Snow Day!

     It is interesting the things you can find to do as you go about work as a missionary.  For instance, today we moved a grill and now they are going to take us out to eat.  Or, another time we helped someone clean out their garage and they gave us a crock pot that we then gave to someone moving in as a way to introduce them to the church.  You pick some scenario of us missionaries doing some type of service, just anything underneath the sun, and because of such these people are now interested in hearing what we have to say, when before, they would not have even given us the time of day.  You see, serving people opens up their hearts and touches them in such a way that you couldn't have imagined in the first place.  Please let me share an experience I had just a few weeks prior.

     To start off, the night before we were all laughing and having just a wonderful time being engaged in doing the Lord's work here in the Bowie Ward of the Washington DC North mission.  Then everything changed when the snow started to fall... and fall... and fall.  When we got a call to stay in for the next day, we were not surprised, but planned on helping one of our investigators out by shoveling some snow for her the next day.  She lived about 2-ish miles away, and we were just planning on going to her home, shoveling, then returning to our apartment to spend the rest of our snow day doing some organizational stuff. However, as we embarked on our journey, we first met some officers of the local police department finishing up shoveling the Town Hall driveway.  So, we made our first stop to help them out and they then proceeded to invite us back to talk with them sometime at their work about the message we share.

     After our brief intermission, we proceeded back along our path to get to our intended goal, when we again stopped in order to help a family shovel their driveway.  A different response was had.  "Go and shovel this ladies home, she is a bit elderly and would appreciate it more that us."  We shrugged our shoulders and went to work shoveling her driveway.  First we knocked on her door so that we did not scare her while we were working.  She almost broke down in tears at our selfless service.  You see, her husband was in the hospital and she could not go and visit him because of the snow on her driveway.  We arrived at precisely the right time to help her in her time of need.  

     But wait, there's more!  As we started shoveling the sidewalk around her home, one of her neighbors opens her door and invites an exchange of $20 for the rest of her driveway shoveled.  We laughed and said that we can't accept money, although she did try.  We brushed it off and continued to shovel the rest of her driveway and some more sidewalk up to another home where the owners were in the process of shoveling their driveway.  All in all, we helped shovel 5 driveways while still on the way to our original destination.  Yet all the while we did not think to stop, but kept on going, because we were just so happy being in the service of our fellow man.  It's because "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17)  That one statement brings such happiness because of the truth that is in it.  I am my happiest when I am serving others unselfishly like I did this day.  While we were yet traveling some more until we got home, we helped at least another 3 or 4 people free their cars from plowed snow and another couple of people in shoveling their sidewalks.  When we got home, we were absolutely exhausted and were sore for the next couple of days, but that did not matter because we did what the Savior would have done and provided a simple act of service that brought such great joy to those we served.
     I know that when we are in the service of our neighbors, friends, or even our supposed enemies, we are only in the service of our God.  These will be the moments we remember throughout the years because of the joy we received from doing this.  It will be part of the same joy I have already received from serving a mission and helping all the people I meet in the small and simple way I can.  
     

iPads!!!

Well, I have learned by sad experience that maintaining a blog is actually hard work.  I realized this first when I was trying to update it on a biweekly basis so I could keep progressing the work in the wonderful Washington DC North mission.  I also realized this when we got our iPads recently!  As a condition of us receiving iPads to work with, we are not allowed to access or update our blogs sadly, so the time I have to work on the blog has diminished greatly.  But do not fear, I shall continue to press on and write til the day I leave for Brazil!

So first off, I would like to tell all of you that iPads are a wonderful tool and a gift to help.  The iPad can also be one of our biggest time-wasters as a missionary.  As many are aware, apple products are known for the plenitude of apps that are available to just whisk the time away.  Luckily as a missionary, we don't have access to most of them, but of the apps we do have it comes down to a decision on what's good, better, or best.  For instance, said picture which was taken from my iPad.

One of the apps we are allowed to access is the Church's Gospel Library app.  With this app we can browse essentially all of the Church's talks, material for teaching, and scriptures right at the palms of our hands.  While it is good for us to read through all this wonderful doctrine to learn and connect scriptures with ideas, it can be a big distraction in how we spend our time.

But one of the best things that has come from the iPads, is that all the records we keep and numbers we keep track of are now done digitally, with no more confusion in deciphering how to do things.  Now this may not mean a whole lot to lots of people, but this means a lot to us as missionaries.  Because we as missionaries keep records of all the work we do in our areas, when we leave/get transfered away, lots of infomation can be lost and people we were once working with drop off the radar.  But no more!  Everything is now online and will always be there to look back on and we will not lose this precious information anymore.  Or, at least that is the theory for now, but it seems to be working out okay so far.

Here's to the start of hopefully something very wonderful for the missionary work in the area.  I will have a cool story about using the iPad next time I update (which in theory should be next week some time).

The Parable of the Hike

     Have you ever been hiking before?  If you have or have not, just in vision imagine starting at the base of a tall mountain with your gear in hand.  You are prepped and ready for the ascent all the way up to the top and are eagerly waiting to partake of the beauty of the world all around you as you traverse this wilderness.  You can not wait till you get to the top and get to see everything around you in just a totally beautiful way.  Now with that as a backdrop, I would like to tell you of one of my experiences hiking.
     It was a crisp spring morning the day I and a couple a friends got together to go hike a neighboring mountain which was within a reasonable distance from our apartments.  We got up early-ish in the morning so we could get back and still have a usable day afterwards.  We were all super excited and we have been looking forward to this for a long time.  As we proceeded forth with our supplies in hand, we started our adventure.  While the trail felt long and steep, with our company slipping on snow the entire way up, we still persevered to get to the top.  We kept our sights on our goal and we endured to the end.
     Now, there was this really cool spot about 3/4ths of the way up that was super tempting to stop at.  As we crested this last hill, we came across a little plain that looked like it had been untouched for decades.  The snow that had fallen was wind swept and looked like the dunes of the desert (minimized of course).  Then, to add to this, all the evergreens which surrounded this little meadow had just a sprinkle of snow on them.  It was just plain picturesque, to say the least.  To top it off, you could only hear the wind on the trees and just whatever nature decided to treat you with.  In short, it was beautiful - you could just spend a day there and life would be great.  But as beautiful as it was, we knew that there were yet better things in store.  So, we put aside this wonderful place for an even better one that was waiting for us.
     When we got to the top, it was just wonderful, because first, we endured to the end, and second, we got to eat lunch, which was heavenly because we were ravenous from the hike up there, then finally, the view.  That view made the long trek so worthwhile.  We could see from one end of the valley to another, and it was just stupendous.  We saw where we had started and where we had ended up.  I would show you the wonderful panoramic we took, but I am having some formatting issues with it, but needless to say it was breath taking.  I did however find a picture that looks about as amazing as I remember.  It was worth all the pain, worth enduring the cold, brisk winter air, worth every step.

     Now, this is all important when we take a eternal perspective on things.  We kept our sights on our goal of reaching the top - that which was desirable above everything else we came across.  Just like our Heavenly Father wants what is best for us by keeping our sights on Him as so we can receive all that He has in store for us.  I want you all to know that I know that if we endure our trials in this life well, God will give us all He has, and we can return to live with Him again.
   

Tis the Start of Another Transfer!

   With the New Year also came the start of another transfer, or in other words, a time of changing and moving the missionaries around in our Washington DC North mission.  As for me, I have left my happy Capitol Ward and headed off to the Bowie Ward straight east of where I was.  With this change has come new companions and a totally different area in which I need to learn where and where not to go.  But its weird having to say good bye to all the wonderful people I have met so far out here.  It feels as if I have ended one mission and started my next mission here in Bowie.

     While one can reminisce over time well spent, one can not help but look forward with an eye of faith to what the future may entail.  I found this quote by President Thomas S. Monson saying,

I especially love those last two lines, 

Everyday of your life is a special occasion.

     

     I told one of my dear friends recently that each day is a new day and we should do something worth mentioning in our journals, for each has that potential.  Now by this I do not mean that we all have to go skydiving every day, or bungee jump off a cliff in order to have something noteworthy to write about, but it's what we take from the day, however monotonous it may be, and then make it special.  For example, if you look at the life of a missionary, we pretty much do the same thing everyday, week after week, and month after month.  After a while, we all lose track of time and the days seem to blend together.  What I have learned in order to tell the days apart is to take the small blessings of my day and treasure them up. Yesterday someone gave us three delicious biscuits to take home for breakfast the next morning.  While I was eating said biscuits this morning, I got to see the fog roll into the complex and just blanket all that it touched with the rising sun casting a perfect light on it all.  Now, to most people, this would be water underneath the bridge, or just some crumbs in the corner that need picking up.  But to me, these experiences are what set my days apart from the rest and make them special occasions in my book.  I know that recognizing these small things in life will help to make every day a special occasion, and showing your gratitude to God for these things will make you happier in the days to come.  

Year-end Flu

     Oh how change is a constant here in the mission.  Things that you think are constant can change right before your eyes.  The person who you thought was stuck in their ways is now back on the path of righteousness.  Or, you are feeling great an hour ago, and now you have a 100 degree fever... Yup, that last one was me.  Change is everywhere and you are never far from it at any point in time.  Surprisingly enough, we just have to learn to deal with whatever comes our way, mostly because we can't do anything about it most of the time, just like succumbing to illness.  We just have to deal with whatever comes our way.  Now, sadly, we did not get much work done yesterday because I was ill, and well... in bed... but we tried nonetheless to do what we could.  For a moment when I thought (thought being the key word here) I was feeling slightly better, we went down to some computers in our apartment complex to do some online proselyting time.  When we got back, we tried to contact as many people as we could using our phone, just trying to make the most of what has been given us, because that was our lot to carry this day.  I could have just stayed in bed and slept away the day (even though I did do that for most of the day), but I at least tried to do something for others.
     So, why did I share something that feels a little like rambling with you this day?  Well, only because through all of this I have learned some things that I want to share with you today.  The first one is what I already mentioned up above:  That we all have trials that we have to work through all the days of our lives.  But it is not just that we have to work through our trials, but we also need to rely on our Savior as He helps us through.  When I got out of bed to go and try and do some work online, it was probably the hardest thing I did that day.  I had absolutely no strength in my body to get up and get going.  My companion kept trying to encourage me, but my body wasn't having any of it.  It's at times like these that I am very eager just to lie back down in my very comfortable and warm bed, but instead I offered a small prayer to our Father in Heaven for help, and then I went and tried to get ready.  It was awfully difficult, but I knew that it was what I needed to do to fulfill my purpose as a missionary that day.  By the time I was ready to walk out the door, my body had the strength, be it barely, but enough to get myself downstairs to do this small bit of work for the day.  That in and of itself is a miracle to me, in relying on Christ.
     Then there is the second lesson I learned, which was humility.  That day I was down for the count.  I literally felt like I could not even leave my bed for any reason at all.  Whenever I did somehow manage to get out of bed, I was rolling along the ground to go where I wanted to go, but my loving companion helped me out so much this day, and I was treated like royalty.  He catered to my every need, that being mostly just getting me some water every few hours, or retrieving a blanket, but it was something I pretty much could not do for myself.  I like being as self-sufficient as possible, and try not to burden others, but I realized that it is still good to have some help every once in a while.  In the eternal scheme of things, we have to completely  rely on the Savior so that we all can return to live with our Father in Heaven after this life.  While feeling helpless is not a pleasant place to be in, it helped me to continue to refine my course of being all that my Savior wants me to be.

The Spirit of Christmas

    So, how is life suddenly different?  Just because of a change in months?  I am not talking about whether school is in or out of session, or a change in the weather patterns, but the change in how we act towards one another during this time of year.  Just think about it for a while.  What time of year to do you see the the seemingly soul-less come to give help to the needy, when the rest of the year he is as mean as ever?  What time of year do you see the soup kitchens suddenly so full of volunteers they do not know what to do with them, but the rest of the year, they barely have enough people to run the place?  What time of year do you see the general population looking for ways to serve their fellowman, when the rest of the year we are out to serve own interests?  Why is this time of year so very different from the rest of the year?
    Now, this is not to say that the rest of the year is all horrible, but this season, we are all striving to do just a little bit more to help those in need.  That little extra we give every Christmas season is what we remember from year to year, beyond the gifts we receive.  It's the stories we tell around the fireplace with the family all gathered round.  Many of these stories center on the joy we feel from rendering service to others.  It's an absolutely marvelous time of the year.  Everyone is striving to do what they can for others and trying to put others' needs above their own.  These acts of service are what make this time of the year so very special in everyone's hearts.  It's not about the sparkle of the wrapping paper, its not about what we did or did not get, or even how much we spent for others, although those acts of giving are a wonderful thing.  It's about our Savior's birth and coming closer to Him by trying to be like Him, the Perfect Example.  These wonderful acts of service help us to feel the Spirit of Christmas and to have that wonderful joy this time of year.  What's really cool, though, is this quote from President Thomas S. Monson:

"When we Keep the Spirit of Christmas, we keep the Spirit of Christ, for the Christmas Spirit is the Spirit of Christ."

     How cool is that!  What I got from this is that we can do the same wonderful things and express our love for our fellowman throughout the year, and we can feel the same marvelous feelings as we do the same things we do during the Christmas Season.    Let us all strive to keep the spirit of the season throughout the year so we can all feel the Spirit of Christ a little bit more in our lives.

Come Unto Christ

     You know that time when you all of a sudden remember something that you used to do, and now want to start doing it again?  Well that happened to me the other day.  Now while that may seem like a bizarre set of circumstances, this actually did happen to me and I would love to share it with you.
     So, the other day I received some news of a friend of mine who was going through a really rough time in her life.  It seemed to her like everything was adding up against her, and there seemed to be no end in sight for all the pain that was hers to bear alone.  After learning about her struggles, I decided to do just about the only thing I can do out here on a mission for her, which is to fast and pray.  After I started my fast, I put her on the back burner of my mind so I could continue to focus on the work that was ahead of me that night, because I still had two lessons to help teach and people to help bring closer to Christ.  So, I went forth unwavering in my determination to do the very best that I had been called to do:  inviting 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.  In short, I focused solely on other people's needs and not on what I wanted or needed.  Indeed, my heart was turned outward in my attempt to be as Christ-like as I could be.  Now, I really did not notice all of this until a few days afterwards when I was writing in my journal.
     Tonight as I was writing in my journal, I was in a reflective type of mood, connecting the dots of my actions to who I want to be in the future.  As I was doing this, I was remembering the night I just described a tiny portion of, and I started to understand a little more about how we can have true happiness in this life.  In a talk given by Elder David A. Bednar that I watched while I was in the MTC he says, "Christ always turned out when the natural man turns in."  True happiness is being able to live with God again, and to live with God again, we have to become like Jesus Christ.  To become like Christ, we have to be completely unselfish, and have charity in all that we do.  This night gave me an example of why this is so very important to have charity towards my fellowmen and to do all that I can to serve them.

A More Peaceful Home

     Ever since Sunday, life has felt... different.  Good, but different.  Something's changed, but I cant quite put my finger on it.  Maybe it's the turkey from Sunday.  Maybe it's the fast I held that day.  But something most certainly changed.
     To start off this turn of events, Sunday December 1st was the first Sunday of the month, which meant that it was the day set apart for a fast, or in other words, to go without partaking of food or drink for a space of 2 meals.  Waking up on these mornings is often difficult and trying for me because the first thing I do in the morning is drink a cup of water, which help me out in the morning.  When we realize that it is Fast Sunday, one of two reactions usually happen. 1)"Oh snap, it's Fast Sunday, can't eat anything til dinner.  Ugh..." or 2)"It's Fast Sunday, its going to be hard, but it will be worth it."  Now, this may not be exactly what we say or think, and it may even be a mixture of the two, but to say the least, I had mixed feelings about this Fast Sunday, and wasn't really feeling up to fasting.  However, I did it anyway, and my purpose for the fast was seeking to improve myself for the people around me.  So, I put this thought on the back burner and kind of just left it there until we broke fast that evening, and even until I went to bed that night.  The thought was kind of just lingering there of,  "What can I do?"
     Waking up on Monday morning, having completely forgotten about most things related to yesterday, I went about doing business as usual.  Somehow though, the same kind of thought pattern kept crossing my mind with my interactions with my companion--something like, "Now Elder, do you really need to respond like that?"  I did not consider that this might be related to yesterday's fast, and did not realize that it was prompting me change for the better.  So, for once I listened to that little voice in my head and started to respond in kinder and less contentious ways to my companions and my roommates.  With that, I have been happier, and the people who I live with for now have been happier with me because there is less contention in the home when I respond in kindness towards others.  Not to say that I have always responded in anger, but I can be kind of prickly, and I am noticing that I am behaving this way less and less, and life is improving because of this.
     Now, some may say these two events are not correlated and and separate in their entirety, but I will testify to you, my friends, that while my fast may have not been the best.  I still strived to keep the commandments of God with a sincere heart, and because of such, the Lord has blessed me in helping me to change my heart and come closer to Him.  I know that He lives to help and bless me as I seek Him, as I have just related to you, and He can do the same for you.

Through the Thick and Thin

    For the past little while, life has been very interesting within my awesome little tri-panionship.  One of my companions has been trying to cut all sweets out from his diet as so he can build a good lifestyle for after he gets home.  To begin, he threw out all the cookies we had in the apartment so that the temptation would not be there for him.  He was trying to last a week, but as time went on, members in our ward have been giving us more sweets than usual to take home with us to enjoy later.  This turned his abstinence from sweets into a battle ground, making it difficult for him to overcome this temptation of his.  In addition, we, his would-be protectors, like to tempt him in any way possible because of how we have grown to be like brothers.  So, how does any of this relate to seeing the Hand of the Lord in my life?
     To begin with, I would like you to think about the life of Jesus Christ and all that He went through.  As He started on the descent, slowly everyone began to stop supporting the Him.  During the most difficult part of His life, none were with Him, and even God had to step away so that the Savior could perform the Atonement for all of the world.  His sanctuary with God went away for a time, as did His friends when He needed them the most.  He was utterly alone...

   

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

     This verse from John 16:33 is why my companion, despite us, he does not have to be alone to face his temptation with sugar, because he can ask God for help in his time of trial so that he can overcome it.  While many may not think this to be a trial in his life, the fact is he wanted to change and try to improve his willpower so that he could overcome other temptations that may come his way in the future.  As I have tried to stay the course with my companion and be a help to him, I have realized how difficult it can be to not eat something that is in great abundance sitting right in front of you, day in, and day out.  I too can work on my willpower as I rely on my Savior for all that I do so that I can be strong in the day of my temptation.

Lessons Learned

     These past few days have been ones of reflection about what I have been thankful for during this time I have spent serving the Lord on my mission.  While the list may go on and on, there are a few which stand out the most, to me at least.  To start, I am thankful for my family and all they do to help me while I am out here serving a mission.  Just the immense amount of love and kindness they show me on a weekly basis by merely writing me letters attests to that.  Second  on that list is just the gratitude of being able to serve here in Washington DC for the short amount of time I get to spend here and just being on a mission in general.  I keep getting told by some of the members of my congregation that there is a difference between me as a missionary and those who just go to school right away.  Both are wonderful pursuits, but one is an act of charity for our fellowmen through giving the Lord two years of our time in order to share the joy that comes from the Gospel with all of those who are open to hear it.  The rest of my thankful list stems from being out here on a mission.  I would like to share with you one of the experiences for which I am so thankful to God, which has helped me to learn and grow closer to the Savior every day.
     The other day my companion and I were teaching a less active member in our ward and just visiting so that we could discern what they needed.  Somehow we got on to the subject of companionship inventory from Preach my Gospel, which is when we as a companionship just talk to each other openly about how we are feeling towards one another, which can help us both improve.  We decided that we would hold a companionship inventory with them so that they could better understand why we value this small amount of time so much.  When it got to their turn to try it, they decided to speak to me.  What I learn from them is very touching to me.  They explained about the difference we have in our thinking, and ways to help me improve our relation with one another.  As our appointment went on, they continued to share vast wells of knowledge and experience with us and we learned so much from and about each other.  So much that I am currently still thinking about what they said so that I can improve not only for this individual, but for everyone else I come in contact with.  I am so thankful that they were willing to share their knowledge with me as so I can improve upon what they taught to me last night.
     Now, why is this the hand of God in my life now you may ask?  God works His miracles in many ways and it is often though the hands of others.  For example, there was a statue of Christ damaged in a bombing back in WWII.  The artisans of the area were able to repair it all except for His hands.  With that, they made a plaque that said "You are my hands."  This statement is so profound to me and reminds me of a scripture in the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 2:17: "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."  With this experience, I have been blessed by God with the chance to improve and come closer to Him through this knowledge I have obtained, thus I see the hand of God in my life today.

Love Thy Neighbor

     Recently, as our companionship has been going out to work, a certain thought keeps creeping its way up to the forefront of my mind--how do I love those who seek to contend with me in any shape or form.  So, how can we love someone who perhaps at times hates us?  Our first instinct most times is just to turn away from them or even to treat them as they treated us.  After all, why should I be kind to those who hit me, why should I help those who seek to tear me down at every turn, why should I turn the other cheek to be hurt again?  Why shouldn't I lash back?  That's fair, right?  They deserve it! Let that simmer for a little bit, because this is how most people think and respond to things.
     To quote one of my most favorite people, "Life isn't fair."  Which he then follows up with the definition of fair being, "Fair is getting what you want."  Now really think about this, how have you defined fair in all of your interactions?  Is it where you got some of what you want but may have made some compromises that were acceptable to you so that you could get the desired result?  Most of the time, this is what we do.  I do it all the time with everyone else, mostly subconsciously, not even fully aware that I am just focused on my own selfish self.  But is this what God wants us to be?  This is what Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles told missionaries in the MTC about Jesus Christ:

"Christ turns out when the natural man would turn in."

     Now, that one statement describes so much about what our Savior and God wants us to be.  Christ  always turns out and is unselfish, when we would be selfish and just focused on us.  God wants the best for us, so we need to be like our perfect example, Jesus Christ; we need to be as unselfish as we possibly can.  So, how does being unselfish tie into loving someone who hates us?  Well, what I have learned about this is that for me to love someone I need to be unselfish in my dealings with them.  As God loves us so perfectly and unselfishly despite what ever we may do, we need to show that same love to all that we come into contact with.  How we do that is by serving them and thinking the best of them, despite whatever they may do to us.  I'm not saying this is easy, but it is definitely worth it.

     To share an experience with this, the other day we were teaching one of our investigators about the Gospel.  She was going back and forth with us as we tried to share with her what we knew to be true.  As I prayed for help from God to better help her understand, we started drawing comparisons with the bible and book of Mormon and she started to see how cool the book actually is.  It was after doing this out of love and compassion for her, not just insisting that we were right,  that she really opened up to us and now wants us to come back and teach her more.  Through our showing her respect, kindness, and love, she responded in kind.

Who am I?

     That's a great question.  It's a question that can go just about in any direction and is mostly dependent on your own mood at the time.  So, who am I?  I could easily start off by saying that I am a Texan and that is where I live.  Or, I can define myself as an American who loves the fact that he has freedom in this world where many don't.  What would that say about me?  Would it say that I am just measly, defined by where I live, and that is what is most important in my life or what I am most proud about?  So, what if I am not defined by where I live, but by what I do and all the wonderful things I have accomplished in this life so far.  Would that be any closer to defining who I am?  I have made a duct tape suit and dress for prom, I have built many theater sets for high school, and I have run the backstage work for these shows so that they run smoothly.  I have been a part of three different marching band shows in high school and a part of many award-winning band groups, both in concert and out on the field.  Then, with my academics, I have gone to state competitions in German and in the sciences.  I have gotten accepted into Brigham Young University and have done well with my studies there so far.  Does that even begin to describe me?  There is a song I would like to quote from the movie, The Prince of Egypt.  Moses' father-in-law sings this song to him when he is feeling down and rather worthless in the sight of man.  These are the words his father-in-law sings:

"How can you measure the worth of a man, by what he builds or buys? You can never see with your eyes on Earth.  Look at your life through Heaven's Eyes."

     So, again I ask, how do you define someone--by looking at them as a man sees them?  A man only sees what they have done, what they do now, and what will they do in the future, and most people are content with that.  But I am not.  How can you see all the good they have done which is not measured appreciably by man.  How can you see all of the tender moments spent comforting someone who has lost a brother, for instance?  How can you see the eternal impact of helping someone else receive the same joy you have?  How can you look at a man and judge him merely by what the world cares about?  You cannot define or measure a man without the help of our Heavenly Father.  We can not know of the infinite potential another human being has, no matter their race, creed, or nationality, etc. without the infinite knowledge our loving Father in Heaven has for each of us.  

     To define all that I do into one easy statement:  I am a child of God, who is the most creative and most infinite being of the Universe.  How easy is it, then, to know of my worth and appreciate all the good that can come from just me alone?  To know that I comfort those who stand in need of comfort?  That I, too, need to be comforted because I make mistakes along the way? 

     In explanation of the subject matter of this post, we were out helping one of the older members of our ward with some things she needed done around her home.  We always love coming to her home and seeing the bright smile that comes to her face whenever we come and freely impart of the time we have that day, even if it's just for a little while.  Despite all the trials that have been coming to her lately, she still manages to be happy when we are around.  Us just listening and trying to show her the love that Jesus would show if he was there, means all the world to her.  This very simple act of listening, is not something which would normally be measured by man, but it is measured by God.  For He wants us to be as His perfect son, Jesus Christ is--to show charity, or His love to everyone around us, no matter what they have done, or perhaps will do to us.

    I am a Child of our Heavenly Father, and that is who I am.  So, I ask the question to all of you, Who are you?

Duct Tape Flowers

     Whether good or bad, at this point I know not, but my awesome companion bought 17 rolls of Duct Tape on Preparation Day for me to help teach him all that I know about duct tape crafts.  As to how this all came about, I'll point my finger to the fact that I have loved making things out of duct tape for years, mostly just to see the smile my simple little crafts bring to people's faces.  These duct tape creations are nothing major by any means, but yet they still manage to touch all that come into contact with them.  As for my companion, I have now taught him how to make flowers because they were a fairly simple thing to start with.  After making a couple, the first thought that came to his head, with no prompting on our part, was to make a little bouquet to send to his mom so that she could enjoy the simple beauty of these little crafts.
     Now, is 17 rolls a bit excessive?  Perhaps, but if we continue to use our creations to bring joy to others, our small acts of service will be worth it.  As it says in Mosiah 2:17, "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."  I know that as we continually strive to help brighten someone's day, by whatever means we may posses, we can help lift other's burdens and we ourselves will be much happier.

Repeatedly Trying

     Yesterday was our Preparation day once again, and like always, it managed to be more busy than we thought it would be.  With trips out to Marshall's for sweaters, then to Aldi's for food, we got our errands done so that we were able to go out and play soccer with one of our recent converts and a few of her friends. When we got out there to finally start playing, the temperature was sitting right around 40 ish degrees and the wind was constantly blowing, almost enough to snuff out our candle of enthusiastic glee  for soccer that afternoon.  With our cold, but merry, band of friends we proceeded to play, while one of her friends came just to be there sort of thing.  We invited him to play many times, but his resolve was his to work out.   However, the idea here is that we did invite him despite what we knew the answer would be.  As we continued to play, we invited him once again, thinking to ourselves that he would probably say no.  But to our surprise, he said yes and joined us in partaking of the joy we gain from just playing soccer together as friends.  These seemingly small acts helped us to show him that we cared for him and wanted to have fun with him.  We could have stopped trying after our first attempt, and just let him be, alone and out there sitting in the cold.  But we did not--all because we wanted him to have what we had.
     This same principle applies very realistically to what I do everyday out here as a missionary.  I go and try to share the Gospel with others who, currently, do not have it.  Why, you may ask?  For the same reason-- because I want them to experience the joy that I have gained from being a member of this Church.  Many times we could have easily given up hope on others as they reject our glad offer of happiness, but we try, try again so hopefully we can help someone grow closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
     So, how is this a part of seeing God's Hand in my life?  Well, by trying to help someone else grow closer to Him, He is allowing me to help in His work, in His way, and this allows me to be a bit more loving to everyone I meet.
 

The Lord will have a Humble Elder

     One would think that the more you study something, the more you would know about it and feel closer to understanding it as a whole.  One would usually be correct in this assumption, however, that is not the experience I have had this week.  I have been studying recently about the attribute of Humility in my daily studies and how to apply it in order to be more humble in my actions.  A couple of things have happened as I have been out here serving a mission that have helped me to understand why it is so important to be humble.
     To begin with, as a missionary we talk with our leaders in order to better help the people in our area.  We are not all perfect, but when we council together we have increased ability to do what the Lord would have us do.  During a couple of these meetings, I have had the opportunity to publicly acknowledge the mistakes I have made in the past and try to do better in the future.  Not that the impact of these actions was bad, but I could have done things better.  I have to admit that my initial reaction was a little anger and embarrassment that my leaders would call me out in front of others, but as I look back, why should I have been angry?  All they want to do is help me understand what they have come to realize over the course of their lives through the mistakes they have made in taking similar actions to the ones I took.  I should have been grateful that they want to help me change, not angry that they pointed out my mistakes!
     In short, I can wrap this up in one statement through a quote I heard in the Missionary Training Center from Jenny Oaks Baker:  "The Lord will have a humble [Wesley]."  So, as I am trying to work at being more humble, the Lord will help me by putting these experiences in my path.  In humbling myself before Him, I can learn to do what He wants, instead of what I want.
-Elder Wesley Cannon

By Small and Simple Things

     It is truly amazing the effect that small and simple things can have upon our lives.  There is a wonderful scripture in the Book of Mormon about this in the Book of Alma which says:
"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise."
     For example, we were teaching a lesson to one of our investigators about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a lesson that all of us missionaries know how to teach because we study about it so often in our morning studies.  Usually in the morning, as well, we have time to plan out our lessons of the day and to prepare the lesson we are going to teach, but because of other meetings that day, we were unable to really plan our lesson for our investigator that afternoon.  This small thing, a thing that would have only taken about ten to fifteen minute out of our day, would have made our incredibly choppy lesson into a lesson that flowed and focused on what she needed to hear from us.
  What I have learned from this experience yesterday is how The Lord wants us to be continually doing the seemingly small things in life.  If we will do our part, He can then work great miracles through us.
-Elder Wesley Cannon

I am one of Helaman's Sons

One thing that has been on my mind a lot recently is why I named this blog what I did.  To start, I would like to point you to a story in the Book of Mormon.  Now, at this time two great nations, the Lamanites and the Nephites were in a great and terrible war, which had already up to this point taken many years, and many lives.  A group of converted Lamanites who lived with the Nephites had long ago made a covenant with God to never again pick up their weapons of war, but they were about to break this covenant in order to help their brethren with the war.  However, the prophet at the time, Helaman, encouraged them to hold fast to their covenant.  So, instead of their fathers picking up the sword to defend their country, 2000 of the young sons who had not made this oath with God, volunteered to go to war.  In Alma 56:9-10, Helaman's described these young men to the Nephite military leader at the time by saying:
 "But behold, here is one thing in which we may have great joy.  For behold, in the twenty and sixth year,  I, Helaman, did march at the head of these two thousand yound men to the cith of Judea, to assist Antipus... And I did join my two thousand sons, for they are worth to be called sons, to the army of Antipus."
Helaman went on to describe an incident where his little band came to battle against one of the strongest armies of the Lamanites:
"Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle. And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites. For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus. Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."
"And now it came to pass that when they had surrendered themselves up unto us, behold, I numbered those young men who had fought with me, fearing lest there were many of them slain.  But behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power did they fall upon the Lamanites, that they did frighten them; and for this cause did the Lamanites deliver themselves up as prisoners of war."

These young sons of Helaman thought more for their brethren of the Nephites than they did for their own lives.  They went out to battle even though they had no experience.  But because of their exceedingly great faith in God, they were delivered and were spared in battle.  I want to be a latter-day son of Helaman, with the courage to pick up my pen and open my mouth to invite all to come unto Christ, so that they can feel the joy I feel because of my faith in Him.
-Elder Wesley Cannon

P-Day Shopping

     I was in Target the other day getting some supplies for the week to come with my wonderful companion.  As we strolled through the music section looking for some gospel music for my companion, one of the assistants came and started to help us out.  My companion was looking for a new CD to see if it was out yet and the assistant happily helped us in our search for this CD.  When we could not find it, she mentioned that it could probably be found during the Christmas holidays that are coming up.  We mentioned that we were messengers of Christ, almost off-handedly.  Never once did she see the name tags we bear, but she said she knew us because of the Spirit we brought with us.  Because of this, she wanted to know more about who we are and what we teach.  As we continued to talk with her, we left her with our number and a card to mormon.org so that when she gets some time for us to come over, she will give us a call.  All this came about because of the Spirit we carry as missionaries by being obedient to the Lord's commands.
     What I have seen from God today is a cause and effect situation.  That by living His standards, we are able to feel His presence more.  That all the missionary rules that we have are for us to be able to have His Spirit more in abundance in our lives so that someone like this Target assistant is able to feel of His Spirit through us and thus begin the change of heart which will enable God to bless their lives more fully.  How has living the commandments helped you to feel of Gods love and presence more in your life?
-Elder Wesley Cannon

Scripture Power

     As we were out and about, we decided to go and check up on a family in the ward before one of our meetings later that day. We proceeded to talk with the father of the family, but the discussion slowly became more and more heated, and we could feel of God's presence getting farther and farther away. Jesus says in 3 Nephi 11:29, "he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another."  This is what happened with us as we were trying to teach him, but we were really just arguing our points with each other. When we left for our meeting, we all noticed that we needed to improve and teach with love the next time we returned.
     I was studying the scriptures this morning and I found a passage of scripture to share with this father that could help him understand the points we were arguing last night.  I wish to share this with him not to prove a point, but to help him and to invite him to come unto Christ, which is my purpose as a missionary--to help and invite everyone to come unto Christ.  Through my studies today, I understand better how God is helping me to lovingly show and teach my brother.
     I saw God's Hand in my life today as I was reading His holy scriptures because He helps guide us to the answers we seek.  So how has reading the scriptures brought you closer to God this day?

Garden Time Joys

Today we were able to help out an older sister in the ward with her yard today for a couple hours. One of the things she has been working on is the landscaping in her front lawn because recently the tree she loved dearly was cut down since it died when it was struck by lightning. Because of the newly created stump in her yard and her now open concept lawn, she has been up in the mornings with a couple of her friends in order help bring life back into the landscape. So we went over there prepped, ready to work, and excited for what would be in store. As she slowly directed our efforts, leveling a planters box here, taking out some grass there, the landscape was transforming around us by our efforts. We never once got discouraged or had "Oh this is going to take forever!" come to mind, but were happily in her service for the short time we were able to be there. As a scripture in the Book of Mormon states, "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17) I am always so happy when I willingly serve the people around me, though usually when I do the same work for myself, such as taking care of my lawn back home, I am rarely in the same gleeful mood. I know that God blesses us with those good feelings of joy and happiness as we serve, because I have experienced it time and time again. My question is, as always: How have you seen God's Hand in your life this day?"