Week #34 - 09/07//2015

So this week has been up and down, but fun. The English Elders gave us back Chuck and Val because they so clearly liked us better, haha. Val has already read past the vision of the tree of life, and we talked with them yesterday about it, and also about receiving no witness until after the trial of your faith, and Val laughed and told us their current pastor had told them last Sunday that God gives us many trials of faith, and then gave Mormons as examples. We laughed it off, but I am very confident the spirit will win this one and they will be mormons yet. They are searching for the truth far too honestly to be led away. 

Dino, one of our long time investigators, finally just pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket and pulled them apart right in front of us. That was a cool moment. 

I don't have a lot of time, but I will just mention how incredible the atonement of Jesus Christ is. He is there to help us through any trial, as long as we are willing to accept his opened hand. Alma 7: 11-13 

 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictionsand temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loosethe bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he mighttake upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

He literally felt every single one of our pains and sicknesses, not just our sins. It is by that power he can heal us and take away this pain from our own souls. I know he lives, and by that we can grow every day. One of my favorite talks is "His Grace is Sufficient" by brad wilcox.