Practically Prodigal
I think I made my email last week unclear.
1. I'm not miserable, I'm not having the time of my life, as I think everyone is having to deal with new weird situations, but I'm enjoying the smaller parts of it. My point was to quote one of John Bytheway's books while putting my own insight into it, not a cry for help that I'm miserable. I am doing as good as it gets in isolation. I would say that I'm generally happy. :)
2. When I said that not much happened, that doesn't mean that not much was done. We are expected to keep a full 6:30-10:30 schedule. These schedules involve finding people to teach on Facebook, reaching out to members, teaching friends, studying the Gospel, learning the language, and serving others. We are quite busy, maybe even busier than we were before the isolation (crazy right?). The reason for not much happening was because, although our efforts, it doesn't always show with success. We reached out to around 28 members and got maybe 4-5 responses. We contacted on Facebook the entire week and got maybe 2 responses. Just wanted to make it clear that we are doing things, but not always seeing new things.
Miracle This Week
We were in the store and one of my roommates was approached by a man asking about our tags. He was able to share the first lesson with him and received his number. The work continues.
I smiled at a woman in the store and said hi. After we saw her again while walking in the mall, she kept saying "Mormoner, kort? MORMONER KORT" which means Mormons card? Didn't make sense, but I'm assuming that we always gave her a card haha. Sadly, we didn't have any cards... Oops!
I've started working out a lot more consistently in the morning. This is a miracle.
ÆLDSTE Redd had a birthday. Celebrating the miracle of life, we received the benefits of his birth as members from his ward showered us with cake, cupcakes, and CD's of "This is The Christ" that we are supposed to give out.
I got to meet with more friends from back home and got to know them on a different level than I have before. It was great. I love and miss you guys so much.
I got to share my testimony with my fellow missionaries about hope and believing.
I got to have a great conversation with a bunch of members in my branch. We gave them thoughts and talked about how they're handling this coronavirus time.
I got to see some good friends from the mtc this week and talk with them a bit. It was good to reconnect and kind of just catch up.
I got through some chapters in the book of mormon, no where near enough to complete my goal of getting it done before June 26th, but I'm working towards it.
The Prodigal Son
The Prodigal son is a story of the two children of a father. One of the sons decided to ask for his portion of his father's goods early and spend it. He goes out and spends it unwisely, he struggles in the world being poor and then comes back to his family and begs for his father's forgiveness. The other son is jealous that his father forgave him so easily and that's pretty much the end of the story. Both parts, the anger of the second son, and the repentance of the Prodigal son are often emphasized in our church. However, I think a very neglected character in this parable is the father. Here's a portion of the story: Luke 15:20-24
"20 But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
What a prime example of our Heavenly Father and how he feels when he sees us reaching out to him. I love the example this story shows, the son travels all the way back - however, when he realizes that it is "a great way off" he has mercy on his son and runs to him. Just imagine it, God rushing to greet you when you finally turn back to him. He's so glad of our return, so desireful that we never leave again, that he will run the rest of the way to you. No matter any transgression, mistake, shortcoming, failure, no matter how many times you've walked away before, he will run to us. God's reaction to a child coming back to the path is of pure joy. The child felt guilty and worthless, but the father made him rejoice and be glad that he finally chose to came back. Imagine the patience, the mercy, that this father displayed to his son.
An obvious example that this fathers character is not easily achieved, the other son is bitter towards his newly returned brother. His father, all the more wiser says, "31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
How wonderful that is, that those of us that keep the commandments now inherit the fathers kingdom, but those that have transgressed their Father, have the ability to return and inherit also. I find solace that if/when I wander off the path, or potentially plummet down a dark pit, I have the opportunity to come back. Those off the path, can come back. Those on the path, can encourage those that come back onto the path. Because in the end, we put in our best effort, and the Lord runs the rest of the way to us.
I love you all and I hope you have a great week. Keep the hope and the positivity up. Enjoy this time to reflect and to strengthen your relationship with God.
Challenge: Be patient with those around you, love them, and try to serve them.
Word of the Week: gnist - spark
Scripture: Alma 11:44 "44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil."
Pictures: an accidental photo I took when the phone thought I said "smile", a nice sunset, a service project we helped out at
Med kærlig hilsen,
Ældste Salisbury
1. I'm not miserable, I'm not having the time of my life, as I think everyone is having to deal with new weird situations, but I'm enjoying the smaller parts of it. My point was to quote one of John Bytheway's books while putting my own insight into it, not a cry for help that I'm miserable. I am doing as good as it gets in isolation. I would say that I'm generally happy. :)
2. When I said that not much happened, that doesn't mean that not much was done. We are expected to keep a full 6:30-10:30 schedule. These schedules involve finding people to teach on Facebook, reaching out to members, teaching friends, studying the Gospel, learning the language, and serving others. We are quite busy, maybe even busier than we were before the isolation (crazy right?). The reason for not much happening was because, although our efforts, it doesn't always show with success. We reached out to around 28 members and got maybe 4-5 responses. We contacted on Facebook the entire week and got maybe 2 responses. Just wanted to make it clear that we are doing things, but not always seeing new things.
Miracle This Week
We were in the store and one of my roommates was approached by a man asking about our tags. He was able to share the first lesson with him and received his number. The work continues.
I smiled at a woman in the store and said hi. After we saw her again while walking in the mall, she kept saying "Mormoner, kort? MORMONER KORT" which means Mormons card? Didn't make sense, but I'm assuming that we always gave her a card haha. Sadly, we didn't have any cards... Oops!
I've started working out a lot more consistently in the morning. This is a miracle.
ÆLDSTE Redd had a birthday. Celebrating the miracle of life, we received the benefits of his birth as members from his ward showered us with cake, cupcakes, and CD's of "This is The Christ" that we are supposed to give out.
I got to meet with more friends from back home and got to know them on a different level than I have before. It was great. I love and miss you guys so much.
I got to share my testimony with my fellow missionaries about hope and believing.
I got to have a great conversation with a bunch of members in my branch. We gave them thoughts and talked about how they're handling this coronavirus time.
I got to see some good friends from the mtc this week and talk with them a bit. It was good to reconnect and kind of just catch up.
I got through some chapters in the book of mormon, no where near enough to complete my goal of getting it done before June 26th, but I'm working towards it.
The Prodigal Son
The Prodigal son is a story of the two children of a father. One of the sons decided to ask for his portion of his father's goods early and spend it. He goes out and spends it unwisely, he struggles in the world being poor and then comes back to his family and begs for his father's forgiveness. The other son is jealous that his father forgave him so easily and that's pretty much the end of the story. Both parts, the anger of the second son, and the repentance of the Prodigal son are often emphasized in our church. However, I think a very neglected character in this parable is the father. Here's a portion of the story: Luke 15:20-24
"20 But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
What a prime example of our Heavenly Father and how he feels when he sees us reaching out to him. I love the example this story shows, the son travels all the way back - however, when he realizes that it is "a great way off" he has mercy on his son and runs to him. Just imagine it, God rushing to greet you when you finally turn back to him. He's so glad of our return, so desireful that we never leave again, that he will run the rest of the way to you. No matter any transgression, mistake, shortcoming, failure, no matter how many times you've walked away before, he will run to us. God's reaction to a child coming back to the path is of pure joy. The child felt guilty and worthless, but the father made him rejoice and be glad that he finally chose to came back. Imagine the patience, the mercy, that this father displayed to his son.
An obvious example that this fathers character is not easily achieved, the other son is bitter towards his newly returned brother. His father, all the more wiser says, "31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
How wonderful that is, that those of us that keep the commandments now inherit the fathers kingdom, but those that have transgressed their Father, have the ability to return and inherit also. I find solace that if/when I wander off the path, or potentially plummet down a dark pit, I have the opportunity to come back. Those off the path, can come back. Those on the path, can encourage those that come back onto the path. Because in the end, we put in our best effort, and the Lord runs the rest of the way to us.
I love you all and I hope you have a great week. Keep the hope and the positivity up. Enjoy this time to reflect and to strengthen your relationship with God.
Challenge: Be patient with those around you, love them, and try to serve them.
Word of the Week: gnist - spark
Scripture: Alma 11:44 "44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil."
Pictures: an accidental photo I took when the phone thought I said "smile", a nice sunset, a service project we helped out at
Med kærlig hilsen,
Ældste Salisbury
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