Ups And Downs ;)
Well well well it has been another 2 weeks! Time is flying! I have time for a quick update!
Weekly highlights:
-We had a fun p-day and got to watch some of The Chosen!
-There was a Chinese lady named Emily who was getting baptized and she really wanted to film a tik tok of me because she thought I would become famous in China because I spoke Chinese and am a 帅哥。
-We got to have dinner at the Temple President's house which was fun! They have a random connection to Sister Lybbert in my ward back home! Small world!
-We had another member meal with a beast member from America! It was so fun to have dinner with his small little family! He had 4 kids and it made me really miss home! I missed those fun random dinner conversations!
-We have been able to put our friends Shuyu and Danny on date for baptism in April! They are both Chinese and very keen on changing their lives to come to Jesus!
-Our Saturdays have become so beast! We literally spend all day teaching! We had to have lunch at 3pm because we had been in back to back to back lessons!
-We almost had a triple double! We had a 9,9,9, 4,1 week!
-Got Gygs with our friend Chen Shi and that was fun! Mexican with the Chinese!
-Had another MLC which was good. Nothing too crazy.
-The Lord is hastening His work! He is magnifying our efforts! Friends are coming to Jesus Christ like nothing before! I don't know how it is possible! We are having muslims becoming interested and wanting to know the truth! We are seeing Australians who are becoming interested in God and searching for truth! Miraz and Jackson are two friends we have been amazed to see change!
The most fascinating thing we have observed is that everyone is searching!! Everyone is searching for the truth, but they don't know where to find it. We have friends or people we meet on the street who have a belief in something, but are still searching for the truth!
The most amazing thing is that the Church of Jesus Christ has the truth everyone is searching for and I have found so much joy in sharing that with everyone!
-We had an amazing baptism this past Sunday! It was our friend Shawn! He has progressed so quickly! I have never seen a more prepared Chinese person in my life! He is so faithful and committed. Three other companionships in our district had baptisms also so we had a quadruple baptism! It was an epic Sunday!
First off, we had 30 friends come to Marden ward! 30 friends in 1 ward!! It was incredible! The ward was packed! The first 5 rows of the chapel were filled with friends and new members! The ward started a gospel principles class and it was packed. It became standing room only! The ward leaders were blown away!
Then we had the baptism of 4 friends! It went well and everyone stayed for the baptism! We had so many friends and members there! The whole chapel was filled. Close to 150 people! In fact, there were so many people that the Bishop requested that the baptism be zoomed so everyone could remain seated!
The Bishop texted us later telling us that the ward has a spirit of excitement!
The ward has gone from a "dead ward" to a ward alive with the spirit of missionary work! I have never seen anything like it! It has taken months of hard work, sweat, and tears, but the Lord is finally magnifying our efforts! We are accomplishing things we never thought possible!
And the best part is that this is just the start! We have the student body president of the major university in Adelaide baptized and bringing all of his friends! The people we baptized have so many friends that came and are now interested! Everyone is working together to help each other come to Jesus Christ!
I am bursting with excitement! My joy is full! This is what everything is all about! Saving souls! Bringing them home! The friends' testimonies after the baptism were priceless! They all testified of the peace they feel at church. You could see the light they radiated and the joy they felt!
Members were overjoyed also! Members who never were involved are becoming involved! They all want to be a part of this great work! It is truly the greatest work in the world! And nothing is going to stop it!
Well I ranted a little bit! Sorry. I just got a little excited haha. But all being said, this week was one of the hardest weeks on my mission. The branch was without power all week so we were without a "home" in the city to do missionary work. So we spent time in the state library and on park benches teaching. It was rough. It was hot. 105 degrees hot. It was tiring. We were thirsty and hungry. But we pushed forward! And at the end of the opposition week we were able to have an uplifting Sunday and see the Lord's hand in the work! So many tender mercies. There are so many ups and downs in life, but when we focus on the Savior we can be happy no matter our circumstances in life!
Anytime I lose focus on the Savior I struggle, but as soon as I rivet my focus back on Him there is unseen power that enters me that allows me to continue to push forward even when I physically and mentally don't think I can.
Spiritual thought:
Here is a quick thought.
We have been sharing this quote over and over with our friends.
President Nelson said:
"Consider how your life would be different if priesthood keys had not been restored to the earth. Without priesthood keys, you could not be endowed with the power of God. Without priesthood keys, the Church could serve only as a significant teaching and humanitarian organization but not much more. Without priesthood keys, none of us would have access to essential ordinances and covenants that bind us to our loved ones eternally and allow us eventually to live with God.
Priesthood keys distinguish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from any other organization on earth. Many other organizations can and do make your life better here in mortality. But no other organization can and will influence your life after death."
God's power and authority are crucial! They allow the power of God to come into each of our lives now and forever!
We always desire to baptize, but we must not forget the next step is to help everyone enter the temple! We want to allow everyone to access the power available to them!
Let me share a good example from the Book of Mormon....
Alma 26:
3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.
4 Behold, thousands of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God. (These two verses describe how I feel when people are baptized)
5 Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted. (Now what are the sheaves? They are the people baptized. But what are the garners? The garner is the temple! Isn't that amazing!? Now look at the blessings of making it to the temple! Look at the protection offered in the next verse)
6 Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them. (Are those not blessings we need and want in this day and age? We must help our families and friends make it to the safe haven of the temple)
The last thought I will share is that everyone is searching for peace and love in this world! Everyone we talk to is searching for a deeper peace and love they can’t find anywhere! They are searching and searching! We had a friend who has gone to a church that has crazy songs and is more like a party than a church. The world has distorted the perception of church. He then came to our church for the first time. I asked him what he thought. He said "I have been to many churches but this church is the church I have felt the most peace in. That is what stands out. The peace…."
All the friends baptized, in one way or another said that it was the peace they felt at church and as they read the Book of Mormon and prayed that drew them to this church and motivated them to be baptized. They said it felt like coming home.
A scripture comes to mind:
Jesus said "27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
I testify and promise that Jesus Christ offers true peace! Lasting peace! Eternal peace! We don't need to be troubled and afraid because we have Jesus Christ!
I hope you all have a great week! I thought this would be a short email, but I apparently had a lot on my mind haha.
Here are the pictures!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/
Cheers,
Elder Jones
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