Hello World,
It's been an interesting week. I don't remember if i mentioned it last week, but we have an extra Élder here in the offices. He's being sent home this Monday. I've taken missionaries to the airport many times. Some finish on time, some finish early, some finish early because of medical reasons, but this is the first missionary that will be going home that isn't going home with honor. The hard part for me this week is that we had to wait for approval to send him home from President Johnson, the Area President. He and all the mission presidents had a seminary this week to talk about missionary work, so this elder has been waiting with us for a full week. I've grown to love him, but it's been hard for me for many reasons. He had to come with us to our area. He's a person rather similar to me. Perhaps that similarity is what frightens me. Something that has stood out to me in my study this week has been the various people in the scriptures who have great promise and great promises from God but allow themselves to be tempted and they fall. Perhaps for me it is a warning. Never let your guard down. Satan is working hard. I still remember President Monson's voice from the October conference. I remember it word for word: "Satan, that clever Pied Piper...David listened, wavered, and fell. So did Cain, in an earlier era, and Judas, in a later one. His methods are cunning, his victims, numerous." I was studying during this conference how to maintain my strength, keeping my Armor, so to speak, shined and strong. I realized that a huge power is laid out in the vision of The Tree of Life. Those who hold fast to the rod and "pay no heed" to those mockers around them are those who were happy and safe at the end of the vision. We must hold fast to the Rod of the Word of God and only care about what God thinks of us. I think that's the only way to be really safe. It's been a bit of a long week, working with four of us in one area.
Nevertheless, God can work great miracles using any means, even the mistakes or sins of an Élder. Having this elder here as well as Élder Smith has allowed us to work doubly hard in the area. We have a handful of new investigators and two new people who are planning to get baptized this week. Their names are Moisés and Karen. They are children of a less-active member. They want to get baptized and have been to church a BUNCH. Hopefully next Saturday will be their baptism. God works in mysterious ways.
We have some official news that a new mission, the Mexico, Mexico South-East Mission is going to be made this summer. We in the offices and President are all going to have to move. Some of our missionaries are going to have a new mission and mission president. I really don't know how it's all going to work out, but it should be an interesting couple of months.
Happy Birthday Dad and JuleeAnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!!!!
This week's letter brought to you by the song True to the Faith
It's been an interesting week. I don't remember if i mentioned it last week, but we have an extra Élder here in the offices. He's being sent home this Monday. I've taken missionaries to the airport many times. Some finish on time, some finish early, some finish early because of medical reasons, but this is the first missionary that will be going home that isn't going home with honor. The hard part for me this week is that we had to wait for approval to send him home from President Johnson, the Area President. He and all the mission presidents had a seminary this week to talk about missionary work, so this elder has been waiting with us for a full week. I've grown to love him, but it's been hard for me for many reasons. He had to come with us to our area. He's a person rather similar to me. Perhaps that similarity is what frightens me. Something that has stood out to me in my study this week has been the various people in the scriptures who have great promise and great promises from God but allow themselves to be tempted and they fall. Perhaps for me it is a warning. Never let your guard down. Satan is working hard. I still remember President Monson's voice from the October conference. I remember it word for word: "Satan, that clever Pied Piper...David listened, wavered, and fell. So did Cain, in an earlier era, and Judas, in a later one. His methods are cunning, his victims, numerous." I was studying during this conference how to maintain my strength, keeping my Armor, so to speak, shined and strong. I realized that a huge power is laid out in the vision of The Tree of Life. Those who hold fast to the rod and "pay no heed" to those mockers around them are those who were happy and safe at the end of the vision. We must hold fast to the Rod of the Word of God and only care about what God thinks of us. I think that's the only way to be really safe. It's been a bit of a long week, working with four of us in one area.
Nevertheless, God can work great miracles using any means, even the mistakes or sins of an Élder. Having this elder here as well as Élder Smith has allowed us to work doubly hard in the area. We have a handful of new investigators and two new people who are planning to get baptized this week. Their names are Moisés and Karen. They are children of a less-active member. They want to get baptized and have been to church a BUNCH. Hopefully next Saturday will be their baptism. God works in mysterious ways.
We have some official news that a new mission, the Mexico, Mexico South-East Mission is going to be made this summer. We in the offices and President are all going to have to move. Some of our missionaries are going to have a new mission and mission president. I really don't know how it's all going to work out, but it should be an interesting couple of months.
Happy Birthday Dad and JuleeAnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!!!!
This week's letter brought to you by the song True to the Faith
1. Shall the youth of Zion falter
In defending truth and right?
While the enemy assaileth,
Shall we shrink or shun the fight? No!
In defending truth and right?
While the enemy assaileth,
Shall we shrink or shun the fight? No!
True to the faith that our parents have cherished,
True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,
To God’s command,
Soul, heart, and hand,
Faithful and true we will ever stand.
2. While we know the pow’rs of darkness
Seek to thwart the work of God,
Shall the children of the promise
Cease to grasp the iron rod? No!
Seek to thwart the work of God,
Shall the children of the promise
Cease to grasp the iron rod? No!
True to the faith that our parents have cherished,
True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,
To God’s command,
Soul, heart, and hand,
Faithful and true we will ever stand.
True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,
To God’s command,
Soul, heart, and hand,
Faithful and true we will ever stand.
3. We will work out our salvation;
We will cleave unto the truth;
We will watch and pray and labor
With the fervent zeal of youth. Yes!
We will cleave unto the truth;
We will watch and pray and labor
With the fervent zeal of youth. Yes!
True to the faith that our parents have cherished,
True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,
To God’s command,
Soul, heart, and hand,
Faithful and true we will ever stand.
True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,
To God’s command,
Soul, heart, and hand,
Faithful and true we will ever stand.
4. We will strive to be found worthy
Of the kingdom of our Lord,
With the faithful ones redeemed
Who have loved and kept his word. Yes!
Of the kingdom of our Lord,
With the faithful ones redeemed
Who have loved and kept his word. Yes!
True to the faith that our parents have cherished,
True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,
To God’s command,
Soul, heart, and hand,
Faithful and true we will ever stand.
True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,
To God’s command,
Soul, heart, and hand,
Faithful and true we will ever stand.
I hope to be "True to the Faith" forever. I am seeking here and will seek to always put myself at God's command, soul, heart, and hand. I will work out my salvation, holding to the Iron Rod. I will defend truth and right Forever. That's why we're here. We are here to become defenders of Truth. That's why all of us came to earth. We are to grow and become Gods of Truth. We must, as C. S. Lewis once wrote "divorce ourselves of the world." I hope to stay on that path forever. I know this Church has the one perfect Path of Truth. I know that God Lives and Jesus is the Living Christ. All my life is dedicated to this cause, the cause of Truth and Faith.
All my Love,
Élder Sudbury
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