It definitely warmed my heart to hear about Briden. Him and Nate Coleman hold a special place in my heart all the time. I wasn't very close with Briden but his pure love and care for everyone is definitely an inspiration. I really believe that people like them are the ones that God loved so much that He just couldn't find it in His heart to even take a chance that they might not return to Him so he gave them a grace and then filled them to the brim with Christ-like virtue. I think everyone who gets to know them can attest to that same feeling.
I really should start sending a bunch of things home. We just passed by a UPS store and it reminded me of that. I'm probably going to throw a lot out or pass things down. Certain things have just worn out their usefulness. My hushpuppy shoes are destroyed but the eccos seemed to weather the storm of mission life fairly well. I will probably have to do quite a bit of purchasing when I get back, but lets not think about that too much.
It's pretty wrenching to think that the mission actually ends. I was talking with a member today and she said, "Just stay! Or go and come right back." Oh how amazing it would be to be out here in the service of the Lord all the days of my life. I feel like Alma when he says, "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth." I also have been feeling a lot of truth in the second part as well: "But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction." My biggest desire is to finish my mission the way that the Lord would intend me to do it. Make His will, my will. It's definitely tough sometimes but every day I pray that I can be more like Him and represent Him as I should.
I'm excited that they're doing what they did here where you guys are. Our area was the first to get the new advertisement campaign. The new pass-along cards actually include some members and missionaries who served in our mission! It's definitely made a profound difference in the effect missionary work is having on the community. People can see that Mormons are regular people! But on top of that they have this blessing that changes their lives forever. It helps people become more receptive to the message that the missionaries have.
We've gained a great testimony this week of the power of member missionary work. Yesterday we united with over 2000 volunteers in a monumental effort to help thousands of suffering souls in the Caldwell Stake area who endured the effects of Hurricane Irene. The response was phenomenal! I thought of churches all over New Jersey, whose idea of keeping the Sabbath day holy would be to go to church and listen to a moving talk about how the strength of God will help those in desperate need to overcome their trials. I saw an even more consecrated act of Sabbath observance when all the 300 or so members of our three wards in Princeton met for a very short 20 minute "Serve the Sacrament" meeting before driving an hour to go and BE the strength of God to help those in desperate need to overcome their trials. It was awesome! We helped this lady who was at a total loss of what to do when we got there. Her entire house had been flooded and everything had to be ripped out and replaced and she just didn't know where to turn to get everything done. At pretty large risk to ourselves ( The floor was so waterlogged and rotted that several of us fell through the floor at different stages of the work! ) we gutted the house of all the rotted material that we had means to do. Ripping up carpets, taking up two layers of hardwood floor, pulling out sheetrock and insulation and helping her to save what could be saved from tv's to ovens and cabinets. It's incredible how the Lord truly does provide for every soul who cries unto Him in the night and He heareth their cries and delivers them from their trials. Her heart was so full of the love of the Lord and so was ours. He continues to work the miracles and pour out the wondrous blessings.
Hopefully the girls can get a handle on things. Are they reading their scriptures? I know that's something that I included in my email to Katelyn. It's definitely my opinion that if one prayerfully reads the scriptures every day, every day, EVERY day that they will have enough of the Spirit to instruct, uplift and chasten them in all things what they should do. (2 Ne. 32:3) Of course don't compel them to read but invite them and testify that it's exactly what they need. The world may convince them that it's a most improbable medicine but it's most assuredly the spiritual cure one could ever need.
I'll definitely pray for both of them and I pray daily that the Lord will take care of each of you and I know that He will. He continues to move the work in monumental ways out here. One of our investigators began to really progress this week. She was referred to us by a member and quite frankly when we first met her she seemed a pretty unlikely candidate. We kept our faith the Lord could work miracles but we definitely judged her a little bit because of her stereotype. When we came back we found out that she'd read the assignment we left her and she was applying it to herself! She even wanted to come to church! Her desire for good is overcoming her desire for evil and she's changing bit by bit. I've been chastened to reserve judgment.
I hope we all continue to serve in our spheres and seek to build the Lord' kingdom. "Lift where you stand!" There is no greater cause than one that is eternal and no better time than the present.
-Elder Guinto
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