Familllyyyyy. This week Was Pretty awesome!
We had a really great Lesson with Kylie and Robby this Week. We taught them the principals of "eternal Marriage" and "temples and family history." Eternal marriage has been the foremost motivating factor for them to join the church. So we wanted to teach them more about the covenant of it. That it's a promise between the two of them and God. They seemed to really enjoy it.
Because Elder Taylor and I don't really have any experience on the topic quite yet, we held it at the
Heitman's home. It was really awesome! They gave such great testimonies, they have had lots of experiences with their kids being sealed to them, and have embraced the reassurance of being a family through time and eternity. It was really super touching and I shed a tear or two.
So we did that, Cheryl and Steve unfortunately had to cancel their appointment with us. So we rescheduled for tomorrow night! Hopefully they have still been reading, and at the rate they were going last week, they should just about be done with the book!
I had to give a training at district meeting this week. It was actually pretty fun. It was only the second one I've ever gave. It only had to be 5 minutes, but I'm pretty sure it went for 20. Haha. It was on "The Importance of the Spirit in Missionary Work." So hooray!
So some interesting things happened this week. President Dial (the branch president) lives in Richmond (Yes, THE Richmond). Which is kind of the central point of our area. So we do a lot of service in Richmond or the farms around it. President Dial has a key for us and we can go in and change or eat or whatever if he's not home. So we did that a few days ago, and he's an Apple Product family. So he has all sorts of cool little phone attachments. On the counter was a container holding a box. It is called a Canary, which is basically a smart camera that you just set in your house and it detects unusual movement and sends it to the persons phone who can see video and sound an alarm. Ok.
Well it wasn't set up yet, I was just reading the box, thought it was cool, then set it back down. The next day we come, and the container is still there... But we were in a huge hurry, so we just
decided to change in the hallway real quick...right as we just finish changing, I notice a mysterious little box in the corner. A little red light flips on, and an EXTREMELY loud alarm starts sounding! I screamed like a little girl and cried a little. We waved to the camera and fled the scene haha. Then President Dial called us, asks where we were, and just starts laughing his head off... only in the life of a missionary! :)
The next day we go to the Dunlap's farm to help put up a fence for his cows. Sister Dunlap calls me into the coop and asks me to catch a few chickens for her...That went well, I eventually catch 5, and she is standing outside the coop with... AN AXE! I may have squealed a little but it was the poor girls' time. So she takes them, holds them down on a block and brother Dunlap played executioner. Turns out that the so called myth of headless chickens is REAL...blood flying everywhere as
well as the chicken...headless. I even got attacked by one.
I never thought I would experience plucking and gutting chickens on my mission, but...only in the life of a missionary! It was pretty gross. She even saved the gizzards hearts and livers. (Which gizzards are actually pretty good I've discovered.) She said we shall be having fried chicken next time we come over!! So that definitely makes for a very interesting week in Missouri!
Spirit time: I learned and reflected a lot on the atonement of Christ this week. I had some questions about it, prayed, and the next thing I know is I am reading Alma 42:23 Which says "But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice."
I did learn that the Savior's performance of the atonement, the unimaginable pain and anguish he experienced for each of us, sweat as it were drops of blood, and Him dying for us on the cross truly is the most magnificent act of love that has ever happened. His mission truly was "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. " Such an act of grace that we could never repay, but still satisfies the demands of justice. I understand more in depth that not only did he grant the blessings for EVERYONE to be resurrected, but also opened the way to eternal life for all who would follow Him,
repent and have faith in the atonement, and observe and keep the commandments and ordinances of His gospel. And it makes me so happy to share that with others. I KNOW it is true, I KNOW that Jesus is the Christ, and He is the only way for us to return.
I love all of you!! Thanks so much for being awesome! Crazy that my 6 month mark is this week. Transfers are this Thursday, so send stuff at your own risk :) ! I appreciate all the support, have a marvelous
week!
~Elder Samuel LaVar Ward.
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| Parker and I |
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