Hey Everyone!
I’m pretty excited to be online today and talk about the week. It was a slow week but totally worth every minute of it. We had a ton of things fall through the cracks this week, but we found the things the Lord wanted us to do. Most of the experiences I want to share with you today weren’t even lesson situations but experiences with people that will change their lives, if they so choose. Because no matter what happens God puts us where we need to be, sometimes we need to figure out the reason for ourselves.
Elder Bednar talks about this, he tells of experiences in getting disguised in sunglasses and a hat so he can go to Home Depot and get the nails he needs with out causing a ruckus. But a man stopped him and asked if he was Elder Bednar . To which he replies yes, I am, What can I do for you? He goes on to say his original intention is to by nails, the reason he went. But the reason for him actually going was so he could help this man. God places us where He needs us to be so we can bring about his righteous purposes.
It’s Elder Anani and Me
So, now that I’ve explained myself, we had some awesome experiences with this principle this week. We ran into a guy named Scott, he was reading a science fiction book at a bus stop. We told him we are his missionaries and talked to him for a while (I talked a little bit about the Miami Dolphins too since he was wearing a Dolphins shirt). But we opened up a Book of Mormon and shared it with him. We offered it to him and he accepted. He said that he’s been meaning to get a copy and he gave him self a deadline of 2 weeks to read it. He said his land lords are Mormons and he really likes them and the way they are, so he wants to know more about it all. It was so cool.
Another experience we had was with an old Catholic lady named Velma. Velma is wonderful. She has been reading the Ensign (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ weekly magazine) every month for about a year. Her Grandson is a member and orders it for her. She told us she love everything about the Mormons and wanted to learn more about it. But she told us she is in a rough marriage and has been for 57 years (she basically told us she could never stop being Catholic because her husband). So she had no intentions of leaving her faith. I felt prompted to see if she had a Book of Mormon and she said no, but she always wanted one so she could look up the references to it in the Ensign. We offered her one and she said she didn’t have any money to pay for it (LOL). He face glowed when we told her it was free. It literally made my week. I’ve never seen someone so happy to receive a Book of Mormon. She said it made her week. She opened up to us about so many amazing experiences she’s had with God in her life. She was such a neat lady; and even though that and future service projects are the extent of our service to her right now because her husband, I know that God is looking out for her. It was so great to meet her.
This is Netaw and Kyisha (his grandma) and Netaw’s uncle
Notice in these two stories, we were not doing the preparing. Full time missionaries are not full time missionaries to prepare. As D&C says, “For behold the field is white already to harvest…” Full-time missionaries are called to the work to “thusteth in [their] sickle with [their] might…” to “laden with sheaves upon [their] backs…” These two people were prepared by NOT full-time missionaries, but people who live the Gospel lifestyle. The Gospel is a way of life. It is THE way of Life Eternal. As people are changed through Christ, the Gospel is a part of them and everything they say, everything they do and think about is a testimony of the truth. That Christ has redeemed his people and as we exercise our faith in Him we “putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.” People that do this become “a peculiar people,” and everyone around them notices this. Indeed these people have Charity, the pure love of Christ. They love as Christ loves and do the will of the Father.
Jesus Christ lives and his atonement is real, I hope that I can be that kind of peculiar person that helps prepare people to receive the fullness of Christ’s everlasting Gospel.
Love you all,
Elder Rusick
Elder Blake Rusick 