The highlight of the week was receiving a surprise package?!?! Soo... I don't know how many of you know but Kaytlin sent me a package in NOVEMBER from the Dominican Republic and I have been praying and waiting to finally get this package haha. I never lost faith that it would get her... and it finally ARRIVED here in the good ole´ São Paulo Brasil!! It seriously was such a blessing and made me so happy! It was just what I needed, even despite that it was 7 months late and the candy may expire in the next 20 days haha.
Another highlight of the week was the brotherly love from my buddy Elder DeYoung. He gave me his last gushers this past week and didn't tell me until about 3 days after. Now that's some brotherly love right there... Gushers are life! Also... I met `The son of the road` this past week haha. It was some drunk dude that started battling us about who God is and who Jesus Christ. He then rambled on telling us how he is the `son of the road` and how we aren't allowed to walk in the road haha. Pretty classic!!! And I thought the craziness ended in Ubirajara... but it is alive here in Bosque.
This past week was quite interesting. There are just some weeks that don't seem to pass here in the mission.. and this was definitely one of them. I am happy and healthy and pretty dang blessed, but the work just doesn't seem to be moving here in Bosque. Everyone seems to lie to us or go on vacations for months upon months!! There wasn't a whole lot of success with the people that I mentioned last week... but I know and can just feel that it is part of God's Plan for me and the people here. For some reason I feel like I was put here to be rejected time and time again... and to not have a whole lot of success.. so that in the end I can become more humble and have a stronger testimony of the Gospel. I am learning so much and in all it is strengthening my testimony on the truthfulness of the Gospel and the important role that it has in my life. Because it is a lot harder to have a desire to serve and teach the Gospel when the work is just not moving, people aren't progressing or going to church, and nobody wants to hear the message. It makes it hard and sometimes I struggle and lose the desire to even share this wonderful Gospel.. but it is in those moments that I ask myself if I actually have a testimony of the Gospel or if I am teaching something that doesn't mean anything to me. I am happy to say that the Gospel of Jesus Christ really means a whole lot to me and I don't doubt the importance that it has in my life, and the potential that it has to change the lives of others.
I had quite the experience kind of getting in a heated argument with a Dad this past week. We have been teaching his 18 year old son and helping him with some of the problems that he is having as far as addictions and struggles. This Dad answered the door this past week and just started yelling at me and how he doesn't want us to come around anymore. He went on to tell me how he has `his faith`and `his own religion` and that he doesn't need `my message, my faith, or my religion`. The difference is... it isn't `my faith, religion, or message` but it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is the Church of Jesus Christ, it is a lot more than what he was thinking. I explained to him (in the nicest way possible) that `his faith` isn't helping his son and the struggles that he is having and then bore my testimony on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Doctrine of Christ that has blessed my life immensely and shared my witness of how I know that it can change his life, his family´s life, and especially his son's life. Unfortunately his heart was too hard and he just wasn't having it. He told us to never come back and that we don't have authorization to talk to his 18 YEAR OLD son. Pretty ridiculous, but I know that his day will come.
My point to this e-mail and this story is to share that I KNOW that the Gospel is truly for everyone!! Whether you have addictions or trials... whether you are struggling with family, a relationship, work, or just the daily life... the Gospel can heal you and WILL heal you if you let it. It is the perfect cycle that truly does lead to an eternal life. It is our purpose here on Earth and the only way back to our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for the Gospel and the blessing that it is in my life. I know it has changed my life, is changing my life, and will change my life as I just continue to let it. It is a cycle to perfection and I am so grateful to have it and this knowledge in my life. I hope you all feel the same way and I know that you do.
Thank you for all that you do and please know that I miss you. I love you all so much!! Have a wonderful week and let me know if there is anything that I can do for you!! Ü
Love, your happy and healthy Sky... Elder Abel! Ü
Love, your happy and healthy Sky... Elder Abel! Ü
Elder Alcorn
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