What an incredible week! Thanks for the good news all around, it makes my heart happy to hear about everything going on, and to hear how sure you all on the foundation of the Savior! Haha Kimberlie is still expecting... thats good... I am ok with waiting on the pictures until the lily is has a normal shaped head. I still wake up screaming because of nightmare of baby boston's abnormally shaped head... haha just kidding! You can send the pictures on over, that is very exciting! (I have faith that she will turn out as cute as boston in the end) and (not sure about the phone call to my president... although I will be all day with him tuesday)
So last week was a great week, It snowed all day saturday and so we ended up with a couple inches on top of the meter we have had all winter. I LOVE SNOW!! Elder Sharp and I are doing great, I love working with him. It is fun to work with someone who is for the most part at the same stage as you in your mission. We get along very well, even though I would say we are about as different as it gets. He reminds me of you dad because he is a numbers guy and really knows his stuff. I have a little more williams genetics inside of me (running into glass walls and stuff) haha actually this morning I slipped on the ice on our morning run and scraped me knee ;( but nothing to bad... I'll get better!
We have really been seeing miracles all over finland and especially here in Espoo. Espoo is really exploding and the Lord is really helping the investigators I have some stories I want to share. So our area president, Elder Caussé, commited us last august to invite all our investigators to baptism (somethign that we should be doing anyways all the time) Elder sharp and I have felt like that has slipped again and so we brought it up to our Zone and commited. We too took that commitment (you gotta live what you preach :) ) and we are really seeing some increidible things. The Ali family said they would be baptized when they receive the assurance from the Holy Ghost that we talked about. They talked very openly and they are just an incredible family! Yesterday in our lesson we talked about the plan of Salvation and how we are all brothers and sisters. They shared about how big of a deal family is in Africa, and how even your neighbors are included in you family! haha they already live gospel principles! I really am excited for them. Another investigator Matt is really starting to progress and understand the power of the Book of Mormon.
Veli-Matt is a stud! I'll have to share his whole story sometime because right now isn't the appropriate place or time... But it is a good story! Maybe I'll ship off a letter to mom and dad. Good stuff. The gospel blesses families. So, in our last teach (which was also yesterday) we talked about the Law of Tithing and he shared his testimony about it.. It was really neat. His wife is a member and they have been married for 9 years or so, so he knows everything there is to know about the gospel. Elder sharp and I are now just helping him continue going forward and to live it! It has been a really fun experience thus far. His baptism is April 1st and we pretty much have everything ready... I'm stoked!
This week was neat because in Hyvinkää (the city that Elder fuchs is a district leader in) was preparing for a baptism and I had the opportunity to held the baptismal interview, it was a neat because this man (Tim) really was ready and the spirit testified powerfully to me, even though at first glance I may have thought otherwise. God knows what is inside of us and that really in the end is all that matters! It was a neat eye opener for me. So we held splits there and all went well, until I get back to Espoo and realize that I forgot to sign the baptismal Record.... OHHH NOO!! so we had to make a special visit on saturday (the day of the baptism) and go get my "John Hancock" on the record... God is a God of order! It was fun to be at the baptism as well! Tender mercies all around!
President shared a couple really good quotes about teaching and humility:
Elder Richard G. Scott once said, “Humility is that quality that permits us to be taught from on high through the spirit or to be taught from sources whose origin was inspiration from the Lord, such as scriptures and the comments of the prophets. Humility is the precious, fertile soil of righteous character. In it, the seeds of personal growth germinate. When cultivated through the exercise of faith, pruned by repentance, and fortified by obedience and good works, such seeds produce the cherished fruit of spiritual direction.” That is exactly what we need at this time, spiritual direction. Similarly, Elder David A. Bednar said, “We must be careful to remember in our service that we are conduits and channels; we are not the light. ‘For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of our Father which speaketh in you’ (Matt 10:20). It is never about me and it is never about you.
Pretty neat! Tommorow we have a special Zone meeting that I'm stoked for... president is going to really teach us good!
I feel like ammon! alma 26
11But Ammon said unto him: I do not aboast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my bjoy is full, yea, my heart is brim with cjoy, and I will rejoice in my God.
12Yea, I know that I am anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will bnot boast of myself, but I will cboast of my God, for in his dstrength I can do allethings; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.
So I love you and hope have a wonderful week! Say hi to Lily for me! I hope this email was good enough to ward off the mission president phone call for at least another week :)
Love,
Vanhin Thomas Neal Nielsen
No comments:
Post a Comment