6 month mark

   Nephiting (He didn't explain) :)

Heyo!

Another fantastic week!

Thanksgiving was nice. Dinner was excellent. The Pecan pie was my favorite. They eat a lot of pecans around here. Today I learned how to crack them with my bare hands. Like this!
Also on thanksgiving, We got to play football with the ward! Normally we aren't allowed to play football with members or nonmembers. But just for Thanksgiving we were allowed to. We also were allowed to watch football, except the game we watched was super boring (Dallas vs. Carolina). Only watched the 4th quarter. Football really isn't all that important I have come to realize. But it sure excites me though!

I'm glad my cougars are doing pretty good! Way to blow out Utah State! That's how it should be.

Brother Barfield received the Aaronic priesthood yesterday! Ordained a priest. When he got to church he told me that he had been writing down the sacrament prayers to get familiar with them. He was really committed to receive the priesthood. His grandfather played a key role in his conversion. Growing up, his grandfather would take him to church sometimes. Over the years he fell away (not really sure why) but he always admired his grandfather. He wanted to get the priesthood to make him proud. He's quit drinking, and he also finished the entire Book of Mormon in 2 months is all. He already has started reading the Doctrine of Covenants. I love that guy! I teared up during his ordination.

We found out that one of our investigators who we've met with a few times is homeless somewhere! He sent us a text saying he had a horrible thanksgiving, he contracted pneumonia. His girlfriend kicked him out! Poor dude. I was really looking forward to teaching him. Beau was a nice guy. Actually....just 10 minutes ago Beau ran into us at the Library. I had prayed that we'd be able to still meet with him. God answered my prayer! Pretty cool. We talked with him outside of the library just now. He's in a bad place, you can just see it all over his face. He is looking for work but hasn't found any yet. Doesn't help that he has a criminal record. He is a little disappointed in God right now because he doesn't realize that the choices he's made have led him to where he is now.  He still wants to try to meet with us though so we will see what happens. He's still homeless.

Also this week, Mike Frost got on date for baptism December 26! Had a great lesson with him at the Rhiner's home. He and Jose are both set for the day after Christmas! Mike's been kind of flaky lately. So we'll see if he progresses and COMES TO CHURCH! He rarely comes. He's afraid of what his dad thinks.

Yesterday in church Lehland and I did a special musical number: "If the Savior Stood Beside Me." Before we started he came up to me while I was sitting on the piano bench and said "may the spirit be in your fingers." Haha I got a kick out of that! I changed a few notes here and there of the song to jazz it up a little bit. Turned out magnifico! Lehland really wanted to oooooh at the end but he said the spirit constrained him. That guy is so funny! He wants to get sealed so bad to Sister Fisher but she won't marry him until he finds a good job. He's been looking really hard too but no one is hiring him. He wants to be a police officer.

Anywyas, this week is transfers. I'm staying here and Elder McMullin is replacing Elder Lovik. I think Elder McMullin has been out for a while. Elder Lovik and I had some good times together.

As always I will try to end with something spiritual. I was reading this week a talk called "The Fourth Missionary" by Elder Lawrence E. Colbridge. I haven't read it all the way through, but from I have read it's definitely one that makes you self-evaluate yourself. You'll have to find the talk online. I can't find it on lds.org. It breaks down four different missionaries. The first missionary is super disobedient and ends up going home. The second, is pretty disobedient but manages to complete his mission. The third missionary is obedient, faithful, enjoys the spirit, surrenders his might and strength, but withholds his heart and mind, does what the lord wants to do, but does what he wants to do as well. Though the third missionary does many great things, yet surprisingly he is NOT changed by his mission. Elder Corbridge quotes 1 corinthians 13 and Moroni 7 which say:

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 

 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

6 For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.

 7 For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness.

 8 For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God.

 9 And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such.

These truths are an eye-opener. You can be doing all of the right things. Going to church, saying your prayers, reading your scriptures, fasting, being a missionary, and yet if you are doing them for the wrong reasons then it doesn't do you any good. "Good will be done, the poor will be fed, the truth defended, but the good that you do will do you no good unless your heart is right and you have charity." It's so easy to go through the motions, but even doing the right things will do you no good if you have not charity. Ponder that one. 

So how do we have charity then?
"Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself." (Preach My Gospel)

"The Savior wants you to receive His love, and He also wants you to share it with others. He declared to His disciples: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35). In your relationships with family members and others, look to the Savior as your example. Strive to love as He loves, with unfailing compassion, patience, and mercy."

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure”

It takes a lot of prayer in order to increase in charity, that's for sure. I invite you all to evaluate the things you do. Are you doing them just to check them off of a list, or are you doing it out of love.

So will you all commit to have charity? 

YES!

Well I know the Lord will help you out as you forget about yourself and focus more on others.

(That's what we do as missionaries. Leave commitments). Maybe I'll start doing that every week.

Have a good week!