Hey
Dad!
Well my P-day is going
well. Usually email is the first thing I do out the door. So usually always
starts pretty well.
That's way cool about
sacrament meeting. It's really cool and amazing stories like that of conversion
that build faith and testimony in others. Ultimately the conversion though
comes down to every single person's own actions and drive to become (like
Brother Christiansen). A talk actually I have been reviewing and studying over
this past week was by Elder Oaks from 2000 about the "Challenge to
Become". It's super good! Shares so much more about the difference between
testimony and conversion. Instead of just knowing and saying, it's doing and
becoming. One of the greatest examples it shares about is from the life of
Peter. When Jesus asks "whom do ye say that I am", Peter immediately
replies "thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God". Peter had
an immense and strong testimony. But later in the life of the Savior we come to
understand that Peter was not converted. At the last supper, Christ tells Peter
"I have prayed for thee...and when thou art converted, strengthen thy
brethren". This is a man who had spent 3 years with the Lord, had walked
on water, witnessed countless miracles, performed miracles himself, and was
taught by the master himself, many times on a personal basis. But he was not
yet converted. For me sometimes I come to see and find that conversion is a
very big process. It almost intertwines and weaves with becoming perfect. It is
not something that fully will be obtained in this life. But each day is a
process that we build upon block by block so that it becomes stronger and make
progress along the path moving forward. What I feel personally is that the
point and time where Peter denied Christ 3 times, as sad and maybe also
grieving for Peter it was, I think it was also very much necessary for his
conversion. Elder Oaks shares about how that the greatest growth and
development of conversion happen in what we often refer to as the "furnace
of affliction". When we are being refined and sanctified, we become more
and more like the person Heavenly Father sees us as. This is something I can
attest to with all my heart. I will not lie, the mission has had some of the
most difficult challenges, trials, temptations, and such that have felt like
some of the most grief, pain, or suffering ever. But....I would not trade it
away for anything. It has transformed me so much already, and there is so much
it continues to teach me and show unto me. It's like you have been saying as of
late in letters, life is hard work but the peace and joy are incomparable. I
remember Elder Holland in a talk at some time sharing about how life is hard
and it's not fair. And then he emphatically shares well that is because eternal
life is not easy to obtain. How true it is.
This whole conversion
doesn't just mean saying I know, it means becoming. It means transforming. It
means changing. It reminds me of Brother Brad Wilcox's talk about the grace of
Jesus Christ. If we are not converted, if we don't become, are not willing to
change, don't accept and receive Christ and the gospel, then it won't be at the
judgement people acting nervous with Christ holding clipboard and saying
"oh darn, you only missed it by 2 points" and people begging to check
it again. Rather it will be Christ pleading for people to use His Atonement, to
change, transform, to come unto Him. Heaven is not heaven if we are not
heavenly.
Sounds like you had a
whole lot of fun at girls camp. Remember always that feeling you had on Monday
morning and then how you felt at the end of the camp. You want to know what the
key difference and secret was? Service. As Elder Perkins in his talk "the
Great and Wonderful Love" he shared 5 points to help with overcoming and
combating the latter-day snares. The last point was to find joy in each day. He
shared about how that the greatest way to find joy is in serving. For when you
are serving and helping others, you are more concerned and focused about them,
and spend less time worrying and agonizing over yourself. So you said you were
not feeling mentally good on Monday morning. But you have now seen the fruits of
serving and forgetting about yourself. It's such a beautiful thing.
Leave it to you to
make a little remark like that about Gordon. (this is me rolling my eyes). But
way to have fun with the other guys and make effective use of your priesthood.
Definitely Nate was doing the right thing. I have only known him a little bit,
but I know his younger brother (Dylan's friend, and we graduated together) and
just based from his younger brother (Zach) I know that Nate is already a way
strong and faithful guy. Definitely he was following the prompting of the
Spirit and we shouldn't be ashamed or afraid to enact our priesthood power that
has been given to us. That is why Heavenly Father has given it to us. To bless
and edify His children upon the earth. I always carry my oil around with me. I
actually have a carabiner that I keep the most important things on. I have the
keys for the apartment as well as the church. Then I have my bike key as well
as the Lego C-3PO key chain. Then I have the Victorinox pocket knife and my oil
vial. I have the bigger jar in my back pack. But I keep this carabiner on my
belt loop. So everything is really quick and fast access.
That is really
interesting that Jehovah's Witnesses showed up in our neighborhood. My whole
time living there I never saw or talked with any. When I was in Gaoxiong though
the day Elder Dailey went home and Elder Vandiford moved, Elder Turner and I
were companions for a little while and while we were doing some language study,
we got contacted by a Jehovah's witness. But I told him up front that we
wouldn't be interested. But I was sad afterwards that I didn't try sharing the
Restoration with him. So yes I am proud of you for being really kind and nice
to them. That is exactly how you should treat everyone. Every single person is
a child of God and either people don't know that or those who do seem so easily
to forget it. I remember from the Liahona a talk somewhere that had a line I
really liked. It went something like this that "Everything would be ok and
good if we simply remembered everything we knew". I actually had a similar
experience just on Saturday. Elder Oldham and I from planning the night before
picked out an area to go tract. We tracted this area for about 2 hours (I think
we knocked on probably close to a 100 doors) and up to this whole point only
two people exchanged numbers with us but didn't set up or willing to let us sit
down at that time. Elder Oldham said alright I am ready to change over to
something else. We were going back down the hill and I said alright lets tract
this alley that we passed earlier (we passed because some older couple/slash
family were just standing at the entrance and could tell they were not willing
to talk and were just watching us the whole time. You get a little self-conscious
and weird when people watch you contact or tract). But so we came back to tract
that alley (and that family yeah immediately just gave us the buyong hand and
saying no. Buyong literally means don't use but pretty much means no. To also
give you a feel for how much the people of Taiwan work as well that old aMa (a
lady about age 50 to 70) was still working at her little station with some
metal piece things and punching stuff on them at 8:00 when we knocked on their
door). So we went down this alley tracting and the last door we knocked on a
man in his late 50's came to the door and very enthusiastically started talking
with us. He invited us in after talking a little bit and gave us chocolate milk
from Costco (super good by the way). Found out that he has 1 or 2 sons who live
in America, in Texas, and on seeing us we reminded him of his son and it just
really cheered him up and made him happy. We shared a few introductory things
about the Restoration, but he wasn't super interested. We did get to pray together
with him though, and gave him some tracts for the church as well as other
information like English Class. It wasn't a new investigator, or a baptismal
goal, or anything super special. But it still made me know and feel that really
that is what it is to represent Christ. To bring joy and peace to others, to
invite to come unto Christ, to offer the chance and share about the
Restoration.
From studying Preach
My Gospel this morning I was in the Finding chapter and about the part
"Talk with Everyone". It lists several bullet points of ideas to
think of to better help in talking with everyone. One point talks about invite
everyone to learn about the Restoration. So this is where you can improve. You
did very good to be kind and friendly towards those around you. But we have the
mandate and call to warn our neighbors and literally invite everyone to learn
about the Restoration and God's true and only church. Sometimes circumstances
and situations are not good or convenient to go for bigger invites, but that is
why we need and have the Spirit in our life. He will guide and direct us so
that we may know when and how to act. And we invite the Spirit more into our
life by doing the very things that build foundation and conversion. That is
studying scriptures (as well as words of modern-day prophets), praying daily
(both personally, with your companion (aka Mom), and as a family (aka Mom plus
puppies)), and attending church and the temple. Take so much advantage of
having the temple. So far now over the last year (not counting any MTC time) I
have been to the temple twice, but I feel I will move before the next temple
trip happens in August, so I probably won't get a chance again for awhile to go
to the temple.
So yeah I got 2
letters from you this past week in 2 days. It was way exciting and good to see
mail in the mailbox. So back to the May 17 letter. I really appreciate what you
shared about being patient with myself as I discover more and more. As well as
the part about wanting me really to remember and understand and know about
doing my best and driving myself. This is part where I know half of this move
call has been a lot of hard times and struggling on my own behalf and not
probably working as effectively as I could. Elder Oldham and I went into this
move call with a desire to get a baptism. I let that desire and fire dwindle
down. But yesterday night I just felt the choice and action in myself that I am
going to go out and do my best. I am not going to sit anymore drooping in
doubts, fears, and lies. Most likely baptism is out scope for this move call
because of requirements that need to happen for an investigator to qualify for
baptism, but I have the drive and fire in me that Elder Oldham and I will find
some solid progressing investigators with dates set for July to set up for
whoever will be here the next move call.
Now that is just nuts
about Dubai with all their super expensive police cars. The Bughatti Veyron is
$1,000,000 and the Aston Martin One77 is $1,000,000. Then the Lamborghini
Egoista looks like a starship! It's crazy. I just realized the other day I have
a bit of a Top Gear hangover. It's been over a year since I have watched it :(
Too long. Oh well, the hump is over and sooner than later I will be watching it
again.
Definitely this past
week I have felt and learned so much coming down to not just choices, but
acting on the choices. I can wish and pray and desire to be this kind of person
or have this kind of mind or get this kind of result, but if I never
consciously make the decision in my mind that I am going to work my butt off
and do all my effort to behave, act, or do that, then I won't get it. I can pray and hope
and desire that I do it or live, but until I really make the decision and act
out with all my effort, I won't have it. But the greatest part is when I put
all my effort in that is when the grace or enabling power of the Atonement
comes in.
In all actuality a
large part of my hard times and everything come from doubts and worries that I
listen to and believe. So we talked about Galations 4 at the end about the
fruit of the Spirit. I have the scripture memorized and recite it to myself
many times. But we talked about getting out of the doubts and worries and into
the fruit of the Spirit. Seeing the things that are good. Seeing it with both
eyes and heart. Having an attitude of gratitude. Go back and read President
Monson's talk from 2010 about gratitude. It is super good. Especially Mom go
back and read. In parts my whole part of being more negative and listening to
doubts and worries is genetic (yeah from Mom) but it is also habitual. It's the
part now of getting out of the habit. So Mom that is what you should do too!
Get out of the doubts and worries and into the fruit of the Spirit! When you
live and breathe an attitude of gratitude you touch heaven.
Definitely a long
letter. Let's make it longer! Yay! :D Here is what I shared with President.
Hey President!
This week has felt for
me a big building block added into my life and becoming more like the person
Heavenly Father sees me as. I had a really great talk with Elder Watkins. I
learned a good lesson from Elder Shelton and Elder Fronk at English proselyting
about not just making the choice in ourselves, but actually acting and putting
forth all effort. I am coming to better understand about doubts and worries, to
get out of them and into the fruit of the Spirit. I have actually memorized
that scripture in Galations about the fruit of the Spirit and tell it to myself
many, many times, but also making the choice in myself and believing I can be
in the fruit of the Spirit and then acting my best effort to be there.
This past week I felt
as a miracle to happen for me was the sudden change and transformation that
kicked in last night. Elder Oldham and I came into this move call with the
desire to get a baptism. I feel the sorrow and grief that because of my own
struggles and weaknesses they hindered me and I didn't put forth my best effort.
But from the last week culminating into last night (maybe the cherry on top
being a Brother Tang who just came home Saturday from his mission in Virginia
and getting to know him and talking with him) that I am going to consciously
put my whole and full effort into this now. In all probability the chance for
me to baptize this move call is slim, but I am going to work my best with Elder
Oldham to find solid progressing investigators with baptismal dates in July to
set up for whoever is serving here in Zhanghua next move call, whether it be me
or someone else.
This past week in
studies I have carried on in studying the Book of Mormon. I love it so much! I
have just read through 2 Nephi 31 this morning, and that chapter is such a
power house. It is filling with so much doctrine and so much goodness, it
definitely requires many, many, many times of studying. The part I liked was
about the gate. I remember and know that the gate is repentance and baptism.
But gate has a cross-reference to 2 Nephi 9:41 which shares about how the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, is the gate keeper and is not assigned to any one else.
This gate then can't be circumvented or walked around or tricked because the
Lord himself is the keeper and will know if you have truly repented and been
baptized in his name by the proper authority.
Thanks so much, Love
ya, will pray and fast for you!
Elder Dayley
So yeah I am working
and trying harder and really looking to put all my effort in. Definitely I
appreciate what you shared about the girls thing. I really have been trying to
implement it all of seeing as Allisa and not worrying about. Not going to marry
any. So just going out and having fun. Trying to wake up each day to go out and
do my best to help make someones day better.
Also I do need some new Abreva cold sore ointment sent
because the one I have expired in May. Also Dad do you mind sending me a
business card of yours. I would like to have one on me so I can share it with
people about what you do.
Love you so, so, so,
so much!
Elder Roo
p.s. Happy Father's
Day by the way, thought I forgot didn't you ;)
