This week we had the wonderful opportunity to hear from an area 70 as a mission, Elder Carpenter. I was also reunited with some of the people that were in my first transfer one of them being Elder Giddings and Elder Freeman because we all went to Milwaukee and it was so fun. So it's always good to see them but even better we were able to recieve lots of trainings and knowledge from Elder Carpenter and his wife along with President and Sister Murphy. They focused a lot on covenants, improving teaching skills, and obedience. I always love getting taught about obedience. Sometimes it's hard to hear because we have to change things sometimes but the Lord works through obedience so it is a sacrifice that we should all be willing to make. Salvation isn't easy and never was easy. But the more sacrifices we make in our lives to follow the will and desires of our Lord the more we are able to grow and overcome difficulties in our lives just because we are willing to sacrifice worldy things for godly things.
We were super busy with meetings and planning. But we were still able to meet with Nathanael and have a good lesson with him. We are still deciding if he is ready for baptism and are planning to make certain steps in order for him to be ready and will try to put him on baptismal date with the next 2-3 weeks. He has been watching the Book of Mormon videos (which all of you need to watch) and he has learned a lot from them and definitely enjoys them! We weren't able to meet with Gina this week but we talked to her husband and we are hoping for some progress with her and them as well. She speaks very little English, mostly Spanish but they are married and he speaks only English so that is pretty cool! Thankful families can be together forever.
Also I have learned so much here in Janesville and have definitely been blessed with the gift of tongues! It's been so cool to see the progression of my Spanish here in Janesville and I have a firm testimony that we all have certain gifts that the Lord has given us that we don't even know that we have sometimes and all we need to do is pray to know these gifts and know the things we need to and can do in order to gain these gifts. The parable of the talents is a great example of this and once we recieve gifts we need to continue finding more gifts that the Lord wants us to have. He is such a loving, caring and giving God we just need to seek for His help in all things.
I started reading the Bible this last week and there are some fun and very cool stories in the Bible. I've heard of most of the things I've read so far but it's so cool to see the progression in the stories and where everything lines up together. One of my favorite stories has always been of Abram/Abraham and how much he was willing to sacrifice because the trust and love he had for the Lord. While I was reading this story I thought how much would I sacrifice for the Lord if he asked me to? Could I sacrifice everything in my life just for the Lord and it opened my eyes of how we truly do have to love and trust God. But we see in the story of Abraham that because of his willingness to follow and do the things the Lord asks no matter how hard it is how much we can be blessed.
Genesis 22:16-18
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore... And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
His whole life he had been promised children and a great posterity but until the Lord knew he was so converted to Him and tested his faith and found his real desires is when he bestowed this blessing upon Abraham. It's the same in our lives. When we sacrifice things to better obey and follow our Lord and Savior we are ultimately showing the Lord our conversion to Him and we will recieve the blessings that we most need and most want. Not in our timing but in the Lord's.
I'm grateful to be a missionary.
DO GOOD, BE GOOD
Love,
Elder T. Ricks
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