April 20, 2015-Prodigal "sun"

The Prodigal "sun" has returned...

To explain the title, to day is the first day in a week that I have seen the sun. Like literally! the clouds have completely covered the sky for the past week. it has been raining like crazy as well! It felt very claustrophobic for the past week, the cloud were really low clouds as well so it did not help :) But this past week has been interesting and awesome!

So on Wednesday the new Elders moved into our complex. We now have 3 companionship's that live there! Its so awesome to have so many people. Every morning we all go out on a run. I like having Elders instead of Sisters in my area. Because I can actually do things with them, so its awesome! 

Thank you for your email, It was very inspirational and I appreciated it allot. It is about doing what I need to do. Maybe my success will be found in helping the Missionaries here reach their potential, more than it will be baptizing. Because Indirectly I would be baptizing if I can help the missionaries baptize more. Thank you for your letter. 

This last week we were able to teach our investigator named Delawn. He is a 16 year old kid who is really good friends with a recent convert. We went and retaught lesson one. It was cool to see how much he remembered. It went well. talking and laughing up till the story of Joseph Smith. Then from there on out the Spirit was there constantly. It was a very warming experience to have. He then was able to come to church with his friend yesterday. He enjoyed it and I know he will like it even more as he gets more friends.

Besides that lesson I think the highlight of the week was Saturday. We were able to go team up with the Fire department and Red Cross and be able to go install smoke alarms in peoples homes. Well their trailers, we did this "smoke alarm blitz" in a trailer park. I was the team captain. (only because I had been team caption before) and I was the only one on the team that spoke Spanish. Which was necessary this time around. Out of the 13 homes we got into 9 of them were Hispanics. So I had to get us into the home and talk to the people and explain what we were doing. It is such a blessing to be able to speak Spanish!  I dont think I could have learned a more useful language. It was so fun being able to talk to all the people and get to know them and joke around. I am so excited to be able to do things like this back at home. There is just no other feeling like that which you get when you do service for others. It was awesome!

Also on Saturday as we were leaving a members home we got stuck in their yard. Because of the super wet ground we just sunk. We had to break up some branches and put them under the tires to get traction. We looked like idiots and to make it worse we had an audience across the street watching. So now the probably think were idiots as well :)   

Esto es todo, con mucho amor

Elder Lamb

April 13, 2015

Little by little, step by step...

this was a long week, the week leading up to transfers always is. Just the anticipation of change, in your companionship or in other peoples companionship's. Nothing changed with me and my companion, we are staying together, I have mixed feelings about that, but it will be good. He is a great guy and I am definitely developing some traits that will help me out  the future. We are losing our sister set we have here and its getting replaced with elders, so that will be fun! That will make 3 companionship's living in our complex.

This week we went on exchange and had the most wonderful lesson! I was in my area with Elder Thompson. We had some really good contacts in the morning, we actually were able to give a Book of Mormon to a Bosnian man. It was cool. But the highlight of the day was when we went and visited the Diamond family. They are an investigator family we are teaching. And sister Diamond had the question " why did Jesus need to die and how does his sacrifice effect the whole sceem of things" She said nobody had ever been able to give her and answer that brought conclusion. So we told her we could answer her question, but to truly understand we would have to explain the plan God has for us. So we started at from the Pre- earth life and taught the whole plan. It was amazing to see the spirit teach her, as we were going through the plan she kept saying " That makes sense, it getting clearer." then by the end of the lesson she told us she understands, that we answered her question. She told us nobody had every explained it so clearly and in such a way. It was a testimony to me that the spirit truly does the teaching. Because it was my first time teaching the plan in English and I kept tripping over my words and saying things backwards, cause im not accustomed to teaching this in English yet! but she understood clearly and her concern was answered. She then texted us the following day thanking us again for the lesson, that it brought her allot of peace and understanding. It was truly a blessing.

Thank you for the pictures that you sent, I cant wait to get up into the mountains next year. It is going to be so awesome! Im glad yall made it home safely, my prayers are working :)

Im going to cut it here because Im going to write another email about something I learned in my personal study yesterday and I need time to do it. 

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Lamb        

DO NOT READ BELOW THE LINE TILL YOU WATCH IT!!!!

What do you do during pressing times?

 

So this question has been on my mind for a while, because collectively everything has been going down hill for us here and its discouraging at times. we know everything is in Gods time and in his way, but sometimes its just so hard to accept it and have faith. We usually pray for deliverance from our trials rather than asking to enjoy them. Enjoy them? how can we enjoy a trial? Its a question that does not go along with how everything is going on outside of our control, but on how we face them from the inside.  

To start this teaching I must share one of my favorite scenes of any movie I have ever seen. It is in Harry potter Part 1 of the deathly hollows. It is the scene where Harry and Herminie and sitting in the tent in the middle of no where. then Harry stands up and and grabs her and then they dance. This scene has always stuck with me and I found out why yesterday.

To start you must do this, Go find the movie and find this scene and watch it, and as you do so think of these questions:

1. What are their circumstances? 

2. how are they at first?

3. what is playing in the background? 

4. how are they when they first start dancing?

5. how are they by the end?

6.What changed?

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answers:

1. they stink! they are being chased all over the place and people are trying to kill them. pretty bleek.

2. they are sad, just sitting around lost and down.

3. music, music is playing.

4. they are unsure and its different.

5. they were calm and reassured.

6. nothing on the out side changed, only what was on the inside.

This does have gospel meanings in all of it! Like them, many times in live we have problems that are all around us, things that we can not change on our own or things that arnt changing in the near future. Many times these problems leave us like they were, sad and depressed. Thinking of all that is going on and how we can do nothing about it. But there is something important to recognize. The music! Each and everyone of us has music playing in our lives. The Gospel of Jesus Christ! it plays in the background of all our lives, inviting us to do something, dance! Jesus wants us to stand up and enjoy the gospel and love that he is giving us. In the movie Harry decided to change something. was it their circumstances? no, it was what he could change, their attitudes. How they acted in the circumstances. Like Harry we all arrive to these times where we have to make a choice. To stay seated and wollow, or stand up and change what we can. We can stand up and choose today to stand up and dance to the music of the gospel. But did he do it alone? no, he saw his friend sadden and down just like he was. So what did he do? he got up, walked over and lifted her as well. In our lives we can choose to rise up from our chair and dance alone, or dance with others as well. Their are many people that need us to invite them to live the gospel and help them dance. At first it was slow for them, they were unsure. As it is in our lives as we choose to trust in the lord more and more and dance to His music. But like them, as we do so it we will dance faster and enjoy it more and more. and as we learn to dance and find the joy that comes with it we too will find peace. Just as in the movie their problems did not leave, our may not change as well. But what does is how we see these problems and our courage to face them.

This taught me that although our circumstances maybe out of our control, how we view them is not. It is our choice if we will stand up in courage to live the gospel of Christ. It is our choice if we will just be happy dancing alone or invite others who's hands hang down low. Just like Harry and Herminie I cant change my problems, i cant make people believe or let us in. But I can change my attitude toward them. I can stand up and invite them to dance, but hey can refuse. I can also reach out to members and invite them to dance and to share the gospel. I can lift those that are around me right now and help them find peace in their trials and to love the music of the gospel. 

I know that I am not in control of my circumstances, but I know I can choose how I view them. I know the Music of the gospel does exist, i do know that it is the cure to our sadness and dispair. I know if I stand up and dance to the Saviors Music I will find peace, and as I invite others to rise up from their seats of sadness I will find joy in the dance of the gospel. I know God lives and loves us, Jesus is the Christ and His gospel will help us in any trial that may come up in live. And i do know we always have the power to change our attitude.      

April 6, 2015- A work of Love

A work of Love...

That is one of the many things that I learned this week. The past week has been full of revelation and inspiration. Conference was a big part, but also the days leading up to it. I focused on really preparing for General conference this past weekend. I prayed deeply for answers and I did what I could to prepare myself for the revelation I was looking for. And God in his infinite mercy gave me the answers I was looking for. But ill talk more about that in a minuet.

So one of the highlights of the week is that I got to go on exchange with the Riverside Spanish elders. Which if you dont remember that is where i served for 7.5 months. so needless to say I was excited to go to my old area. The exchange started off with the famous "pillow talk" Needless to say it was late before we fell asleep. But it was good, he needed it. The next morning we had good studies and a good lunch. Then we went tracting in the complex. As we were walking we ran into this 17 year old kid heading to the pool. So we started talking to him. He said his family just moved up here from Florida. We talked to him and asked if we could come meet his family, he said "how about right now"? so we went and meet them. they are from the Dominican Republic. So we spoke Spanish with them, they were really open to listen. We set up a return time for Friday. we left a blessing on the home and then left. Later that night we ate with one of my favorite families of the branch, the Lupercio's. Then we went and taught the Plan of Salvation to some of their investigators. We used the "because he lives" video to explain the atonement and what it can do. The spirit was SO strong. I really do miss the Hispanic people and I miss Spanish, I truly believe it is the language of the spirit. But the most comforting thing that happened is i learned that my Spanish is fine, almost better than it was when I was serving in Spanish! I really needed to know that. So that was an answer to that question. 

Then came General Conference. I was so excited, but kinda sad at the same time. Because this was my last conference in the mission, next time ill be home. But every talk I truly feel was for me. All my questions were answered and received so much instruction on life and on my work to be done. to relate this back to the tittle to is one thing that I learned. Here in my new area we have been struggling to teach and to find interested people. it has been stressing me, because our number have been really low. And with us being the Zone Leaders we are suppose to be setting the example. And in interviews with our Prez, he told us our Zone will only go as high as we are. And that stressed me out, because I want all this missionaries to reach their potential. And from what he said, they wont be able to if I dont set the bar higher. So I have been trying to do more and make our numbers higher. But in that attempt they have just gotten lower. Then while we were watching Conference, I dont remember what talk but I do remember what I heard. "This work is not a work of numbers, but a work of love" It was a truth so simple, but a truth I had forgotten during the whirlwinds of everything else. Working for love is how I have served my whole mission and have always had success. But because of all that had been going on I forgot the most important element of the work, Love. The only way Jesus had ever served was with love. All he did was because of love for us and his father. 

So I have decided to just forget the way I may look to the world through my numbers, but I will focus on how the world sees how I love. Cause if they feel love, then the miracles will come.   Im grateful for modern Prophets and Apostles that receive revelation for the world. I know if we humbly follow them we will never leave the path that leads to eternal life. That path is not smooth nor easy, but what kind of path would it be if it was? how could we ever become stronger? how could we learn to trust if we could always see the light? The path is not easy, but it is worth it. That much I know.

Con confianza en el Dios que me ama

Elder Lamb

P.s. that boy I talked about, the elders did go back to teach him of Friday. And he understood everything, he loves the message of the restoration and is excited to keep learning. He said he had prayed 3 weeks ago to be able to move to Georgia because he felt it would be better for him and then randomly 2 weeks later they moved here. He also so he told us he did not know why he walked the way he was when we found him. (because it is the long way to the pool) all he knew is he felt that he should go that way. then he ran into us. God truly is a God of miracles that does know us and guide us.    

March 30, 2015

This week we only had one meeting! it was just our district meeting like we have every week. so that was nice. 

We have really taken up visiting families of the ward to get to know them and show them that we are missionaries with whom they can trust their friends with. We were able to get in with like 6 families this week, it is really different going to so many members homes but it is also really cool. There are so many wonderful people in this ward. So many that want to do missionary work, but just dont know how. So this week we decided to make a very specific message we can share with the members on how they can do the work. There is also this tool called the 21 day challenge. what it is, is you pick the names of several friends or people you know and you pray morning and night for them with the faith that at the end of the 21 days at least one of them will be ready to hear the gospel. I have never done it before, but its all we got at this point. We still be in the struggle boat to find new investigators and people that really want to learn of the gospel. 

We did how every have one really cool miracle this week. We have also taken up talking to everyone we meet. Whether we are walking or driving. So we have now started contacting the people on the side of the street as we drive by. We have had several good experiences, but the best was with this man named Michael. We were just driving out of this neighborhood when we saw this guy almost in his engine he was so far in it trying to fix it. So we pulled up and asked if he needed help. he said he was good. So we offered him a card wit the new initiative the church is doing (because he lives) he took our card and asked what church we are from. Before we could tell him he said " oh, latter day saints, ya I used to be a member" so we went on talking to him. He said he had lost his taste for the church after a bad divorce he had. He said though after he stopped going he did not stop being a good person. So to keep it short he asked if he could take us to dinner this Friday so we could get to know each other. He also wants us to come over to visit his children. So we are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to help this man. 

 The Pdays are the same, we have always spent the pdays with the english missionaries. So its not any different. We are doing exchanges with the spanish elders tomorrow so its exciting. Cause I am going to my old area! I really do miss Spanish, hopefully my last 6 weeks I can go to a Spanish area.  

  So a fun experience we had this week is we saved a turtle! We were driving down the road when my companion was like that was a turtle in the road! we have to save him! so we flipped around really quick and as we went to get him we almost saw him get flattened by a truck, but luckly he was ok. So we got him and took him up to our church building and we released him there. But not before we named him and put our names on him back. We named him samual the laminite. Because none of the cars managed to hit him in the road. Then we wrote our names on his shell and sent him off into the wilderness. then we told someone while tracting that we saved a turtle and he told us good job because animals have souls as well. So we were proud.

but other than that the week was uneventful. We are still working on finding people to teach. just taking it one day at a time.

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Lamb