New Goals

Hey Everyone,

I'm really glad you got my package. It took a lot of work, sweat and blood to get those. :) I need to thank all of you for your prayers. Especially you mom. Ever since you sent that e-mail saying that you were going to start praying for me to find people things have changed. Our District Leader, Elder Barlow, mentioned to us that our district found 29 new investigators last transfer and we had one baptism as a district. He also told us that the statistic that President Jensen gave us is that in every 29 new investigators found, we have one baptism. That night Elder Bell and I made a goal to find 29 new investigators by the end of this transfer. We had only four weeks left and only three weeks left now. We made this goal on Monday night and everyday since then we have been out trying to reach our goal. We have met some interesting people. One lady kept asking us why we don't believe in the same Jesus Christ she did? Another guy kept trying to convince us that we were not going to ever become god's. We have met people door after door. Most of the time we are left just talking to the door, but we have been richly blessed this week, because of your prayers.

We have found 9 new investigators this week. All of which have been prepared in some way to receive the gospel. We have also received many referrals. In the time that I have been serving here in Niceville we have found about 20 new investigators. That's about 1-2 per week, but somehow, through some miraculous way, we found ourselves at the end of the week with 9. I am still puzzled as to how we were so blessed to receive such a blessing from the Lord, but I have come to think of two ideas.

1. Your prayers in my behalf and the people I have been chosen to serve. Your love and care and worry for me has carried me more times than I could ever know. It's only now, as I look back on different parts of my mission do I see those blessings. Unique and powerful, each coming from unknown sources. I have made an unusual hypothesis. When a missionary first leaves his home he has usually found himself with rich blessings all around. This is because of ferverant prayer, both by himself and his family members. I remember some of the blessings that I received when I was on campus and in Ozark, AL. They came so powerfully and at the perfect timing. Then as the mission goes on those miracles slowly distance themselves. I think that is because when the missionary first leaves, his family has a void in it. The only thing they can do to fill the void is to pray. However, after a while, lets say six months, the void becomes common and the family adjusts themselves to it no longer relying heavily on prayer. So the missionary in the mission field is left without those blessings. Every missionary you will ever talk to goes through this time, regardless of who the missionary is. In our mission it is called the Black Hole. haha. It is a time when the blessings are not as common and when you 'feel' forgotten. This time usually lasts until about the missionary's 18th month mark, when everybody realizes that there missionary is in fact going to come home. They remember him and the remember to pray for him. That is where I am at right now. I have received some crazy blessings from unknown sources. These blessings can only compare to when I was on Campus. Don't think of this paragraph as criticism toward anyone, think of it as a funny human thing we do, because it happens to everyone.

2. Our new goal. We have a focus, a direction. If you don't have a goal, you will find yourself running around doing good things not getting anywhere. With out an end zone in football, or a goal in soccer, or a hoop in basketball, you will exhausted yourself without ever accomplishing anything. Elder Bell and I now have a goal. A big one. This is a goal that we cannot fulfill on our own. We cannot force anyone to be interested in the gospel. As much as we know, we know that everyone has there agency, the ability to choose. And if they don't choose this, there is nothing we can do. However, with every goal requires work. Elder Bell and I leave every morning with a purpose, to find as many people as we can. To talk and testify to as many people possible to give ourselves the best chance to receive our goal. As much as we try though, we cannot accomplish our goal without the Lords help. He is the gift giver and every blessing that will ever come to us will come by obedience. Its so hard to understand. No matter how hard I work, how much I study, how many times I try to convince someone that this is true, I, me myself and I, will never be able to accomplish my goal. Never. BUT, these are the only things I've been asked to do. I've been asked to work, to study, and to bear my testimony to everyone. I believe it is for two reasons. One, to build myself and my own conversion. I am pushing a rock that will never move, budge or flinch, but as I push I am getting stronger. Two, to please the Gift Giver. He is the one who will bless Elder Bell and I with people to teach. As I do the things that he asks me, he will bless me. Everything will be restored back to me.

I think that this is why we were able to find 9 new investigators. We have 20 more to go until we reach our goal, but I know we can to it.
I love all of you and thank you for your support. I got so many great letters for Christmas. Thank you.

Elder Call