Wow this week was full
of crazy things. First off, we got transfer information and I am staying here
in Antwerpen with Elder Shelton for another transfer. Actually, of our whole
district, only 2 people changed because one went home and Zuster Bush is moving
to Leeuwarden. Other than that, everyone is the same!
GERALD WAS BAPTIZED!
Yesterday Gerald was baptized here and it was really special. The baptism went great. He was able to see
fast and testimony meeting which was cool for him because in his old church he
would do that about his beliefs. It was perfect for him. He is starting to
catch on to the humor with people in the ward and he knows so many people now.
The ward really stepped up this week to help fellowship him and people were
coming up everywhere to congratulate and support him. I am so grateful they
could do that for him. We had a Zuster in the ward that spoke about baptism in
the service and she has known Gerald from family home evenings, and she gave an
amazing talk on everything he needed to hear about authority and the covenant.
It was awesome. Gerald told us how good he felt and now we are able to reteach
him starting this week.
Yesterday was crazy
stressful because of church and the baptismal service and transfers but I'm so
grateful things can now slow down a bit. I've realized that you can work hard
without being stressed out. Something that is so easy to be told and said but
was so hard for me to apply. A lot of the stress is natural being in Europe and
speaking some nutso language but it isn’t meant to be a constant undesirable
stress. This week I'm planning on focusing much more on going with the flow and
working hard so that the Lord can lead me more and I won't be too stubborn and
arrogant to actually ignore what he needs me to hear. For some reason I thought
that if I was having a good time and losing track of time in the work I wasn't
doing enough, and that I needed to be unhappy and always tired in order to be
successful. Whatever. That's changing now.
We had a couple great
lessons this last week over authority and baptism and have been able to set 2
more baptismal dates for the month of February. Hopefully things continue to
look up here, but sometimes people are really flaky and don’t hold commitments
or appointments at all.
Christmas is coming! I
really am happy that I can be here in Antwerpen for Christmas because there are
so many members here that I love. We already have big plans for that week which
is nice.
I really do appreciate
all your prayers from back home. There are times when I really truly feel them
working for me being I feel so much better when the work is hard or people are
hard here.
We went to Brugge
today for P day and it rained the whole time....... but it was beautiful and
super fun. I love our district and it’s nice to be around so many other
missionaries so often.
I realized that stress
and rushing for things are not a way to get things done right. I think about
that part in the movie Cars when Lightning McQueen is hooked up to the road
paver, and he uses his power and talent to get it all done fast so he can move
on and reap the instant reward. But he doesn’t do a quality job and actually
ends up leaving a bigger mess to clean up that before. Many things aren’t meant
to be done quickly or painlessly, and I fell into the trap that the world is
setting for instant gratification and hustle and bustle too much. Heavenly
Father has blessed me with a great perspective shift on that. I’m praying he
will help me to lose stress and replace it with love and desire because I will
be soooo much happier if I can do that. I can’t do it alone but my Heavenly
Father and Savior will make up for the rest if I truly do my best. I have such
a strong testimony of that.
I have come to gain
such a strong testimony of having a prayer in your heart. Always. I think about
the song from Tarzan (obviously I’m too Disney deprived and so now everything
is a metaphor to it) called You'll Be in My Heart and applying it to Christ
always being in mine. I can’t describe the amount of hope that comes from that.
Positivity in the bleakest of circumstances is what will make meal into a
feast. I was able to testify about always having a prayer in you heart to a
less active this last week and he stopped talking and it was silent and all he
said was how much he had felt in his heart as he heard me say that. It is the
single most important driving force to my day, everyday. Without having a
prayer in your heart that Christ will lead you, guide you and walk right beside
you, nothing can be accomplished in the way it was meant to be done. Ah I know
it to be so true. Our success as far as numbers go are completely contingent
upon the agency of others. And I will readily admit that I hate that. But it is
the best worst thing there could ever be because without it we have no joy, we
have no happiness, and we have no purpose and desire to live with God for
eternity. Have a prayer in your heart in all things you do. I have come to know
by so many firsthand experiences that if I need something or someone else needs
something, the only person who will truly help you with all purposes of good is
the Lord Jesus Christ. He will give his all as long as you show him you have
first given yours. Sorry this is so rambly but it is so true. I hope this helps
with your anything you need this next week. I cannot describe how much personal
and divine revelation I receive as being a missionary to build up the Kingdom
of God on Earth today. I love you so much. Have a great week.
Have a great week!
Met alle mijn liefde,
Elder Trevan Scott
Reese
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