March 7, 2016

Hi Fam!

This week really isn't much to talk about until yesterday. The week was a pretty same old, same old week. Knock some doors, teach some lessons, knock some more doors. But yesterday was amazing!! So we ended up having 10 investigators surprise us and come to church!! We had 2 kids from the Jamaican family come, Susan and her mom/sons, then Archibald and his wife surprised us by coming and then a member brought these two people from her apartment complex that she doesn't really know but invited to church. (It's a long story maybe I'll tell it another time).

It was crazy trying to juggle taking care of all of them! I also don't think I've prayed so much during a Fast and Testimony meeting for no one to say anything off the wall haha. Why do investigators always decide to make fast Sunday their first! But it was all good! Archibald and his wife Yassa left after sacrament and then we took Susan, Sarah (Susan's mom), Rochelle (Jamaican family adult daughter), and John/Danisha (new people), to second hour and had a great Gospel Principles class taught by yours truly. After, we talked to John and Danisha and he looked at me so sincere and said, "I've never been baptized. And I felt so good as you taught, will you teach me and help me get baptized". It was amazing! So we went over in the evening and had a full lesson. It went amazing and they loved it! They accepted to be baptized in the first lesson and we are setting their B-Dates this week! Totally been prepared for the gospel by the Lord! 

I'm thinking I might leave this transfer since I will have finished training Elder Schank.. But I am hoping I can stay at least one more as I have seen the areas potential be revealed. It would be hard to see the hard work I've put into the area show right as the time I might leave comes around. And I've grown to love Laurel lots, so much is finally happening and there's lots of people it would be tough to say bye to. But if the Lord needs me to serve somewhere else, than I am happy to go. So whatever happens this transfer (Mar 23rd) I'll try to make the most of it!

Since it's a shorter email I'll share a spiritual thought, so this is an experience that happened a few weeks back. But made a big enough impact I've thought about it and built on it a lot since. So I was having a rough day a little back and was just struggling to feel like I was a good missionary. Was I really doing everything I could and stuff like that. It was the evening so I was laying on the couch watching videos on my iPad and I watched the Bible video, "Feed my sheep". Of course we all know it as the one Elder Holland gave a great talk about and is all about Peter and Christ's talk about feed his sheep. But it's what comes after that really was my answer. In John 21:21-23 it says,

21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

It's the phrase, "what is that to thee?", that was my answer. Christ tells Peter not to compare his calling to that of Johns. They both have a key duty in preaching the gospel, but different roles. Just like each of us. We all play our individual role in Gods plan, but that doesn't mean the differences make anyones calling more important or better. We (I) need to stop comparing ourselves (myself) to others and just focus on what our Heavenly Father needs from us (me) specificity. It's easy to compare as that's how we measure things in this world. How do you know I'm a better football player than the next guy? Well you run faster, lift more, catch better, run crisper routes. How do I know my business is better than the competition? I sell more, have a better profit margin, and have more of the market share. But that's not how the Lord measures our success, it's never out of comparison to him. No matter what role we play in this life the calling from Christ is the same to us all, "Follow thou Me". 

I hope everyone has a great week! I love and miss you all! 

Love!

Austin

Ps. Hit 7 months this last week.. How crazy is that!? Feels like I got here yesterday..

This is Jayden and Darnell (Susan's sons). They are crazy and a complete handful,

but they are great! They love us tons!

My boy Darnell!!