Keeping On

It's another high yielding week despite the despair which lied before me. So many wonderful things happened. My seven month cough is just about gone for real! What an affliction. It was cold, dank and rainy all week. If you know me, you'd know that this isn't a good combination. My seasonal depression was all up in my grill. I didn't have much energy, but we pressed onwards! I was nauseous most of the week and also incredibly starved for attention from any friends at all from home. It was pretty hard, but we made it. Here's a scripture I lived up to. Doctrine and Covenants section 6 verse 34: "Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail." 

On one of the cold rainy days, our appointment canceled on us, leaving us an hour to just tract in the wet terror of Idaho. We decided to just go try a different potential investigator. We couldn't go in because it was a girl living alone, but we were able to teach her the plan of salvation on her doorstep. She enjoyed the lesson and wants us to come back. We smote Satan in the face by taking advantage of our supposed idleness.

One of our less active we had referred to us desperately needed a blessing. She has cancer and is obviously not in good shape. I was concerned if I'd be able to bless her because of my not feeling well. I said a few prayers and felt like I needed to show I had the faith. We walked in and learned more and then I gave her the blessing. In it, I said a bunch of random things from her past. She was also promised to live if she will follow the council outlined in the scriptures and other various things. When I finished the blessing, she said that she instantly started feeling better and then asked how I knew so much about her past. I felt so exhilarated to know that my words were truly inspired. We explained that the blessing was of God, not of me. She was so excited, she had us pull out scriptures and we read with her for the first time in eight years. I prayed to know what we should read and felt confirmation that a particular chapter in Alma would be good. She ended up very grateful that we came over. What a great opportunity to see God's love for His children.

We set a time to come back to this same lady a few days later to read scriptures. We showed up and she wasn't home, so we called her up. She's back in the hospital! We hurried over to go see her. There was quite the line to talk to people at the front desk. I figured we looked official enough, so my companion nervously followed after me as we stormed the building. We made it through without being questioned. We then escaped through to a sector which permitted only family members and arrived at her room. We were allowed to enter but had to garb ourselves in hospital gowns, gloves and a mask. We learned that she had not read her scriptures. We showed her how to get to them on her phone and then read another chapter with her. She was so grateful to see two boys she's only met once care so much for her. I really hope she will read on her own now. 

Our statistics are starting to become unbelievable for a mission in the United States. We started with like 6 investigators and one person on date to be baptized. We now have 20 investigators and four new people on date to be baptized. Two of those on dates were added to the list yesterday. I'm really starting to see my trials benefit me. It seems that the hardest days we go through are also the highest yielding when we keep pushing on. It is a good time to be in Coeur d'Alene. 

We were going through the area book and found one man who seemed to be promising. He's been taught for quite a while and didn't have a drop note. We knocked on his door but no one answered. We later called him and found out he moved from one of my wards to my other ward. We dropped by and learned he's had all the lessons a few times, and the reason he hasn't been baptized is because he couldn't give up smoking. He gave it up finally 2 1/2 months ago! He says he wants to be baptized, so we only need to review the lessons and then he'll have it! We will put him on date this week. 

So there you have it. A lot of bad things keep happening. Hell and earth have combined against me. Because of this, I can bear my testimony with a surety that He lives, and if we build our rock upon His foundation, we can and will succeed. Your trials won't go away. Mine are constant. It is through these trials that we grow and become the king or queen we were meant to become. If we endure it well, we will be blessed with a multitude of blessings and more fully feel God's love. Let these words ring in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Gird up your loins, boys! We're going on an adventure!

Nothing stops us!

Check out the tree!