Hi mum!
Happy Birthday Nivies!!!
That’s so funny that Nevah got the day off school for his birthday, oh and that he has an Iphone? the lucky punk! hahaha. Man ain’t he just the coolest? How is he going anyway? Big 14 wohoo!! Nevah can now prepare AND pass the sacrament! What a soldier haha, good on yah nivs! Thats so cool.
Here's a little bit of what happened in this awesome, yet tough, but mostly awesome..week.. oh man, this week was Incredible! I cannot adequately express how merciful the Lord is and has been to me.
First of all I would like to share an experience I had on an exchange with my district leader, Elder Linderman.
We were out on the street during the evening contacting and Elder Linderman had a prompting that we needed to have a street meeting in a local park called "Xhaxhi Park" where all the Old Men (or Xhaxhi's) meet to play chess and dominoes and talk about communism. I will say it is not a "hot spot" for missionary work because a typical Xhaxhi will not let
you talk but will lecture you on communism as opposed to listening to your message, So most of the missionaries don't bother going there to the Xhaxhi parks. But I am not one to deny my companions spiritual impressions, thus we unanimously decided to have a street meeting, like missionaries of old. After a short stroll to contemplate everything a street meeting would encompass, and to kindle and control our fears, we finally came to ourselves and went into the Park. I stood up on one of the tables in the middle of the Xhaxhi park, before maybe 50 xhaxhi's, and with a loud voice called their attention, explained who we were and invited them to gather together, exclaiming to them that we had a story to tell them about Joseph Smith. So for the next 5 minutes or so, Elder Linderman and I took turns standing at the top of the table, teaching and testifying before everyone that would hear us, about the Prophet Joseph Smith. Determined, we delivered our message and afterwards approached those whom appeared interested. We only talked to 2 people individually about our message that we shared but regardless, it was AWESOME. I felt so empowered by the spirit. I felt great! There was no one in that park more influenced and touched by the message that we shared than Me and Elder Linderman. In that beautiful moment, I opened my mouth, the spirit supported me and I Feared No Man!!! Something that is not easy for me to do. I feel like the Lord gave me the strength to do this and realize that "Yes, Elder Waters, you can do Hard Things". And Oh how much did my confidence and courage increase!
Secondly, was the success we had with finding new investigators and teaching people. Elder Befus and I tried our hardest to be EXACTLY Obedient this week, and I know with surety that we were blessed because of it. We were blessed insomuch that we achieved the "standards of excellence" set by our mission president, the first time in my mission. I very deeply attribute this to the mercy of the Lord. This week I witnessed Miracle after Miracle and I know it was only through Him that we achieved our goals.
However, the greater Joy I experienced was in our new family that we found this week, they are incredible. We found the elect! And they are all incredible. The lessons we have with them are drowned with the Spirit of the Lord, so much that they have all (3) accepted baptismal dates, keep their commitments and even call us to confirm appointments! Exclaiming "When are we going to meet? When are we going to meet?" . They are a family truly prepared from the Lord, to hear this beautiful message that we share.
I saw miracle after miracle after miracle this past week. But before we saw each miracle, we were basically dragged through the coal and discouraged in the morning, and then (afterwards) the Lord poured miraculous blessings upon our heads in the evening. We really did only "receive a witness until after the trial of [our] faith", and it was so humbling. It was such a roller coaster ride. Truly I can say, with experience as my guide that the Lord is truly Merciful unto his children. Unto me.
So if your in the middle of being dragged through the coal right now... Just endure! Don't give up! Because the blessings of Heaven are juuuuuuust around the corner, the miracles are there! Keep going and you will see them, I promise you! Keep the course!
Love and miss you deeply all so much!
Elder Waters
1 comment:
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful letter Elder Jash. This brings back so many memories from the mission I was blessed to serve in Sydney South some 19 years ago; (man that makes me feel old). We too went into the street and stood up to tell a story about Joseph Smith, we often took a milk crate to stand on, so were not quite as visible as it appears you may have been on the table. Good on you! The street meeting may not be the most effective method of finding the elect of God but they sure do an excellent job of strengthening and boosting the missionary who is given them. I remember coming down after testifying about the book of mormon and being fearless about the next contacts I tried to make.
I can also very mush relate to the Xhaxhi/ Old men in the park playing chess and trying to share the gospel with them, but instead getting lectured. There was quite a good amount of Greek and Macedonian people in Sydney and the older gentleman really didn't like to hear us out much. I wonder what it would have been like if I could have spoken and delivered the message in their own language? Great to see your progress and to hear of your successes. A mission certainly has its ups and downs and as you have shared that can be within a single day. You can go from depression and discouragement to being over the moon with joy an happiness in a very short space of time. Glad to see you have embraced to council of your mission president, exact obedience and standards of excellence will empower you, you will have great confidence and strength to call on the Lord for those miracles. Just awesome to hear.
Your family are so great, I See Nivs and Raya at seminary and get to workout with your Dad. I see them all supporting and loving the missionaries in our ward so much too. They really are like a 2nd family away from home for those missionaries and I'm sure your family are being blessed for all the love and compassion they give them.
Well I gotta run, Hope this notes gets to you and finds you strong healthy and well. May God bless your efforts.
Love Adam.
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