Sunday, July 17, 2016

June 5th, 2016: Becoming the Person God Needs Us to Become

So this week was a big humbling week with a lot of rewards. At the beginning of the week we had an exchange with our district leader and my companion went to his area with another Elder from my companion’s intake. We were a little iffy on it but we went along. My district leader came here and worked in my area and I am so thankful he did.
The past little while I have been praying for a change of heart because I feel like I was being too negative or not giving people the love I should be giving. For a while nothing happened until the exchange. While on the exchange I realized how mean I had been as of late. I had been looking for something to change around me but hadn't been trying to look inward. I really took what I learned and haven’t looked back. Because of that I truly have been feeling pure Joy lately. One scripture I like that I read lately was as Jesus is teaching the hard hearted Pharisees and he says "the truth will set you free". Because they rejected the truth and couldn't see the error in their ways they continued on the miserable path of man. However, those that followed Christ, who often received and took council from the Savior on how they could change, stayed the course towards Heaven.
This last month has been a big buildup of little ideas all centered around the phrase "the truth shall set you free". I have learned that we need to be bold with our investigators and tell them the truth and not beat around the bush. We need to know the truth before we can share it. How we can discern what is truth and what is a lie. Finally how to take correction. The whole month has been preparing me for this week to take the truth and turn it into action. I truly have seen my life change for the better and it was just from being nicer to other people, to my companion.  Just a simple tweaks like that changed so much.
This week we have been working hard and getting a lot of lessons but not much progression from our investigators. This week we waited upon the Lord and miracles happened. Percy finally told us what was keeping her from Baptism and we fasted with her for one day, asked permission, received it, and now she is on date for the 18th of June. We also met a lady named Mayleen who is one of our young investigators mom and she is a lot nicer than we originally thought. When we first met her she started yelling at us how we will never baptize her kid and how he will never go to church. Then when we went to ask her for permission again she totally changed and we ended up having a great lesson about the Restoration and Joseph Smith. I think she too had a change of heart and because of that she stayed and listened to us. This area's getting better and better and it's because we are being bold, inviting people to repent, and finding through faith it really does work if you actually do it. I love you all and if I could invite you all to do one thing, ask yourselves the question, "what lack I yet?" I promise you that "the truth WILL set you free" it really will and I promise you that. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
-Elder Hanson

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