This week has been really interesting. Ive been putting numbers to things and today marks 7,068 days that I have been alive. Today is day 49 in the mission I think and I have 688 days and counting until I come home. I leave the mission on the 29th of January 2019. That's when my ministerial certificate expires and I am technically no longer a licensed minister. Haha kind of crazy right.
Anyway this week we had FHE on the air force base next to town. I really love traveling on base because there are a lot of good people there. The ward that I am in is a military ward, and it is really cool to hear awesome military stories. My patriotism has grown while I have had the opportunity to serve here. The Rasmussens take real good care of us and have us over for dinner every Monday and then we have FHE on the base. The Rasmussens are the military relations senior couple that help us with the air force base stuff. We have to get base passes so that we can get on and help people. That's really awesome.
This week the work has really been moving along. We had 4 new investigators, and I attribute this success to the faith, prayers and fasting that has been done on our behalf here so I want to give a huge thanks to my amazing family and extended family for all you do.
Speaking of family I received a lot of amazing letters of encouragement from my family. I will be replying in the next few days so keep your eyes open for letters from me. :D I love my famiy. Thanks for all the amazing things you do for me.
I learned this week that it is really really important to be in tune with the spirit. I learned this in 3 ways / experiences.
This week Elder Murdoch and I have been getting better at being one as a companionship and as a trio with the Spirit. We were able to have a teaching experience with a woman in the area and we simply got to know her for about 20 minutes and then we shared the introduction to the Book of Mormon. Just the Intro. We felt such a spirit as we shared just that and it was incredible. We really taught as one. The Spirit spoke through us as we shared our personal experience with the spirit and how the Book of Mormon has helped us tremendously in our own lives and it was so cool. She shared how it seemed like we were from a different planet. Can you believe that? haha it was really interesting. She shared how even though our personalities were different from each other we had the same nature and the same light in each of us. That was a huge testimony builder of the work and how the spirit can change us and shine through us in our countenances. Wow soooo cool!
The second time was in my first and hopefully last bible bashing experience. We were talking with one of our now former investigators about how we know that the Godhead is one in purpose not one in being. Sadly, his heart is too hard to feel the spirit of our message and as soon as the spirit leaves a lesson then it is impossible to teach. Even logic won't work. As soon as the spirit was gone it felt weird.... I felt almost sick to my stomach not having him with us. We left shortly afterward and prayed to be forgiven of offending the spirit and we had to pray for quite a few minutes to convince him to want to be back with us, and he came back slowly. Really interesting, and it was a learning experience that I won't soon forget.
The other way that I learned how important it is to have the spirit with us is when I had the chance to exercise the priesthood that I have been given. There was an accident where our bishops wife and two young kids were involved. Miraculously nobody was seriously hurt but one of the young kids was having a bit of shell shock. We were right down the street at the church and we received the call to go and give this young kid a blessing. We rushed to the scene and it was only about 10 minutes or less after the accident happened and I was able to give this young kid a blessing of comfort. I honestly can't remember what I said but the only way of describing it was like an out of body experience. The Spirit took control of the situation and spoke comfort to his soul. All I can say about this is wow..... How grateful I am that I had the 3 qualifications to be able to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I was ready, able and worthy. I will always strive to have all three of these things throughout my whole life, because one may never know when they will be called upon to exercise the priesthood righteously. What a blessing the priesthood is. Never be afraid to ask someone for a blessing. I think sometimes we might not use the priesthood to its full ability in our lives. There definitely is a balance but I think we could use it a lot more.
Did everyone take the challenge that I gave them last week? Did you prepare for the sacrament the day before? Something new that I learned about the Sacrament this week was that the Bread and the Water prayers are symbolic and similar to the prayers for the baptism and confirmation. The prayer on the bread is symbolic and similar to Baptism and the prayer on the water is symbolic and similar to the prayer of confirmation. When I read that and understood that it blew my mind. The Gospel really is amazing isn't it? I love being a missionary!
This week in church we had a talk in sacrament that really stood out to me. It was about the 5 A's of weakness and Grace. The 5 A's go as follows.
1. Accept the invitation from the Master to come to him.
2. Accertain our God given weaknesses. See Ether 12:27
27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
3. Appreciate our Weaknesses as gifts from God. He knew what he was doing when he gave them to us. He did it on purpose.
4. Allow Christ's Grace to uplift and strengthen us.
5. Acknowledge that when we are weak then we are strong. See 2 Corinthian 12:9-10
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Paul glories in his infirmities because he saw how Christ could strengthen him because of them. Now I am not quite like Paul yet. I don't like my infirmities. I don't like my weaknesses. They are hard to accept as gifts from God sometimes.... actually most the time. haha. But Remember that our Maker gave us our infirmities on purpose. He knows what he wants us to be.
Crazy awesome true doctrine puts a huge smile on my face. I just love this gospel and how many questions it has answers to in life. Our Savior is amazing and His grace is sufficient for all men and all our weaknesses. Remember that he wants to help us in our life. He knows how crazy they are and He knows just what will help us. :D I love that!!! How amazing is that truth! I love being a missionary! I get to go tell people everyday the steps they can take to have Christ more involved in their life and how through Him they can live much happier, more fulfilling lives. I get to do this 24/7/688 and counting. Wow this is amazing!
I love you all so much and I pray for all of you everyday. Our amazing loving Father in Heaven really does hear our prayers. It is like he is right in front of us listening intently to us as we pray. I love that truth and I use it everyday. Keep praying for me we really feel the power and strength that comes from it. I will always keep you all in my prayers too.
With more love then writing can express,
Elder Skyler Glen Larsen
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