I will issue you and the entire family a challenge. Believe me, it will stretch you spiritually. For Family Home Evening one night, come up with some names of non-member friends. It could be a long list. Then Prayerfully narrow the list down to 5 or so and again to 1-2 names. Then make a gift basket and throw in a Book of Mormon. Call the friend and let them know you are sending a gift basket to them. Then after they obviously accept, explain that 2 young men will be dropping the basket off. Tell the missionaries to share a message, say a prayer, and stay only 15 minutes or less!!
Well we have a interesting situation in our ward that I may have already explained to you. There is a man from Iran who moved here on a student visa several years ago. He used to be Muslim but converted to Christianity (the true Christian Church.) His visa expired a long time ago. Well he worked at a gas station in downtown Frisco when I.N.S. picked him up. The sick irony of the situation is there is about 50 other illegals in front of the gas station everyday looking for work. He's about 70 years old, diabetic and they incarcerated him. Needless to say the ward leaders are devastated and the process of getting him out has been taking a few weeks.
What makes the situation very humbling is that if he gets deported back to his home country of Iran - he will be executed for his conversion.
My companion and I were going to go down to the court hearing today to see if he could be released on bond for the time being, however my companion has been in really bad pain. You see, he lost his kidney to cancer when he was 2 years old and he works incredibly hard on this mission, to the point where it is catching up physically. Brother McDonough explained it pretty well at dinner. 'There is a story where a man embarks on his journey. He is in a valley that becomes a canyon. In the canyon he is stopped on his journey by a large choke stone boulder. He cant get past it. The Lord tells him "Elder Walker, push the rock." so he begins to push - for 2 years. The Savior then tells him to stop, he then sees his muscles. The Lord proceeds to tell him to put his hand there, and foot there and he climbs to the top. What you have to realize is that "I never told you to move the rock" and the Savior says to him as he stands on top of the rock "well done good and faithful servant.'
I thought that was pretty cool.
Well my companion has been pretty ailed this past week. So I have taken the opportunity to teach on my own a few times and also read through and mark up my brand new Preach My Gospel that I bought. There is something very satisfying about flipping through an entire book and glorying in all the wonderful highlighted words on every single page. Then understanding the marking system and now the book is personalized. Interesting thought that came to my head is that obviously this is the greatest work we can do in the world yet most of us as members never give enough attention to the 'greatest work's' manual. I'll send a picture on this sweet new gmail account.
We got a way sweet referral this week from Church headquarters. A couple who is less active requested their 9 year old be taught the lessons. The Smith's weren't even on our ward directory but they are awesome! We went to visit them in the evening on Friday but they weren't home. A former investigator that we had dropped not too long ago ran into us as we were leaving the complex. She was, as it seems, a bit upset that we stopped coming by and encouraged us to come by again and say a prayer with her. At that moment the Smith family pulled in and noticed the 2 young men in suits. Sweet!
We helped them move in some furniture and had a great time getting to know them. Their son is actually 7 but they are an awesome family and we went by the next day to teach the Restoration to them again. The Spirit touched the wife very strong. Brother Nesmith came out teaching with us (the first time I have ever been with him) and I asked him in the lesson to testify of how he felt about the prophet today and the book of mormon. He said about 2 sentences each time and I'm not kidding you, they were some of the most powerful sentences I have ever heard accompanied by the Spirit. It was awesome! As Grandpa in his last letter told me (this is a repeat in another email) 5 words with the Spirit are greater then all the knowledge without the Spirit. Glory. They came to Church on Sunday.
Well mom to give you a report on Monday we didn't find our family that I was hoping for however the next day we got the Smith's referral so we were blessed. We haven't been able to contact that much last week but we still did well.
Mortality is a interesting thing. When you compare it to the 'eternal perspective' of things it practically disappears entirely. It is a thought then as to why we are so devastated when health or living is at stake. Now don't get me wrong I am not trying to downplay anything but it does relate us ALWAYS back to the Atonement of our Savior which is something that I am desperate to understand more. Cue in Ether 12.One of the most beautiful moments in the scriptures. Here we have Moroni explaining that 'I cant write that well, the non members will laugh at this. Please make me stronger in writing. I can speak great, why can't it be the same for writing?'
"Fools mock but they shall mourn" (wow)
Then comes the great Ether 12:27 - (now what I have learned I cant explain that well but bear with me)
It is our culture in the Gospel to say 'I'm not good enough or I can't do this or that then we quote Ether 12:27. However to leave that scripture as only that would be to short change the greatness of it. Look deeper. The Lord is always about something much greater...
Lord - "Moroni, you've got bigger problems than your writing to worry about...you're going to die" (weakness that we all have - death) notice how we say 'weaknesses' when it is really a singular 'weakness', death!
Moroni - "you mean...I'm gonna die?"
Lord - "Yes but guess what... You will be resurrected, perfect, you will live again"
Then will weak things (ailments, missing kidneys, sicknesses, missing limbs) be made strong. The Atonement! Beautiful isn't it?
Actually I have to give credit to Brother McDonough on that one, I hoped I explained it well enough.
Jesus is the Christ and His Atonement cant be studied enough. cleansing, becoming, sanctifying, purity, etc etc... weak things become strong and His grace is sufficient for all men if they humble themselves before Him. Cue in Preach My Gospel - My purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end. or in other words, lead souls to the fullness of the Atonement of our Savior.
Love you
Uncle Elder Metcalf
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