Messages of Christ

Hi Everyone!

As to landslides, even though they weren't anywhere near where we are, it is right where the source of the water is. So, we were without water for a day, but as missionaries, for drinking we have it all pre-bottled anyway, so we just had to be very thrifty with the water that remained in the tank of our apartment, because there wasn't water in anybody else's house!

The "jello cake" is actually a rather pricey cheesecake that we all purchased at the end of my transfer in my old area, and it was super good!

As to the pictures of ties, I have begun teaching myself to reduce ties! I am pretty good at it, and I've only done two ties! It's so cool to see it afterwards, and it looks so much better to wear! I'm probably going to do it to all my ties, because that way I want to wear all of them, and I don't only wear a few! I am using the tie I got for Christmas as a guide, and it works super well!

Now, for the message from Elder Cook! He talked about the power of music in helping us feel the spirit. He also talked about the difference between a normal missionary and an extraordinary missionary, and he said that an extraordinary missionary is exceedingly obedient and exceedingly humble. That's it! That's the difference! It really goes to show that pride is the father of all sin, because if we are humble, we will learn what we need to do, and do it! He told us that every doctrine taught since the restoration is in Preach My Gospel, chapter 3. Powerful no? He also said that he receives the most powerful revelation when he is seeking to bless somebody else. He also left us with an apostolic blessing. That our service now will bless everybody we love, and everybody we ever will love, into eternity. I am so grateful for this! It was absolutely extraordinary!

And then this week, we got to listen to a worldwide missionary training broadcast. They talked about a lot of stuff, but some of the things I really liked were that the doctrines of faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, and endure to the end, are a little weak. What makes them strong and applicable is Christ. Elder Bednar told us that "all things are one in Christ," so it's faith in Jesus Christ, which inspires us to depend on his atonement to repent, so we change to follow him and be baptized like Him, and then we receive the Holy Ghost to help us become more like Him, and then we endure to the end to live with Him. When we teach and study it this way, it has much more power! They also talked about how as a missionary, you just need to work hard and do the right things, and God will bless you, in his time. So we shouldn't worry about if we are being the best, or even good enough, just worry about what you can do better every day!

They also changed the Key Indicators and the Schedule. There used to be 9 indicators that we were focusing on in our work, plus 5 from our mission. Now there are 4: investigators that were Baptized and Confirmed, attended Sacrament meeting, are Progressing, and are New. We also have a new schedule, with a lot more freedom. We are being given a lot of freedom now, and the only thing I can think of, is that the Second Coming is close, and we need to be as effective as possible, and that means that the one size fits all approach isn't good enough. Also, we have a lot more responsibility, because it's the very end. We are the elect of all time, who are being trusted with preparing the earth for the Second Coming of Christ. It's incredible!

Love you!
--Dallin