Week 67: 3 On Date!!

The work is going so fast here. I can't keep up! Last week we had 70 green dots so we stopped teaching quite a few people who aren't making commitments. We also put Rigo (found out that his name is actually Rigo, short for Rodrigo, not Regal... oops. Kinda embarrassing) and Ryan and Savannah on date for baptism!! We set Rigo's baptismal date for October 8th but he had to go out of town this last weekend so he missed church. Usually someone needs to attend church 3 times before being baptized and he's only been once so we may have to push his baptismal date back. He wants me to be here for it though so we might do it on the 11th. Transfers are on the 13th and we don't know if I'm leaving Del Rio yet but it's pretty likely that I will. Ryan and Savannah also decided they want to be baptized on October 8th! They're engaged right now but I told them they would need to be married to be baptized and they said, "Oh don't worry, we'll take care of it". I did not think it was going to be that easy hahaha. It sounds like they're going to get a civil marriage and then be sealed in the temple in a year! Their faith is so inspiring to me! I'm so grateful for the opportunity I've had to teach them and see how God can change people's lives. 

Other than that I don't remember much about this week so I'll leave it there. 

In Ether chapter 2 the brother of Jared and his family/friends are building barges to cross the ocean and he asks the Lord what they should do to have light in the barges. This was the Lord's response: "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" Surely the Lord could have given the brother of Jared a solution to his problem but instead he turns the question back on him. Why? 

While studying this chapter I came across a quote from President Harold B. Lee that explains the Lord's reasoning in asking this question. According to him the Lord’s question was similar to saying the following:

“‘Well, have you any good ideas? What would you suggest that we should do in order to have light?’ … “Then the Lord went away and left him alone. It was as though the Lord were saying to him, ‘Look, I gave you a mind to think with, and I gave you agency to use it. Now you do all you can to help yourself with this problem; and then, after you’ve done all you can, I’ll step in to help you.’” 

After receiving this question from the Lord the brother of Jared found a way that they could have a supply of light in their barges and exercised his faith by bringing 16 stones to the Lord and asking him to touch them and make them to glow. 

President Lee concluded: “This is the principle in action. If you want the blessing, don’t just kneel down and pray about it. Prepare yourselves in every conceivable way you can in order to make yourselves worthy to receive the blessing you seek”(Stand Ye in Holy Places [1974]). 

Sometimes the Lord doesn't give us the answers to our questions but allows us to learn and grow as we use our agency to make a decision and then come to him to receive confirmation. I have seen so much growth and revelation come from seeking answers to my questions in this way. I invite you to do the same when making a decision or finding answers in your own life!

- Elder Christensen

Pictures 

☆ Some kids swimming in a trash can

☆ The tie dye we did with Linda!

☆ A nasty spider outside our apartment

☆ Our coalition costumes

☆ Myra and her bird, Cookie, that she's apparently had for 11 years??