Hope you had a great week!
I am getting transferred.
Our week was fun! With school just getting out and Memorial day weekend, no one was really home. So we went about the town of Montpelier and found a 30 pound cat. It was quite the cat.
I went on exchanges on Tuesday with Elder Harrs. We met each other for the first time 15 months ago and tomorrow he goes home. Crazy how time flies! Elder Johnson and I headed down to Cokeville for a lesson with a new investigator family. They were sitting at their dining room table waiting for us and guess what...they had a giant plate of cookies just for us. No wonder the average weight gain in our mission is 40 pounds! We talked about diets, ironic right? We discussed the idea that we only know a diet works if you try it and do it consistently. It's the same with following Jesus Christ. You never know until you try. We had a lesson with Amber the next morning. On her path back to activity in the Church it has been awesome to see her change. In the 3 weeks that we have met with her, her countenance has become lighter and you can see the increase in happiness. The happiness that God blesses us with is real! Thursday, Friday and Saturday we did a lot of service. We moved two families out of their homes, we planted a garden and cleaned up a lawn. We had a lesson on the Sabbath Day and I realized how important it is to keep it holy. Life gets hard but God gives us tools to deal with it. To keep us strengthened against temptation and the world we can go to church and partake of the sacrament.
Doctrine and Covenants 599 "And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;"
We had the opportunity to meet with Bettie again. We talked about the tree of life and the desire we can have to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others!
"10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit."
It was great to see her open up to us and express her desires for her family to be happy!
Friday we had to pack to move out of the Vilts for a week and we found out that I am getting transferred. I will be going back to Pocatello with Elder Ramirez in the Pocatello North Stake!
This has been my 4th area that I was only in for 1 transfer. I already miss Montpelier. I have been telling people that I will be back for the Star Valley Temple open house in September! So prepare for a road trip!
Since Sunday was Fast and Testimony Meeting, I was able to bear my testimony twice! I was contemplating obedience and Jesus Christ's life during the sacrament. I thought it is so much easier to not go to church, to not pray, and to not believe in God but it is so much more rewarding when we do. I thought of it as a bank account. When we are breaking the commandments a lot of the time it is because we want fun now, we want pleasure now. Like a checking account we may get paid then we go and buy a large screen tv or a new boat because we want to enjoy it now! Unfortunatley, the money will run out and we have to pay the consequences. In 2 Corinthians 4:18 we read "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Eternal blessings cannot be seen. The blessings that obedience brings are not always evident but they are there. As we are obedient we put more in our savings account and enjoy the blessings a lot longer!
Anyway, I also thought about a mission. We spend so much time forgetting ourselves that we learn so much more about ourselves.That is what I think Christ is talking about in Mark 8:35.
The more I learn about myself the more I learn that I am full of weaknesses and truly nothing. I know I have things that hold me up from serving God perfectly and I want to serve Him perfectly. I want to rid myself of all my shortcomings and trials then I came across another scripture from 2 Corinthians 12:9
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
I LOVE the whole scripture but I want to focus on the last sentence! I realized I should be happy with my weaknesses because when I know I overcome them, it is not me that does it but the power of Christ. I, Elder Rush, another person of the 7 billion on Earth get to experience the power of Christ in my life because HE wants to help me and love me enough and everyone of us to sacrifice His own life for me. So I could experience God's love for me. So I could feel the eternal joy that leads me to be better, to keep the commandments, and to share the gospel everyday. I know with out a shadow of a doubt that God lives and sent His Beloved Son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins and make up for our weaknesses, pains and sufferings! I love them and I know they love me!
I hope you have a great week! Keep reading the scriptures and praying everyday!
Love,
Elder Rush
P.s. I have been studying a lot about Pride and President Ezra Taft Benson's talk " Beware of Pride" has opened my eyes! I invite you all to read it. It is helping me become a better person.
Elder Rush and Brother Sorter.
Brother Sorter called me and wanted me to know that he has worked with missionaries for 60 years. He said in all those years he has not found a better missionary who exemplifies Christ then our Elder Rush. He wanted to adopt him😂! So proud of my boy! It made this mamas heart sing!
On the way to Geneve
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