Week #44 11/16/2015

Funny week, frustration turns to blessings. So just a background, there is a town about 24 minutes away called West Liberty. This town is about half Spanish speakers, and would be a great place for us. Due to orders from the mission president, we were not, in the past, allowed to contact or knock doors in this town because the large number of less actives, and the president wanted us to just work with the less actives for now, or focus on Mucatine. The contact ban was lifted last wednesday, and we were excited to finally be able to work there, and the next day we received what I am just going to call a blessing. 

A pair of Spanish speaking sisters from an area 2 hours away drove to West Liberty and had been contacting there. They had to drive through two other areas to get into ours... They had an investigator there and about 11 other potentials, and this all happened about a month ago. They realized there mistake, and never went back, but failed to notify us of their investigator and potentials until Thursday. Every leader is still scratching their heads about how they thought West Liberty was anywhere near there area, and but it is funny how things worked out. The Lord gave us a great start to open up the town, so I am not complaining. I'll be honest I was a little less than patient with them when they came up to us like champions for "blessing" us with so many potentials. "Hey Elders, guess what?! We have a ton of referrals for you, isn't that great?!". 

The investigator they gave us was a 24 year old guy who was very disappointing to see two men come to his door, but we are now teaching his Mom, so it all works out, haha. That is missionary work. 

I found a great scriputre that perfectly describes the world today. Everyone is searching for happiness, but can never find it, and everything they do to fill the void leaves them as empty as before.

Isaiah 29 

8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

Just like a man who is starving and eats in his sleep, he is still empty in the morning. So is everyone else who doen't find Christ. That is why Jesus says in John 6: 35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

It can sound so cliche, but Jesus Christ, and His gospel, really is the only way to find happiness, the only way to find meaning, and he fills our hearts with joy. I continually see day in and day out, that men and women are only dragged down by the addictions, the sleeping around, the sin in general. They all feel so guilty deep down, and they don;t even know why, so they try to numb it with more crud. They don't understand that going against God's commandments naturally moves you away from God, and being away from God brings feelings of emptiness and unhappiness, because as His children, our natural, happy state is by His side. That is why the scriptures call being away from Him "spiritual Death".  And only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ can we be cleaned, brought back to our Father, and have this weight lifted from our shoulders. That is why He overcame both spiritual and physical death. 

Sorry for the exceptionally long one this time, just something I have been able to learn in a real sense on my mission. Love you guys