12-8-15
Zone conference with our Florence Stake and
Charleston was so much fun! I got to see and talk to the mission president
again. We watched a video about how Silent Night was composed. We also watched
videos that each District made. Some were really funny like one that was a
missionary version of Napoleon Dynamite. Ours was funny too and got a lot of
laughs! I got to see E. Jones and E. Wills from the MTC! I was also able to pick
up my Christmas packages.
President Turner talked about how we can use faith as
a power. It is the kind of faith that causes things to happen, moves people and
sometimes things. One example in the BoM of someone using faith as a power is in
Alma 14:18-28. They were able to have enough faith to break bands that held
their hands together (Temporal benefit). Another is in Enos in verses 4-8. Enos
prayed for over 24 hours straight. He had the faith and showed it that he can be
forgiven (spiritual benefit). In verse 12, Enos lists four of the five steps
needed to use faith as a power. First, we have to have the DESIRE to decide what
we want to accomplish. Then we PRAY earnestly and negotiate everyday with the
Lord until the desire is granted. Make sure it is aligned with the Lord's will
as well. LABOR and decide what you can do to try and achieve the goal.
Make commitments and identify where you need to improve. Have FAITH and always
believe he will respond and help us accomplish that desire. If we continue to do
what we need to do, the Lord will answer and grant that desire. We all have to
go through a TRIAL to accomplish it as well. It is part of exercising faith
(Ether 12:6). It helps is recognize that we need help beyond ourselves. We have
to be in a state of humility.
Zone conference was pretty much all day, but after we
had companion exchanges. I was with Elder Griffin. He's a really cool guy! I
stayed in Hartsville while E. Siebers went to Cheraw. We went over to Howard's
and taught him about the Word of Wisdom. After the lesson, we went back and got
ready for bed. We stayed up for quite a while talking g about random things like
crazy paranormal experiences he's had and heard. He told me that I need to
listen to the talk, "Witchcraft and Rock & Roll."
12-9-15
We finished up exchanges this morning. E. Curtis is
going home on the 16th! We were on our way to go and visit some people and a
young woman waved us down. It was a potential investigator from awhile ago! We
were able to sit down and teach her a lesson and committed her to baptism. After
we left her house, we went towards our plans, we saw a younger black guy and
approached him. He was defensive at first, but ended up having a really good
lesson with him! We had just met him, but felt prompted to commit him to
baptism, so we asked him and he said yes! We said a prayer with him after our
lesson and I could tell he felt the spirit. After our prayer, a guy came out of
nowhere and said that he was JUST reading the BoM with this other lady and
invited us to come in and teach us about it. It was pretty neat!
A member took us out to eat at a really good Japanese
steakhouse called "Fuji." E. Siebers was nervous because the food made him sick
last time. Haha!
12-10-15
Today was a long day of going around and finding.
Also, a lot of rejections. We did however, find a young guy who welcomed us
right in. We taught him the restoration. One of his dogs had almost all of its
hair lost! It was gross... We gave him a BoM and he would like to learn
more!
A member (Miles Braddock) invited us over and we had
big steaks! He's in the Army and was stationed in Hawaii where his wife is from.
I'm sad because he is leaving for flight school in Alabama soon. I really
related with him about things and he's just a great guy. He gets him and his
family involved in service projects for people all the time. He got back into
the church about a year ago and he's got a strong testimony. After that, a
member picked us up and we went to go teach a lesson. The guy pulled Romans
22:19 out on us, but we answered it really well! There's a similar one in
Deuteronomy 4:2. It's John's preceding quote from the book of Revelation. This
would mean that any books following that are invalid as well (Including the New
Testament in the bible). John was only speaking about HIS writings. He had no
idea that his book was going to be placed in the Bible hundreds of years later.
Bible also means a "collection of books." Chronologically speaking, it was not
the end of the Bible, so everything following it wouldn't have been true either.
Haha, he was stumped!
12-11-15
Another day of knocking, but we met some pretty cool
people today! We also got chased by a dog right next to a busy highway. It was
very close to getting hit by a truck. In fact, the people slammed on their
brakes and thought they hit it. I thought that it has gotten hit too! We went up
to a little trailer house with a little gate marking their yard. We didn't think
much of it until this huge dog came tearing around the corner from the backyard!
It was barking at us like crazy. We slowly walked back to the gate and didn't
take our eyes off it. It was pretty nerve-racking! I'm starting to like dogs
less and less...
The Johnson's (members) had us over for dinner and we
had an authentic meal from Brazil called "Panquecas." They're basically like
enchiladas. Bro. Johnson's wife and her kid are from Brazil, so they're still
trying to learn English!
After dinner, we got to go see Howard and give him
his Christmas gift. We wrapped it all up and gave him a card too. When he opened
it, his face lit up and he was really excited. He was so happy that he started
tearing up. It really felt good to be able to give him those. Bro. Solomon lives
close to him so we stopped by to see how he was doing. We gave him a blessing
because he has been struggling lately with his legs. They have gotten really
swollen because he has a fat apron that sits on his legs and cuts off the
circulation. He is a very large man... He calls his far apron "the sack." Haha
he cracks us up. He said that he will lean against a wall sometimes and "swing
it" in front of him so it takes the weight off his legs. Haha and that he will
also pick it up and put it on the counter! Haha the way he was telling is was
hilarious.
12-12-15
We invited two people to church today so hopefully
they come (Vanessa and Howard)! Howard really wants to get baptized, but he has
to quit smoking first... It was also in the mid 70's today. In December! I'm not
used to this. Haha we were in short sleeves today. Flowers are still blooming
and growing here.
We were able to set up a time with a young couple to
host a family night and invite some of their friends as well. We are going to
have to pray about what we should teach them! I am starting to love the members
in SC more and more each day!
12-13-15
Howard and Vanessa came to church today! We had some
really good speakers as well. They talked all about family and how our gospel is
centered around it. This was perfect for Vanessa because she had a pretty broken
childhood. She has been meeting with us for a little while now. She's a art
major and goes to the little college here in Hartsville. Our Gospel Principles
class was perfect for Howard because it was about obedience. It was a good
lesson as he is trying to quit smoking. An old lady invited us over for lunch
after church so her grandson picked us up in his car and took us over there. We
all got to eat with her and she made some really good ham, cream corn, butter
beans and potato salad! She gave us the leftovers as well. We shared a spiritual
message (Mosiah 16:9 & 3 Nephi 12:14-16) with them and talked about how
Jesus Christ is a light in the darkness. His light will never darken! He can
always lead you out of trial.
-Elder Mitchell
