Week 48 - Fagamalo - 1-Year Mark
Another day another beautiful week here in Fagamalo Savaii!
So last week I hit my year mark in the mission and that's weird to think about. words can't describe what this past year of my life has meant to me and all that I can say is that I am extremely grateful and excited for this next half of mission. as I was reading the email from the mission president's wife she shared a quote from her son that just returned home and he said,
"One of the hardest parts about being a missionary is how the world tries to mold God into what they want. God's not made of clay...WE ARE!"
that rang so true to me and my mission as I recall an experience that happened just yesterday with our 55 year old man friend named to'oto'o. We had just gotten done teaching lesson one which is the restoration of the gospel and me and my companion bear strong testimony to him about what we had just shared and I was honestly pretty shocked at how unreactive he was to what we had just shared to him. When we gave him a chance to ask any questions he was just like, "nope, i don't have any questions, thank you guys for sharing what you believe that is really good for both of you. but i know from reading the bible that salvation is not found in one church. if you believe in jesus christ and live a good life then you are saved through the atonement of jesus christ." He then goes on to explain his genius theory about who is saved and what you have to do, ohh and if you smoke you can't be saved, oh but no if you repent then you are saved, and blah blah and a bunch of other obscure bible references that he used to support HIS idea of what god is and what his plan is. the point i am trying to get at is that he was trying to mold god like god is clay. That's what we like to call the effects of the great apostasy my dear friends. Don't get me wrong I love our friend to'oto'o he is a great man, and i have hope and confidence that he will see the error in his thought process and come unto christ by accepting his true teachings. "Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand" as my dear friend jacob says in chapter 4.
Truth is absolute. Truth cannot be changed. There is only one truth and that truth is what god says and not what man says. I know the truth to be that Jesus is the savior, and all mankind can be saved if they are obedient to the divinely appointed means of salvation, which is the gospel of jesus christ. that truth was restored along with the power and authority to carry it out, by god through his prophet joseph smith. I know this to be true because firstly, i know the book of mormon to be true through the power of the holy ghost, secondly, many many other experiences with the spirit that have told me on many occasions that these things are true. How wonderful is God's plan. It is truly amazing.
It is hard to find words to express what the mission has done for my life but the one word that comes to my mind is gratitude. grateful that god has changed me and has given me the amazing opportunity to help others change through the gospel of jesus christ.
I love you all!
Elder Love
So last week I hit my year mark in the mission and that's weird to think about. words can't describe what this past year of my life has meant to me and all that I can say is that I am extremely grateful and excited for this next half of mission. as I was reading the email from the mission president's wife she shared a quote from her son that just returned home and he said,
"One of the hardest parts about being a missionary is how the world tries to mold God into what they want. God's not made of clay...WE ARE!"
that rang so true to me and my mission as I recall an experience that happened just yesterday with our 55 year old man friend named to'oto'o. We had just gotten done teaching lesson one which is the restoration of the gospel and me and my companion bear strong testimony to him about what we had just shared and I was honestly pretty shocked at how unreactive he was to what we had just shared to him. When we gave him a chance to ask any questions he was just like, "nope, i don't have any questions, thank you guys for sharing what you believe that is really good for both of you. but i know from reading the bible that salvation is not found in one church. if you believe in jesus christ and live a good life then you are saved through the atonement of jesus christ." He then goes on to explain his genius theory about who is saved and what you have to do, ohh and if you smoke you can't be saved, oh but no if you repent then you are saved, and blah blah and a bunch of other obscure bible references that he used to support HIS idea of what god is and what his plan is. the point i am trying to get at is that he was trying to mold god like god is clay. That's what we like to call the effects of the great apostasy my dear friends. Don't get me wrong I love our friend to'oto'o he is a great man, and i have hope and confidence that he will see the error in his thought process and come unto christ by accepting his true teachings. "Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand" as my dear friend jacob says in chapter 4.
Truth is absolute. Truth cannot be changed. There is only one truth and that truth is what god says and not what man says. I know the truth to be that Jesus is the savior, and all mankind can be saved if they are obedient to the divinely appointed means of salvation, which is the gospel of jesus christ. that truth was restored along with the power and authority to carry it out, by god through his prophet joseph smith. I know this to be true because firstly, i know the book of mormon to be true through the power of the holy ghost, secondly, many many other experiences with the spirit that have told me on many occasions that these things are true. How wonderful is God's plan. It is truly amazing.
It is hard to find words to express what the mission has done for my life but the one word that comes to my mind is gratitude. grateful that god has changed me and has given me the amazing opportunity to help others change through the gospel of jesus christ.
I love you all!
Elder Love
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