Man, I love Keokuk.
It's a little hard going into homes where the people either have been or are smoking indoors. But one thing I've learned to appreciate on my mission is the love of God. Everytime I walk into a home, and I get frustrated with somebody, I just ponder on how much I do that frustrates the Lord too. I do alot! I am very imperfect, and so when I see people who I feel a little uncertain about, I've learned to just look at them how God sees them and to love them how He loves them. I've come to appreciate what people do, and who they are for that purpose. I am grateful for my Father in Heaven and all He does for me.
Sometimes life is hard. But that's the blessing of the Atonement. No matter what I'm going through, He knows what I am going through. I feel at peace, because I know he knows me, and trusts me enough to do what is right. And as long as I do what is right, I feel at peace. I love my Savior.
This last week, we got ahold of alot of the people I was working with previously, when I was in Keokuk before. It's so cool to see how the Lord has worked. Lots of these people are so prepared to hear the gospel, and commit. So we are going to work with them on that. One thing I've learned is good in missionary work is to never be pushy with people, and to just love people. Some people really have to work to make promises with God. You can't force anyone into the water, you have to do what you can to help them get there. You want to draw them to the water, and have them walk in themselves. That is the biggest blessing, because you know that when they have done all they can do they truly are prepared.
Elder Bradshaw and I had a REALLY long weekly planning session on Friday haha. We were very thorough. We know that there is alot of work to be done in Keokuk, so we can't just rush through everything. We have to make sure that we really are planning to the needs of our investigators, and helping them to prepare to make covenants, or promises with our Father in Heaven; and to keep those covenants too. Everytime I think about how much a covenant has blessed my life, I learn about how important it is to keep that covenant. If we aren't true to our covenants, then that is when we are damned. Our progression stops, because we don't have the spirit! That's the beauty of the Atonement, is that we can repent, and we can recieve the spirit again, as we worthily partake of the sacrament each sunday. I am a witness of that. I experienced it yesterday, the sunday before, and I will again this next sunday. I love the Gospel. It's the coolest.
I was going to say something inspirational, but I forgot.
I love being out here in Iowa. The members are so sincere, and it's just different. In Provo when I was normal, I always disliked how during there were these LONG pauses of people just sitting there in sacrament meetings, waiting for someone to get up and bear their testimony. There are times when you have some really good fast and testimony meetings. But there are those big pauses. Here in Iowa, I have never had a fast and testimony meeting where there was a pause longer than a minute. I know the people in Provo have testimonies, and all that. They obviously do. But in Iowa, I just love the hurry the people are in to share their testimonies.
Everyone should have a goal to share their testimony with at least 1 person a week. If you don't bear it, it just weekens. I'm a witness to that. So bear your freakin testimonies! If you can't get the guts to do it, call bravery and do it. Because you can do anything when you call bravery.
Elder Prows
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