This week I have been studying a ton on the importance of the Gospel in peoples lives and how there really is no reason why a person wouldn´t want to live and receive the blessings of the gospel excpet for the hardness of their hearts and the worldy temptations. It is hard for me to see that there are so many people here in my branch that come to church every sunday, and they always say that the blessings aren´t coming like they should. They say, " I come to church every sunday and I pay my tithing...what more does the lord want from me?" The lord wants you to LIVE the Gospel not just DO the Gospel. Those that Live the gospel are entitled to the blessings because they do the things out of a desire to grow and become better. Those who only DO the gospel are doing it to get by and to show people that they are obedient. That is why God looks upon the Content of the Heart and not the Outward appearance. I have grown a testimony of Living the Gospel as I have even been able to feel the difference of when I am reading just to fill an hour of study time or to better my knowlede of the Gospel!
We have been having a lot of success in helping people come to church, but their desires are still not on the level where they should be. That is why I am trying to study more about the blessings of living the Gospel.
We had 6 investigators in church this sunday and 150 people in the branch which is really really good, but it doesn´t end there. We are trying so hard to help people not only "Catch the Wave" of missionary work, but also "Catch the Wave" of the Gospel. I know that when they can come to understand and have a testimony of it in this way, that is when they will receive the help and the blessings that they need!
This wednesday I am getting a new companion (again, I have had 5 comps here in General Rodriguez and my new one will be number 6) and we will once again have 4 elders working in this branch. We are getting bigger and bigger every sunday, but we are not yet satisfied!
Out of time! Love ya, Gotta Run!
Elder Hazlett
President,
This week was another good week. We have been working hard, but having the 2 areas has kind of hurt us a little bit. We haven´t found a lot of good new investigators because we have been trying to visit and keep the ones that we have in our respective areas. We WILL baptize in this month of March. I have the Faith and finally the people that are ready. The hard part for me is not getting them to church anymore, it is helping them to understand what this gospel will do in their lives. I have such a strong testimony that by Living the Gospel a persons life will change for the better, but I have struggled to get that message through to our investigators? They understand the concept of being obedient to the commandments now, they just lack the Desire for that change...I see so much potential in the people here and it is so upsetting when that potential just rejects us or decides that it is easier just to not read.
I have been trying to diagnose the problem and I have come to a conclusion that it is mostly our fault and a little bit of the investigators. We ourselves have to be 100% obedient in completing with OLA if we expect that our investigators do them. I was thinking about how the difference is that we are on a different level. We read, pray, and go to church every sunday because that is what we are used to and know it will help us, but we have to perfect our obedience to build our faith so that we can build the faith of others.
Yesterday in our Branch Counsel, President Vergaras gave us the time to implement our ideas for a ward mission plan. I had been studying and thinking about what we need here because I know I was sent here to "Change Rodriguez" We decided as a branch Counsel that we as the leadership of the branch need to strengthen ourselves before we can be strong enough to strengthen others. I have seen that the majority of the members here that are solid, say prayers everyday, but mostly because they are used to it. The have reached the point where they must level up in order to help those that they want to help.
We gave them a challenge to pray for specifice things, study the basics (with an emphasis on the restoration) and arrive to church ON TIME. I know that the members here are super great and that there is so much potential and I know that it is through their own personal conversion that the people will be able to acheive their Goal of becomeing a Ward and Stake.
I have been a little bit frustrated lately because we are working really hard, and working with our people (not just numbers) and the majority have fallen. I am looking back at these last few months and I have basically 2 baptisms in all my time here. I know that I am better than that, but I am struggling in finding what is holding me back. I want so badly to make a difference in my mission but I haven´t felt like I have even been close to reaching my potential. I don´t know if you can help me, but I know that I can and should be doing more than I am.
Thanks for your example President. I really admire you and your desire to help Me as well as everyone else reach their potential. As a Leader I know how impo
This week was another good week. We have been working hard, but having the 2 areas has kind of hurt us a little bit. We haven´t found a lot of good new investigators because we have been trying to visit and keep the ones that we have in our respective areas. We WILL baptize in this month of March. I have the Faith and finally the people that are ready. The hard part for me is not getting them to church anymore, it is helping them to understand what this gospel will do in their lives. I have such a strong testimony that by Living the Gospel a persons life will change for the better, but I have struggled to get that message through to our investigators? They understand the concept of being obedient to the commandments now, they just lack the Desire for that change...I see so much potential in the people here and it is so upsetting when that potential just rejects us or decides that it is easier just to not read.
I have been trying to diagnose the problem and I have come to a conclusion that it is mostly our fault and a little bit of the investigators. We ourselves have to be 100% obedient in completing with OLA if we expect that our investigators do them. I was thinking about how the difference is that we are on a different level. We read, pray, and go to church every sunday because that is what we are used to and know it will help us, but we have to perfect our obedience to build our faith so that we can build the faith of others.
Yesterday in our Branch Counsel, President Vergaras gave us the time to implement our ideas for a ward mission plan. I had been studying and thinking about what we need here because I know I was sent here to "Change Rodriguez" We decided as a branch Counsel that we as the leadership of the branch need to strengthen ourselves before we can be strong enough to strengthen others. I have seen that the majority of the members here that are solid, say prayers everyday, but mostly because they are used to it. The have reached the point where they must level up in order to help those that they want to help.
We gave them a challenge to pray for specifice things, study the basics (with an emphasis on the restoration) and arrive to church ON TIME. I know that the members here are super great and that there is so much potential and I know that it is through their own personal conversion that the people will be able to acheive their Goal of becomeing a Ward and Stake.
I have been a little bit frustrated lately because we are working really hard, and working with our people (not just numbers) and the majority have fallen. I am looking back at these last few months and I have basically 2 baptisms in all my time here. I know that I am better than that, but I am struggling in finding what is holding me back. I want so badly to make a difference in my mission but I haven´t felt like I have even been close to reaching my potential. I don´t know if you can help me, but I know that I can and should be doing more than I am.
Thanks for your example President. I really admire you and your desire to help Me as well as everyone else reach their potential. As a Leader I know how impo
--
~Elder Hazlett
No comments:
Post a Comment