Mashell's Baptism

This week has been great. We've been really blessed in the past week. We found another investigator almost by accident it seemed. It was divine intervention though. We accidentally missed our exit to Paris traveling back from Casey, and so we ended up on a road we had never been on before, however we recognized the name of it since we intended to go there a few weeks previous. There lived a less active member and his non member fiancé--Brian and Julia. We taught them the restoration and she is thinking about getting sealed to him for time and all eternity. We also have great fellowship from the ward because the Benders who we rent from know her well as well as other families in the branch. 

Mashell's baptism was on Sunday! It was a wonderful event. The program, though last notice, turned out exceptional as the Large's young daughters did beautiful talks and musical numbers that really brought the spirit of the Lord. It even had Randy--Mashell's husband--choked up in tears. He also made the comment that to his memory the Holy Ghost reminded him how his mother wished he would marry a Mormon girl. Well that wish came true on Sunday as Mashell was baptized. 

Mashell explained that as she went under the water it felt like her heart jumped out of her chest, and when she came up out of the water she saw gold light, which I suggested to her may have been a glimpse of heaven. It was a beautiful Sabbath for a baptism! 

In other news, Brent has a great shot at being baptized Sunday. At this point he is worthy and has overcome some temptations. We have his interview tomorrow with Elder Durrant and we are being extra careful that we don't baptize him too early. We are having him pray about whether or not he should get baptized this Sunday. He's kind of a shy guy and so my only concern is of his fellowship and how he has social anxieties. We feel like he is definitely worthy, but we want him to make this decision completely himself. 

We had a good district meeting yesterday. Our goals for this week are to

(1) Teach shorter more powerful lessons since they are WAY too long sometimes.

(2) Have more fun but not lose the spirit of obedience

     It was inspired that Elder Durrant and I weren't called to be full time companions together because we have WaY too much FUN on exchanges! I told him that I gave him permission to marry my sister. I was half kidding but not really. I can see us being good friends someday after the mission. 

(3) Make sure we have an effective comp inventory

As for me, my personal goal this week is:

(1) Judge righteously

I like what President Brigham Young said

"Who has the greatest reason to be thankful to his God—the man that has no strong passion or evil appetite to overcome, or the one that tries day by day to overcome, and yet is overtaken in a fault? The power of his strength, faith, and judgment is overcome, and he is found in fault through his evil propensities, though he is striving, day after day, and night after night, to overcome. Who has reason to be the most thankful? The being that has comparatively no strong passion to overcome ought constantly to walk in the vale of humility, rather than boast of his righteousness over his brother. We are under obligation, through the filial feeling and ties of humanity, to more or less fellowship those who do evil. We must endure this until the Lord shall see fit to separate the wheat from the chaff—until the righteous are gathered out, and the wicked are bound in bundles prepared for the burning [see D&C 86]—until the sheep are separated from the goats [see Matthew 25:31–34]. Those who have not strong passions to contend with, day by day, and year by year, should walk in the vale of humiliation; and if brethren and sisters are overtaken in fault, your hearts should be filled with kindness—with brotherly, angelic feeling—to overlook their faults as far as possible" 

(2) start reprogramming my negative thinking patterns

(3) Express more gratitude in my prayers for blessigns received. 

Brigham Young  a very wise man, also said:

"We have reason to rejoice exceedingly that faith is in the world, that the Lord reigns, and does his pleasure among the inhabitants of the earth. Do you ask if I rejoice because the Devil has the advantage over the inhabitants of the earth, and has afflicted mankind? I most assuredly answer in the affirmative; I rejoice in this as much as in anything else. I rejoice because I am afflicted. I rejoice because I am poor. I rejoice because I am cast down. Why? Because I shall be lifted up again. I rejoice that I am poor because I shall be made rich; that I am afflicted, because I shall be comforted, and prepared to enjoy the felicity of perfect happiness, for it is impossible to properly appreciate happiness except by enduring the opposite...."

...

"What is our duty? It is our duty to improve upon every blessing the Lord gives to us.

Just been reading some of the teachings of the presidents manuals, I think are some of the most neglected words of wisdom ever. I am going to download them onto my microsd card so I can listen to them in the car while driving. Same with Joseph Smith. 

Well I hope you all have a fantastic week! I know that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. I learned this week how impeachable his character truly was, and only God good turn an unlearned farm boy to a man as astute and upright as he was. I wish I had the time to learn more of the kind of person he was. I am grateful for my trials which I have had which I am starting to learn are given to me for a wise purpose, of which I am still unclear on. I love what Elder Schmutz said in conference:                       

  "When we view the difficult experiences of life through the lens of faith in Christ, we are able to see that there can be godly purpose in our suffering"Though we may all at times "see through a glass darkly" as Paul said it, only our faith in Jesus Christ will allow us to see things clearly, things as they really are. I testify of God's redeeming love which can encircle all of us if we will try to view the world, others, ourselves, and our suffering as he sees it.Again, Hope you have a wonderful week!Elder Soutasp.s how is jenessa doing? I never heard from her last week.