015
CategoriesAuthorhola! I'm Naomi and I love reading, my amazing family, and the color green. |