Elder Low's report:
This week I've been reading a lot about Alma and Amulek, how they taught the people with testimony and converted many, and then had to bear with patience their affliction as they were rejected and imprisoned by the more wicked part of the people, before they were given power unto deliverance.
This week was repentance week for my companion and I as we have had a downwards spiral in the number of investigators and lessons taught. We decided to do an overhaul, and figure out what we had done wrong, and what we needed to do to show forth success in our efforts this week.
We decided that among the many problems was a serious lack of faith in the Lord being able and willing to provide for us miracles on the conditions of our doing our part. As a result, while teaching people to endure to the end, we weren't doing all that it took to make it to the finish line ourselves. This we decided had no place among the ranks of the army of the Lord and promised among ourselves to make sure that we did the extra mile to do our part.
This promise was immediately put to the test, as on the Wednesday following my companion and I Elder H…….. (as we were on exchanges on that day) found ourselves at 7:00 at night with only 6 blessings, two below what we knew was standard. Knowing that was the most important thing for us to reach that night, we set out knocking on doors.
For 45 minutes we knocked but could not find anyone who spoke Spanish that we could teach, and only found 1 person who was willing to pray with us. Finally we came to last door on the street. We knocked on it. No one answered. Through the window we could see plenty of English books and magazines and thought for sure this house would just end up being like the others. We knocked again. No one answered.
As I began to walk away Elder H…….. said, "Elder I see a Spanish person in there!"
In excitement he knocked the third time loudly, and finally caught the attention of the family who lived inside.
Then I saw Elder H…..’s smile droop. He was staring at the biggest, scariest looking Spanish man he'd ever seen.
The man opened the door and looked at the two kids standing at the door.
"What’s up?" he said.
We proceeded to ask him if we could leave a blessing on his home.
He said of course and let us into the home introducing us to his whole family as we entered.
As we blessed them they felt the spirit, and accepted baptism and a return visit without delay.
It turns out that big Spanish guy was a world class Mixed Martial Arts fighter, go figure!
It was a miracle to us, but it would not have happened if we had not done our part, if we had not shown forth our diligence to keep the commandments and standards of the Lord even until the very end.
Just like Alma and Amulek, we needed to bear with patience our afflictions before the prison walls would shake and the chains would be loosed.
Elder Low.
This week I've been reading a lot about Alma and Amulek, how they taught the people with testimony and converted many, and then had to bear with patience their affliction as they were rejected and imprisoned by the more wicked part of the people, before they were given power unto deliverance.
This week was repentance week for my companion and I as we have had a downwards spiral in the number of investigators and lessons taught. We decided to do an overhaul, and figure out what we had done wrong, and what we needed to do to show forth success in our efforts this week.
We decided that among the many problems was a serious lack of faith in the Lord being able and willing to provide for us miracles on the conditions of our doing our part. As a result, while teaching people to endure to the end, we weren't doing all that it took to make it to the finish line ourselves. This we decided had no place among the ranks of the army of the Lord and promised among ourselves to make sure that we did the extra mile to do our part.
This promise was immediately put to the test, as on the Wednesday following my companion and I Elder H…….. (as we were on exchanges on that day) found ourselves at 7:00 at night with only 6 blessings, two below what we knew was standard. Knowing that was the most important thing for us to reach that night, we set out knocking on doors.
For 45 minutes we knocked but could not find anyone who spoke Spanish that we could teach, and only found 1 person who was willing to pray with us. Finally we came to last door on the street. We knocked on it. No one answered. Through the window we could see plenty of English books and magazines and thought for sure this house would just end up being like the others. We knocked again. No one answered.
As I began to walk away Elder H…….. said, "Elder I see a Spanish person in there!"
In excitement he knocked the third time loudly, and finally caught the attention of the family who lived inside.
Then I saw Elder H…..’s smile droop. He was staring at the biggest, scariest looking Spanish man he'd ever seen.
The man opened the door and looked at the two kids standing at the door.
"What’s up?" he said.
We proceeded to ask him if we could leave a blessing on his home.
He said of course and let us into the home introducing us to his whole family as we entered.
As we blessed them they felt the spirit, and accepted baptism and a return visit without delay.
It turns out that big Spanish guy was a world class Mixed Martial Arts fighter, go figure!
It was a miracle to us, but it would not have happened if we had not done our part, if we had not shown forth our diligence to keep the commandments and standards of the Lord even until the very end.
Just like Alma and Amulek, we needed to bear with patience our afflictions before the prison walls would shake and the chains would be loosed.
Elder Low.
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