October 24, 2016

Good morning!

This week was awesome, I feel like this is a third part to the same lesson.

Everything we are doing right now is all about 4 new investigators every week. That is like our side of the covenant and then God will help us find those that are prepared to hear the gospel (and a million other promises that I don't have time to type). So we are focused on finding 4. And we are getting better and better, on Saturday we had found 3 and so we worked on Sunday until the evening time (once again!) when Elder Swainston decided to call Lee Lee who we have been working with for a while . We asked her if she knew anyone that we could share the gospel with and she said we should come over and teach her friend Sam. So we did and Sam is awesome! And she said that she could see the changes that Lee Lee made which was sooooo cool because we aren't the only ones seeing it! It is changing her life!!!!! And we are going to be seeing Sam with Lee lee now. Lee Lee is going to be baptized this week and we are super excited for her!!!!!!!

Lee Lee has changed her life more than anyone I have ever seen. I have seen the Atonement work in my life that is easy to see, but we have been privileged to see the Atonement work in her life now too. In just a few short weeks we have seen her give up illegal drugs, alcohol, smoking, she is living the laws of chastity, tithing, she is reading the Book of Mormon almost every day. She puts herself into the scriptures and understands them in terms of how it applies to her. She has started looking at things more positively and is looking at life with a whole new perspective. Now she has a fresh new view of herself, God, and life.  We are seeing what usually takes people months and years to find and do in a matter of weeks. And the blessings she is seeing is condensed and amplified and she is receiving the strength to do it all through her literal Savior Jesus Christ. She is the perfect example of how we can and should be taking the Atonement into ourselves. 

Anyways I got off topic right there... so we were working that night and I turned to Elder Swainston and asked him okay it is after 8PM and we have nothing to do... and at this point I felt the Spirit as I asked him the question. What would we do if we didn't have 4 investigators? Or in other words how can we keep working as hard as we can even though we have met our goal? 

That was it! That was what God has been trying to teach me for the last 3 weeks! All of them put together finally got through, His patience in teaching astounds me. I just thought we were seeing miracles but no there was a lesson there! 

So whatever you are going through I would invite you to take a step back and look at your situation and ask that question. What is God trying to teach me?

Love,

Elder Mark Howland

Elder Howland and his companion, Elder Swainston