This week was pretty great. I faith tester as well as a
testimony builder.
The rain couldn`t stop us. Even though for like 5 days
straight it was raining, we kept on going! As I got to talking to my companion
about it, we started to think about what we are doing and what the world sees
in us...We leave our houses and families, work, studies, and everything that we
love...to go to a foreign country where we can`t even communicate with the
people. We wake up at 6:30 (sometimes earlier) every morning. We follow with
exactness a morning schedule that amost no other 18 or 19 year old in the world
would ever think of following, we exercise, study the scriptures, we plan and
practice teaching lessons, all without having anyone watching over us, telling
us what to do other than God through his Prophets and Apostles. We leave
at 10:30 and walk the streets of that foreign land talking to people that we
have never ever met before, under the rain; snow; sun; hail;and wind. We get
rejected by some, ridiculed by others, accepted by few, but we do it all with a
smile on our faces and a testimony in our hearts. We teach simple truths to
blinded eyes, hoping and praying with all our heart that God just softens their
hearts and opens their eyes just enough to see what we have seen and feel what
we have felt. We gain no temporal reward. We have no salary, nor do we get any
kind of points for what we do, but we gain the blessings of eternal life and
exaltation. We feel the love of Christ more strongly than ever before as we
help those who don`t know him...come unto him.
Last night at 8 P.M. as we were completely soaked and
walking to our next appointment, I couldn`t help but to crack a smile and laugh
a little bit as I saw people inside their warm houses looking out their windows
at us and thinking everything possible about how crazy we are, when really, I
consider myself one of the happiest people on this planet. Some people might
find it hard to believe how being soking wet, freezing, away from home, talking
to strangers can bring so much joy, but there is a promise that is taught in
Preach My Gospel pg 75 that says, " God wants all His children to know the
truth. Therefore, He reveals the truths necessary for salvation through
prophets and apostles." To have the truth brings a certain amount of Joy,
but to have the truth and live it brings more joy than can be found anywhere
else or in any other way.
If I have learned one thing on my mission, it is that
Obedience to the Truths and commandments that have been revealed in this
dispensation is the ONLY way to find true Joy. And it is also the only way to
assure that in the future we will gain even more Joy!
Like I said in the beginning, it was a faith testing week
because a lot of things didn`t work out as we had planned or wanted, but my
testimony was strengthened so much as those trials made me reflect and think
about many different things. All of them being directed to the fact that we
have a Prophet today that guides us and Apostles aswell. That with them we have
a sacred promise, "Those who listen to and follow the counsel of living
prophets and apostles will not go astray." PMG pg 75.
We have families that are still struggling to soften their
hearts and their eyes are not quite opened yet, but that are following the
steps that we are giving them and are putting forth their efforts to get to
where we are.
One family said, " Elders, Why are you all so
happy?" I would die if I did what you do. We couldn`t help but smile and
say. One day when you go through the temple with your family, you will
understand :) They just smiled and said that they aren`t stopping til they make
it there! We said that we are like their team. A team works together and when
one is doing well, the others do better. When one isn`t doing well, the others
slow down. But the best part about the team that we are on is that no matter how
down we are, we can go forward with Faith knowing that our team Never is going
to lose :)
Baby blessing of one of our counselors. I just thought that
it was perfect. That is the attitude necesary! Gotta have the Vision.
Family that is getting married and baptized this month :)
They are awesome!
--
~Elder Hazlett
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