This week was kind of really super good. I mean, it had its frustrating parts, but it was pretty good overall. Let's talk about it.
To begin, this week started with a bang, as exchanges with the YSA went down. Elder Wright and I went to the YSA, and Elder Maynard came to Missoula 5th with Elder Ash. (To be fair, it is technically incorrect to say that I "went to the YSA," since the YSA ward covers all the young single adults in Missoula, all the way up to Polson and all the way down to Hamilton, but you understand, I am sure.) I don't know what it is, but miracles always happen on exchanges, and that was the case here.
Short aside from the primary narrative, Elder Ash is awesome. I left the area to go do work in the YSA and never once did I have a worry in my mind. I knew Elder Ash would work hard and get good things done, and that is a huge blessing. Elder Ash is a boss.
So, exchanges. Besides helping a member of the church get in contact with the bishop so he could get back to his home ward in Bismarck, ND, we saw one of the best examples of member missionary work ever! (Those at home, take note of this.) A member of the YSA, now three months off of his mission, works construction. He made a friend, and religion came up in one of the conversations. This member noticed that this guy seemed like he was searching a bit. He was happy as he is, but he was searching, too. And, he took the opportunity. Having already established a friendship with this guy, totally unrelated to the gospel, he told the guy about the Plan of Salvation, and asked if he'd care to learn more. And, he would. So, they came to the institute building with Elder Wright and I. We played a bit of pool first, and then headed into a room to talk about God. The guy had many questions ranging from topical to humorous, but you could tell that he had sincere desire to learn. The friend helped us teach, added testimony, and gave his friend a copy of the Book of Mormon in which he had marked all the references to Christ. The friend accepted, wants to continue to meet, and even said that baptism would be a thing he'd be down for. (For which he would be down.)
Member missionary work is not only awesome, but it is the key to any and all effective missionary work.
While I was gone, the home front flourished, too! Elder Maynard and Elder Ash worked hard and we have three new potential investigators, one of which has a scheduled lesson for tomorrow at three! How cool is that?
Any time the going gets tough, the Lord will reward us more especially if we stay on the right track and keep going. We were reading in Mosiah with an investigator, and the recently baptized members are fleeing with Alma from the Lamanites. They eventually find a place to settle and build a city, but the Lamanties catch up with them, and place guards around them. As a preamble to that happening, the scriptures read, "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless--whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people." Jason asked us, "The Lord chastened them. Were they unworthy or wicked or something like that?" We had a good discussion about that, and I think it applies to all of us.
The people of Alma weren't wicked or unworthy, no. But, it is easy to be righteous when things are going well. It is easy to praise the Lord when blessings from Him are easy to see. And so it is with missionary work. It is easy to be cheerful and hardworking when investigators are just coming out of the woodwork and you have tons of lessons to teach and there is progression being made. It is significantly harder, though, when the going is rough. It is hard to have faith and work hard when there is no one to teach and rejection is behind every door. And so, sometimes the Lord wants to prove us, to see if we're just fair-weather followers, or if we really have faith in the Most High. This is what He was doing with Alma and his people, and it is what He does with us. So, when the going gets rough, don't falter. Better days are on their way. Things can be hard, "nevertheless, whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day." I have a testimony of that.
Keep being awesome. Keep on keeping on!
Rock and roll ~
-Elder Burch π
2400 Old Fort Rd. Apt 221
Missoula, MT 59804
"... Until it consumed the walls and roof of this house."
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| Elder Ash and I looking like models |
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| Reunited with Elder Emms, my Valentine! |
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| ... and Sister Jacoby! |
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