Letter 12

06/08/2009

Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2

This week was alright, they seem to be flying by but at the same time every day seems to drag on forever. Our investigators are all being big time fubeccas who don´t want to complete their commitments.. We are trying some new things with them, a family home evening based tracting. Having the members invite friends to their houses to host a family home evening and then inviting them to hear our messages. We think it will work out a lot better than tracting.
Elder de Jong goes home in somewhere in the range of ten days and he is very excited. So that is a little difficult. Every companion I have had so far has been either "dying" (ending his mission) or such a big slacker that he might as well be at home. This is a little unhelpful.
However, I think the Lord finally took pity on me, because all of a sudden it doesn´t leave me feeling overwhelmed by the time which I am still faulting.
I also wrote something I think is quite interesting the yesterday in church. I had been listening to testemony meeting, then suddenly I started thinking along a different subject line about life and its difficulties.
Here it is.
"When our problems seem overwhelming we need only remember that this merely signifies we have not yet reached the stature of our true potential.  The greater the problem the better it shows us our potential for greatness." -Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Do you like it? I thought it was rather poetic.
I hope that helps, just don´t let these little tribulations get in the way of the real objective. Life eternal.
Thank you for always being there for me. Don´t give up, pray to receive the strength sufficient to cope with this trial you have. Maybe it seems unfair, or overwhelming, but in the end it will be for your good.
D&C 121 verse more or less 5 I think, says "My son( or daughter) peace be unto thee, thy tribulations be but for a moment. And if you endure it well, the Lord thy God will exalt thee on high." something similar to this. Don´t ever give up.
 Remember Christ passed through more than we can even imagine. "Art thou greather than he?" Sometimes we don´t understand the reasons why, or why the Lord delays his promised blessings, but rest assured that one day you will understand and thank him.
Go to the Temple!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway

p.s. We taught a recent convert´s family the other night in a family home evening.  Her husband and her daughter are the only non members in their immediate family now. Her husband never listened to messages when we got here in Criciúma but now he sits down and even prays with us. He is the type of person you can´t force but once he makes up his mind is completely dedicated. I have high hopes that he will one day join the church. He is a really awesome guy, one of those people that it talks about in the scripture "if ye should labor all your days and bring but one soul unto me.." I think it could take a little time and effort but once he is converted it will be a complete conversion.