Hello Everyone! Maayong Adlaw gihap!
Sorry I have not written in a few weeks, I have been extremely busy. Our companionship is doing super well, and we've been able to witness many miracles from the Lord, Jesus Christ. When I was a child I remember being constantly humored with the stories of missions and what can occur within. They were always riddled with acts that can only be described as miraculous. These past few weeks I have been able to witness the abundance of God’s love in my life by exercising complete faith in him, and the tales I have gathered are miraculous indeed.
For example, we were visiting a Sister who had stopped progressing towards baptism after her husband harshly rejected it. We visited her and talked about prayer and its importance. I then felt the impression to extend baptism to her. I quietly mentioned the prompting to my companion and immediately without hesitating he said, "Ok then let’s do that." There was no flinch in his movement or speech as he steered the lesson toward baptism. After we extended she sadly rejected the offer but said she would continue to meet with the missionaries. I was fairly distraught at this decision. I thought I had completely mistook the spirit and made the worst possible call at the worst possible time. Sunday came and we were in sacrament meeting. None of our investigators came to church and we were a little sad that our efforts to invite came up short. All of a sudden this Sister walked into the room, almost as in a rush. She had not been to church in almost 2 months.
Sometimes we have the flawed thought that spiritual promptings will resolve in a certain way. We reach out to somebody, and they don't respond, we try to render service and it is rejected, we preach the gospel to our friends, and they say they are not interested. Why does the spirit continue to prompt us if it doesn't ever work out? We hear all these stories of spiritual promptings and how obvious the effect is, but that simply is not how most of them are. God is the master of all things which is to say that He has accounted for all things. From the beginning he has planned for your failure and triumphs. For you skinned knees and bruised elbows. For your tremendous highs and terrible lows. Recount some of the most wonderful blessings you have been given. Can you recount all the steps needed to get them? Don't try, you would be thinking for eternity. For that is how long he has spent planning for them.
When we reach out because of a spiritual prompting we may not see any results. But we may be step 43 of 5 million. You may be planting the seed that will sprout a blessing 40 years from now and you will never know it. To have faith in Jesus Christ is to trust the Holy Spirit. I don't think we have the ability know everything and that is why faith is so important. Remember what God said to Job.
Job 38 4-6
"4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone."
The scriptures tell us who laid the corner stone. We are told to have faith in Him. The sister I spoke of may not be baptized this week or this year, but she went to church last Sunday and the spirit was present. I know it was one of the steps on her journey. I testify that God loves her, and he sent two young men from thousands of miles away to help her testimony grow. One step at a time. I testify that our Lord loves you. He sacrificed His life for yours. He overcame death and went to prepare more blessings in the world to come. We need only follow Him. The Redeemer our Savior. In his name, Jesus Christ, I leave my testimony, amen.
Elder Wilhelm
Sorry I have not written in a few weeks, I have been extremely busy. Our companionship is doing super well, and we've been able to witness many miracles from the Lord, Jesus Christ. When I was a child I remember being constantly humored with the stories of missions and what can occur within. They were always riddled with acts that can only be described as miraculous. These past few weeks I have been able to witness the abundance of God’s love in my life by exercising complete faith in him, and the tales I have gathered are miraculous indeed.
For example, we were visiting a Sister who had stopped progressing towards baptism after her husband harshly rejected it. We visited her and talked about prayer and its importance. I then felt the impression to extend baptism to her. I quietly mentioned the prompting to my companion and immediately without hesitating he said, "Ok then let’s do that." There was no flinch in his movement or speech as he steered the lesson toward baptism. After we extended she sadly rejected the offer but said she would continue to meet with the missionaries. I was fairly distraught at this decision. I thought I had completely mistook the spirit and made the worst possible call at the worst possible time. Sunday came and we were in sacrament meeting. None of our investigators came to church and we were a little sad that our efforts to invite came up short. All of a sudden this Sister walked into the room, almost as in a rush. She had not been to church in almost 2 months.
Sometimes we have the flawed thought that spiritual promptings will resolve in a certain way. We reach out to somebody, and they don't respond, we try to render service and it is rejected, we preach the gospel to our friends, and they say they are not interested. Why does the spirit continue to prompt us if it doesn't ever work out? We hear all these stories of spiritual promptings and how obvious the effect is, but that simply is not how most of them are. God is the master of all things which is to say that He has accounted for all things. From the beginning he has planned for your failure and triumphs. For you skinned knees and bruised elbows. For your tremendous highs and terrible lows. Recount some of the most wonderful blessings you have been given. Can you recount all the steps needed to get them? Don't try, you would be thinking for eternity. For that is how long he has spent planning for them.
When we reach out because of a spiritual prompting we may not see any results. But we may be step 43 of 5 million. You may be planting the seed that will sprout a blessing 40 years from now and you will never know it. To have faith in Jesus Christ is to trust the Holy Spirit. I don't think we have the ability know everything and that is why faith is so important. Remember what God said to Job.
Job 38 4-6
"4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone."
The scriptures tell us who laid the corner stone. We are told to have faith in Him. The sister I spoke of may not be baptized this week or this year, but she went to church last Sunday and the spirit was present. I know it was one of the steps on her journey. I testify that God loves her, and he sent two young men from thousands of miles away to help her testimony grow. One step at a time. I testify that our Lord loves you. He sacrificed His life for yours. He overcame death and went to prepare more blessings in the world to come. We need only follow Him. The Redeemer our Savior. In his name, Jesus Christ, I leave my testimony, amen.
Elder Wilhelm
 |  |
