Time in Guayaquil
How are all of you? Getting fired up for General Conference?
I sure know I am! It is going to be incredible! There are so many
awesome things coming up! A member of the Quorum of the Twelve is coming
to our mission on the 11 of June to visit us! So let's just say I am
fired up for that one. I guess they are forbidden to tell us who it is
going to be but we know he is one of the Brethren from the Quorum so we
are all super excited and working hard to make him proud!
This
past week was a great one as usual. On Monday afternoon right before
P-day came to an end we took the clothes over to the sister that helps us
wash them. We passed a park and saw a small family that called our
attention quite a bit. We decided to contact them. I am sure it was a
little odd with us and our giant bag of dirty clothes that I am sure was
giving off quite an unpleasant odor but the mother of the family ended
up being a less active. She lives with her children and husband and is
super interested in getting back into things and developing a stronger
relationship with the Lord. Her husband is even excited to learn. So
that was a really cool moment...the spirit's guidance never seems to
amaze me.
We had a movie night and watched "Meet the
Mormon's". That movie is inspired by God...not a doubt. We have an
investigator who has a very strong Catholic background. She has a very
closed and defensive personality as well. This movie changed her though.
COMPLETELY. Especially the story of the female boxer. The light in her
eyes after seeing this movie and coming to know who we really are and
what are purpose really is as members of Christ's only church was
amazing.
We printed off a list from the ward of "Birthdays". There are about 1,300 members in our ward with 160ish
attending church. So there is A TON of work to be done in the activating
side of things. We have been going through the birthday list and
visiting all of the less actives who have completed another year. It is
so funny because they have NO CLUE how it is we found them, knew they
were members, or somehow knew it was their birthday. They are left with
their jaws open when we say that the spirit led and told us. Haha! But
we have found some great families that way. So grateful for all of the
tools and resources that the Lord has blessed us with.
I did
take a little fall the other day...I was descending from a bamboo house
that is lifted off of the ground probably 15 feet because of the floods
when it rains...I came to one of the stairs and told myself that it
looked sketchy. It was super flimsy and wiggly but I went for it
anyways...mistake. My foot went right through that sucker and I went
right through the stair case. I managed to save my scriptures
though...not a scratch ;)
Ahhh...so much awesomeness!!! I think I will just get to the spiritual message or else I will go on forever!
I
found myself thinking about the Priesthood a lot this past week. What
it is, how it is, whose it is. how it works, and how we develop it.
Doctrine and Covenants 121 explains it so well. "That the rights of the
Priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven..." I
love this because it teaches me so many different lessons. I will just
share my two favorites! When I think of my mother and my sister I think
of heaven. The beauty and love that I find in them is something that
only heaven can hold. Women are naturally born "inseparably connected"
with the heavens. But us men...Let's just say that we have some work to
do! These "rights", these powers, our calling, our duty, and what has
been conferred upon us by the laying on of hands helps us men become inseparably connected with the heavens because we were not born with
the natural connection like woman are. The Priesthood helps us become
like God. It helps us develop the attributes that will qualify us for
His Kingdom. One of the other things that I love about this verse is
that God literally has gifted us His heavenly power. The power and faith
that was used when the words "Let there be light" (Moses 2:3) were
spoken before the universe was is upon the earth today. When "the Lord
God, formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life" (Moses 3:7) He was using the very power
that was lost but has been found and restored through the Prophet,
Joseph Smith. How blessed we are.
In American Football if a
Wide Receiver drops a well delivered pass the confidence that his coach,
quarterback, teammates, and fans have in him decreases. Each time a well
delivered pass is dropped the chances of being passed to in the future diminish. What would be a dropped ball as a Priesthood holder? What would
take the confidence of our coach or Quarterback (God) away to the point
where they don't throw us the ball anymore (give us power)?? D&C 121:37
says, "but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our
pride, or vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or
compulsion among the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness,
behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is
grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the Priesthood or the
authority of that man." Each time we drop the ball or commit "any
degree of unrighteousness" as receivers or possessors of the Priesthood,
our quarterback - or God - stops throwing us the ball or giving us power and
authority.
So finally...what is expected of us? "...only by
persuasion, long suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and love
unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge
the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile." (41-42). These are
traits that we must develop to get the ball passed to us.
My
favorite Priesthood duty is in verse 45 though. "Let thy bowels also be
full of charity..." Pardon me for the example but when my bowels are
filled, especially with Ecuador, you best be bettin' that I am beating
Usain Bolt to the nearest bathroom! And you are all the same! When your
bowels are filled you drop WHATEVER it is you are doing to empty your
bowels. Are our bowels filled with charity? Enough charity to make us
run to the nearest location to let our charity out and love? It goes on
to say "towards ALL MEN, and to the household of the faith".
Priesthood brethren, let us be filled with charity and rush to all men,
members or not, to release this love unto them. Young men. It is a
commandment from God Almighty to fill yourself with this love and preach
it to "ALL MEN", all countries, in all tongues, to every ear that
will hear. SERVE YOUR MISSIONS AND PREPARE TO SERVE NOW. Fill yourselves
with this love as well for the family of the faith. Your family, church
leaders, and the general authorities.
I promise God will never stop passing you the ball if you do so.
Love you all so much! Be safe this week.
Elder Noll
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