This week went pretty well! It was a pretty slow week however we had some good experiences.
This
week we had Zone Training Meeting (we give a training to the zone on
Tuesday morning for a few hours). This month we are in Chapter 6 of
Preach My Gospel: Christlike Attributes. We discussed how we need to
'become a Christlike missionary and not just do missionary things'. It
was a very good meeting, very spiritual. We emphasized the importance of
us (the missionaries) being rooted in the Gospel, so that while we are
here we can effect people in good ways, and when we go home we will be
rooted in the Gospel when trials and hardships come. People shared some
good insights and stories that really helped emphasize the importance of
being rooted in the Gospel when trials come. We shared some clips from a
video done by Elder Holland called 'For Times of Trouble'. So Great! He
said that the 'path of discipleship always leads through Gethsemane...
and ends somewhere near Calvary.' We need to be prepared to walk through
trials and hardships (not nearly as much as the savior suffered). His
concluding point really stuck with me! We need to be careful, while we
are going through trials, of making the assumption that because we are
suffering that must mean God does not love us. If we do that, what is
that saying about the Saviors Atonement? His suffering was so much
greater than ours; does that mean that God doesn't love the Savior? It
was a really good lesson for me and I think it has helped prepare me to
react in a positive way toward future trials.
This past Thursday we did a few role plays during
companionship study on how to teach the Book of Mormon. We used some of
the pictures in the front of the soft-bound copy. While we were talking
and finding good ways to explain and teach I found that there were a lot
more blank pages in the back of the book than I previously had
thought!
So... later that day were knocking doors and we hit a long line of
"no's". But the last house we knocked on let us right in! I was afraid
he might be a preacher or something and just wanted to bash. However, he
was very nice and we answered a few of his questions/misconceptions
about the church. He was very interested in the Book of Mormon and its
history. As we were talking he said, 'Is there somewhere I can write
this down?' And we said, 'Yes!' He took notes while we talked (we didn't
want to tell him that all of this is in a pamphlet. We figured he would
learn better if he wrote it himself) and Elder Till even drew a
timeline of the Bible and Book of Mormon. It was really cool! It taught
me how God really does prepare us for the day, if we are willing to put
some effort and prepare ourselves. The mans name is Armour and he is
very nice. He didn't come to church this Sunday but hopefully we can get
in touch with him and start some more lessons.
Well I think that sums up the good points of the week!
I love you all!
Love,
Elder John
In
the Old Testament and in modern Jewish culture there are small,
rectangular boxes placed on the doorpost of many Jewish homes. This is
appropriately called a Mezuzah, meaning "door post". Contained inside
this box are small pieces of parchment that contain Deuteronomy 6:4-9,
11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41 (in that order). This is called the
"Shema", it is recited in the morning and in the evening in Jewish
homes.
"The symbolic words of the commandment teach a beautiful lesson.
The doorpost symbolizes the portals through which man moves to interact
with his fellowmen. As one sets forth from or returns to home, his
conscious desire should be to do the will of God."
Let us learn a lesson from these words and examples that we should always be mindful of God in our comings and goings. :)
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