ERR! There's always so many things bouncing wildly in my head I can never get them all out! Ok here goes:
I love you guys.
We're getting our own PO box but using the sisters for now:
1360 Indian Rails # 14
Steamboat Springs, Co 80487
Hunting is amazing huh? Promise to keep going with us? I need to go hunting with my momma.
To answer your questions in that letter. Members have fed us every night, I eat food everyday on my own except when I fast. There.
I'm so happy to hear people are enjoying my letters! A mission is amazing. I'm glad I can share my mission and help people feel of what it's like as much as I can. Our ward is so strong, it inspires me. I want to make every ward I walk into a little bit more like my homeward.
I'm doing great, Mommy. So you keep doing great too okay? I love that your progressing so much. The best antidote for sadness is service! Or however it goes. I'm glad you feel the Creator of everything having your back.
Transfers has been bomb. Heart breaking a little, but all in all, very good. So many people in Rangely are ready for either baptism or reactivation. It was crazy. So that was hard to leave. But I like doing hard things so this is good. At transfers some people said my companion was pretty good, one sister got all hush hush and was like, "I heard him curse one time though". On the drive we had such an amazing discussion. He has such a deep knowledge from only being a convert of 2 years. He's also from Vegas which is cool. We both know what the other is actually talking about. He's super serviceable. He's a great example of service and politeness. he just jumps to work at member's house for dinner. He talked about how at each area we're there for a reason and we have to find out. And shared what he felt he was there for in his last area. I felt the Spirit so strong that it was God's will that I leave Rangely. It's very cool that you did too, Momma.
I feel such an urgency for Steamboat Springs. Steamboat is BEAUTIFUL!!! You will be so jealous when I can actually upload pictures. It's fall and the leaves are changing and it's amazing. Breath taking. Tyler will be so jealous he might come to Steamboat after I leave. But it's ski resort kind of town. It's definitely made of money. That part I'm not too fond of. The creators of South Park have a summer home up here! We're going to baptize them and be the cause of South Park being cancelled of made clean.
We have our work cut out for us. But we have won the hearts of these our brethren and sisters! We sat down with the sisters when we split the area and told them we weren't trying to compete, we were extremely thankful for their example and help and would try to live up to the sisters before(who really did kick awesome butt). That sister's heart has been softened to us. The other sister that was transferred in with us is a huge bundle of love and joy. She's so excited about the Gospel haha. Such an example. I came out with her in the MTC and was always afraid of her haha. But now she trusts us so it's really good. And our leader Fred! We made dessert when we ate with them and made cobbler. He's loving us now. Long story short, we're gaining everyone's trust through SERVICE! I couldn't have done it without my companion. He's awesome.
Church was a little intimidating. We were over making sure a DVD worked for a presentation we're giving about Justserve.org (check it out, get a head start) which is experimental here in Colorado, California and Texas. Well the DVD was corrupted so it wouldn't work, it was a little scary but I'm learning to become a man by being confident and facing my fears of people.
The work is about to explode and my computer is going to shut down.
Church is true, book is blue, I love you
Elder Edgel
Monday, September 30, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
The Creator of everything has our back.
WOO HOO!!!! Momma's goin' huntin!!! Make sure you eat your fill of liver, talk like a hick, and don't shower. I'm so happy for Pops. Everyone's going hunting with him! I'm sure this has been his dream for so long. I am so incredibly happy to hear that. That sounds so fun. I can't wait to do that with the fam. But it might not be happening when I get home haha. We'll hope. Dad, I laughed at your comment about how you wish there was just a little bit more room haha. So true of human nature.
I'm really glad you're able to get a lot done and be productive. To be honest... I miss Mexico sometimes more than home hahaha. I'll have dreams of Mexico and being with the Velazquez's again. But no I'm healthy and fine.
I'm getting transferred out of Rangely. I'm really disheartened about that. I built this area up from the dust when all we were given was 4 hangout spots. I made so many friends. I want to be here and see their progression. But I know I'll feel the same wherever I go.
There was one 20 year old girl who has been really out of the church but has an amazing testimony and really opened up to us. She's really progressed in amazing ways. She's thinking about serving a mission. There's the eternigator, Brother. We don't feel the Spirit with us when we teach them so we've felt impressed to stop teaching them. But they wanted us to come by so we did. He really opened up to us. He focuses too much and being able to do miracles and thinks that's the sign of having God in your life. But we talked about how when he was able to do neat things he didn't feel the Spirit or comfort in doing it. And how it's so much more important to focus yourself to God's will. He was touched. I want to see he and his wife's progression. A 16 year old that was forced catholic and turned to God and started seeing more LDS things in his life so decided to meet with us. Such a neat honest seeker. This kids gets it. I want to see his baptism. So many people that I've loved. One guy we have to teach from scratch. It feels like teaching a lamanite that doesn't even know what God is. He's a true honest seeker. Believes we all make up God. We explained premortal. He truly understands how we shouldn't know everything because it would be too easy. It's really cool.
Because I'm leaving I bore my testimony to a few people about the urgency of the Gospel. Then I realized, why don't I always do this? It only helps people. I'm learning a lot about wholly relying on God. Another powerful thing for me, is I'm having a lot of aha moments of realizing that THIS Gospel is IT. THIS is why we're here on earth. Sin is SOOOOOOOO stupid!!!! This isn't just a thing that's kinda cool and will help you and does good stuff for people. But it's truly IT! GOD is the one and only. We exist because we lived with God and He loves us and wants us to return. He gave us the Gospel to do that. This is what everyone is looking for. No matter how content they may seem in their beliefs. It's truly amazing.
The Gospel is literally God sticking His Hand out to us to ensure our getting back. If you're looking for peace, confirmation that you're doing it right, and satisfaction out of life, AND want to have eternal happiness, become dedicated to the Gospel. Take up a new determination to follow even more. It won't be easy, but it will definitely be infinitely better when the
Creator of everything has our back.
I love you all so much. I'm so glad to hear of your happiness. Thank you for all your prayers. I hope you're all doing well. I'm learning a lot. I'm being humbled but I'm learning a lot haha.
Much love,
Elder Edgel
I'm really glad you're able to get a lot done and be productive. To be honest... I miss Mexico sometimes more than home hahaha. I'll have dreams of Mexico and being with the Velazquez's again. But no I'm healthy and fine.
I'm getting transferred out of Rangely. I'm really disheartened about that. I built this area up from the dust when all we were given was 4 hangout spots. I made so many friends. I want to be here and see their progression. But I know I'll feel the same wherever I go.
There was one 20 year old girl who has been really out of the church but has an amazing testimony and really opened up to us. She's really progressed in amazing ways. She's thinking about serving a mission. There's the eternigator, Brother. We don't feel the Spirit with us when we teach them so we've felt impressed to stop teaching them. But they wanted us to come by so we did. He really opened up to us. He focuses too much and being able to do miracles and thinks that's the sign of having God in your life. But we talked about how when he was able to do neat things he didn't feel the Spirit or comfort in doing it. And how it's so much more important to focus yourself to God's will. He was touched. I want to see he and his wife's progression. A 16 year old that was forced catholic and turned to God and started seeing more LDS things in his life so decided to meet with us. Such a neat honest seeker. This kids gets it. I want to see his baptism. So many people that I've loved. One guy we have to teach from scratch. It feels like teaching a lamanite that doesn't even know what God is. He's a true honest seeker. Believes we all make up God. We explained premortal. He truly understands how we shouldn't know everything because it would be too easy. It's really cool.
Because I'm leaving I bore my testimony to a few people about the urgency of the Gospel. Then I realized, why don't I always do this? It only helps people. I'm learning a lot about wholly relying on God. Another powerful thing for me, is I'm having a lot of aha moments of realizing that THIS Gospel is IT. THIS is why we're here on earth. Sin is SOOOOOOOO stupid!!!! This isn't just a thing that's kinda cool and will help you and does good stuff for people. But it's truly IT! GOD is the one and only. We exist because we lived with God and He loves us and wants us to return. He gave us the Gospel to do that. This is what everyone is looking for. No matter how content they may seem in their beliefs. It's truly amazing.
The Gospel is literally God sticking His Hand out to us to ensure our getting back. If you're looking for peace, confirmation that you're doing it right, and satisfaction out of life, AND want to have eternal happiness, become dedicated to the Gospel. Take up a new determination to follow even more. It won't be easy, but it will definitely be infinitely better when the
Creator of everything has our back.
I love you all so much. I'm so glad to hear of your happiness. Thank you for all your prayers. I hope you're all doing well. I'm learning a lot. I'm being humbled but I'm learning a lot haha.
Much love,
Elder Edgel
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
This Gospel gives us full access to the atonement.
I'm learning power in admiring other people's spiritual gifts. I want to be able to discern them and point them out to others so they can feel their worth. That's something I learned is powerful in the MTC. Our teacher had us go walk around and walk up to someone and admire their spiritual gifts. There were some pretty powerful experiences. One elder just had the feeling to say one had the gift of scriptorian knowledge and it made the persons day and everyone around was like dude he's the greatest scripture master ever! I had seen a physical handicapped person earlier in the week and saw his pure love for everyone around him and how he was just so happy and loving to someone he had only met once before. I was able to admire him for it and made me feel really good.
There's this really awesome really inactive member out in Dinosaur that played the guitar for us the other day. He was in a band and still plays constantly today. It was so awesome to hear live guitar again.
There's a pigeon that sits in Elder Jordan's window every night. We named it taco and try to feed it but he flies away. Random thing of the day.
There's this sweet old 90 year old lady that we visit every now and then. Deaf as a... deaf thing. Every time without fail when we walk in she says, "sit down" in her old lady voice. That's one of our quotes. Well one day when we walked in she talked about the weather and it being warm. (before her hearing aid so she couldn't here a thing, which she still can't even with it) so I said "Can you dig it!?!?" and lost it in laughing. But she's deaf so it just seemed like I was smiling hahaha. The baptismal invite is "will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the proper authority of God? We will be holding a baptisimal service on blank, will you prepare to be baptized by that day? Well she hasn't been to church in like 40 years so I said, "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by coming to church? WIll you prepare to come to church on September 15th? And then busted up again hahaha. She didn't come but she will some day!
Quotes: "Well then go poop!!!". In a lesson one day we hear in the background. "Grandpa, I need to poop." "Well then go poop!!!" This guy has the thickest beard. When he talks it looks like a bush moving so that made it 10 X's better to imagine him saying. "I was just Talkin' boutchu guys! Get in here, get in here!" (kinda high pitched, black accent) That happened to another Elder with some black guy they were teaching.
Tyler, we eat a ton of peaches. The town over sells them practically like home grown. Best peaches ever. So guess what I sing all the time? Well I'm in the country and I'm eating peaches so I'll let you guess that one.
We've started teaching a 16 year old. One of the kids that has his mission call brought two friends. One has been catholic his whole life and wants to explore other religions and feels good about ours. A lot of stuff has happened in his life where he's prayed for help and he met the kid that invited him to church and things are getting better. So he's taking that as a sign. It's amazing to see him so ready and prepared and thirsting after knowledge.
We talked with this very inactive woman who was baptized at 12 but then stopped caring and doesn't even remember it exactly. We talked about each of our spiritual experiences that showed us that God loves us. Her 15 year old nephew that left the room when we came in eventually came in and sat with us and listened. The Spirit was so strong. He's also very inactive and his dad died when he was 5 who was this amazing man that everyone loved and it didn't make sense that he died. so he went inactive. We bore testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon and gave them each a copy. They were both extremely grateful for us coming by.
The work is powerful. The affects are so visible. I'm truly understanding that this is GOD's church. Not just another church that's pretty good, but literally the church that people have been searching for for centuries and millenias! This is how people come closer to God than by anything else! This is what clears up all of the confusion in the world! This is what gives people hope in this dark world. This is what gives life! This gives us full access to the atonement and gives us peace of mind! It gives direction by the prophet of God we have today! I'm trying to give of myself everyday, every second. I'm trying to keep my mind focused completely and give everything I have. I'm over coming my fears to order for people to feel this joy.
I love you guys so much. I think about you all. I couldn't be happier to serve God. I know that I am literally a representative of Jesus Christ. Keep on truckin' out there!
-Elder Edgel
There's this really awesome really inactive member out in Dinosaur that played the guitar for us the other day. He was in a band and still plays constantly today. It was so awesome to hear live guitar again.
There's a pigeon that sits in Elder Jordan's window every night. We named it taco and try to feed it but he flies away. Random thing of the day.
There's this sweet old 90 year old lady that we visit every now and then. Deaf as a... deaf thing. Every time without fail when we walk in she says, "sit down" in her old lady voice. That's one of our quotes. Well one day when we walked in she talked about the weather and it being warm. (before her hearing aid so she couldn't here a thing, which she still can't even with it) so I said "Can you dig it!?!?" and lost it in laughing. But she's deaf so it just seemed like I was smiling hahaha. The baptismal invite is "will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the proper authority of God? We will be holding a baptisimal service on blank, will you prepare to be baptized by that day? Well she hasn't been to church in like 40 years so I said, "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by coming to church? WIll you prepare to come to church on September 15th? And then busted up again hahaha. She didn't come but she will some day!
Quotes: "Well then go poop!!!". In a lesson one day we hear in the background. "Grandpa, I need to poop." "Well then go poop!!!" This guy has the thickest beard. When he talks it looks like a bush moving so that made it 10 X's better to imagine him saying. "I was just Talkin' boutchu guys! Get in here, get in here!" (kinda high pitched, black accent) That happened to another Elder with some black guy they were teaching.
Tyler, we eat a ton of peaches. The town over sells them practically like home grown. Best peaches ever. So guess what I sing all the time? Well I'm in the country and I'm eating peaches so I'll let you guess that one.
We've started teaching a 16 year old. One of the kids that has his mission call brought two friends. One has been catholic his whole life and wants to explore other religions and feels good about ours. A lot of stuff has happened in his life where he's prayed for help and he met the kid that invited him to church and things are getting better. So he's taking that as a sign. It's amazing to see him so ready and prepared and thirsting after knowledge.
We talked with this very inactive woman who was baptized at 12 but then stopped caring and doesn't even remember it exactly. We talked about each of our spiritual experiences that showed us that God loves us. Her 15 year old nephew that left the room when we came in eventually came in and sat with us and listened. The Spirit was so strong. He's also very inactive and his dad died when he was 5 who was this amazing man that everyone loved and it didn't make sense that he died. so he went inactive. We bore testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon and gave them each a copy. They were both extremely grateful for us coming by.
The work is powerful. The affects are so visible. I'm truly understanding that this is GOD's church. Not just another church that's pretty good, but literally the church that people have been searching for for centuries and millenias! This is how people come closer to God than by anything else! This is what clears up all of the confusion in the world! This is what gives people hope in this dark world. This is what gives life! This gives us full access to the atonement and gives us peace of mind! It gives direction by the prophet of God we have today! I'm trying to give of myself everyday, every second. I'm trying to keep my mind focused completely and give everything I have. I'm over coming my fears to order for people to feel this joy.
I love you guys so much. I think about you all. I couldn't be happier to serve God. I know that I am literally a representative of Jesus Christ. Keep on truckin' out there!
-Elder Edgel
Monday, September 9, 2013
"One of the healthiest things I've ever done is loving others more than myself."
I love my mommmma!
I have to be quick so I'm sorry. My comp will kill me if I don't hurry up today haha. I always take so long.
Well I've been humbled this week and it's been awesome. I think too often I get too excited about learning and growing that it's necessary that I get slowed down a bit so I don't hurt myself haha.
We visited two very precious souls in the hospital this week. Both were in their 90s. One refuses to read or leave the hospital and has never been to the temple. What do you do in a situation like that? "I know you can't move grandma but we gotta get your old wrinkly butt to the temple!" It confused me. Then we met another very very precious lady. We walk into this ladies room that has her Book of Mormon that has had to be tapped because it has been used so much and the recent Ensign on her lap! My soul just leaped for joy! The most sincere lady I've ever met. She just talked about how grateful she was for her good health compared to others. Well she has cancer and parkinsons and is constantly in pain. She ALWAYS wears her garments even though it's a huge inconvenience. And yet she says she still worries about if she was valiant enough. I know Heavenly Father loves us all, but He has a very special place for her with Him in his most glories kingdom with a very special hug for her.
I'm learning to be so very humble. Too much I thought, man I just wanna get out there so I can just baptize so many people into the Gospel so I can be really cool. I'm learning that that doesn't matter. As long as I just give of myself wholly and truly desire people's happiness. I went to temple prep since our LAs and and investigator was there. It made me realize that we are to help people get to the celestial kingdom. It gave me urgency and helped me see the importance of our work.
Giving blessings is so amazing. I always worry if I'm going to say the right thing but my mind is always filled with such peace. It's so awesome to get done and hear them say, "that's just what I needed to hear". The priesthood is so amazing.
Too often I judge others for not being as servicable as they could.
But I found this out: deeper realization of my own mistakes
stronger desire to help all in anyway
greater joy and appreciation for people's current righteousness.
Good stuff. Good to hear from everyone. I don't even have time to get to dad's and other people's emails. I'm really sorry. So much more I want to tell you. Love you.
Experience I shared with Elder Herdt I wanted you to know: In my blessing when getting set apart, the Stake President said I would learn to love others more than myself. I've been thinking a lot about that. About how true that is in missionary work and how the Savior loved us far more than himself and how he suffered an eternity of pain for us. It's amazing.
Last night I was looking at a map of our mission. I noticed in our area that there were THREE towns on the map that none of us ever noticed, not even my trainer who has been here before. Already we cover two wards in a town that is just bursting with readiness for the Gospel. Already we're really busy. AND we cover another small town of 300 that doesn't even show up on the map, PLUS a ton of little clusters of homes that are isolated. Then we come to find out that there are THREE that just come up on the MAP. If the small town doesn't show. How many other towns are there that aren't on the map? How many more tiny clusters of homes? It opened my eyes on the urgency of preaching the Gospel. The intimate personal relationship Heavenly Father has for each of those individuals.
While writing in my journal and praying last night I closed with this thought. "One of the healthiest things I've ever done is loving others more than myself."
I love guys all so much so personally. I pray for you and your success. Dad, wanna print and send me what you wrote? Sorry for not writting you this week haha. The only time I have is lunch, breakfast, night and my companions like playing risk and I have to roll the dang dice to defend myself... Love you guys so much.
Keep the fire going!
Elder Edgel
I have to be quick so I'm sorry. My comp will kill me if I don't hurry up today haha. I always take so long.
Well I've been humbled this week and it's been awesome. I think too often I get too excited about learning and growing that it's necessary that I get slowed down a bit so I don't hurt myself haha.
We visited two very precious souls in the hospital this week. Both were in their 90s. One refuses to read or leave the hospital and has never been to the temple. What do you do in a situation like that? "I know you can't move grandma but we gotta get your old wrinkly butt to the temple!" It confused me. Then we met another very very precious lady. We walk into this ladies room that has her Book of Mormon that has had to be tapped because it has been used so much and the recent Ensign on her lap! My soul just leaped for joy! The most sincere lady I've ever met. She just talked about how grateful she was for her good health compared to others. Well she has cancer and parkinsons and is constantly in pain. She ALWAYS wears her garments even though it's a huge inconvenience. And yet she says she still worries about if she was valiant enough. I know Heavenly Father loves us all, but He has a very special place for her with Him in his most glories kingdom with a very special hug for her.
I'm learning to be so very humble. Too much I thought, man I just wanna get out there so I can just baptize so many people into the Gospel so I can be really cool. I'm learning that that doesn't matter. As long as I just give of myself wholly and truly desire people's happiness. I went to temple prep since our LAs and and investigator was there. It made me realize that we are to help people get to the celestial kingdom. It gave me urgency and helped me see the importance of our work.
Giving blessings is so amazing. I always worry if I'm going to say the right thing but my mind is always filled with such peace. It's so awesome to get done and hear them say, "that's just what I needed to hear". The priesthood is so amazing.
Too often I judge others for not being as servicable as they could.
But I found this out: deeper realization of my own mistakes
stronger desire to help all in anyway
greater joy and appreciation for people's current righteousness.
Good stuff. Good to hear from everyone. I don't even have time to get to dad's and other people's emails. I'm really sorry. So much more I want to tell you. Love you.
Experience I shared with Elder Herdt I wanted you to know: In my blessing when getting set apart, the Stake President said I would learn to love others more than myself. I've been thinking a lot about that. About how true that is in missionary work and how the Savior loved us far more than himself and how he suffered an eternity of pain for us. It's amazing.
Last night I was looking at a map of our mission. I noticed in our area that there were THREE towns on the map that none of us ever noticed, not even my trainer who has been here before. Already we cover two wards in a town that is just bursting with readiness for the Gospel. Already we're really busy. AND we cover another small town of 300 that doesn't even show up on the map, PLUS a ton of little clusters of homes that are isolated. Then we come to find out that there are THREE that just come up on the MAP. If the small town doesn't show. How many other towns are there that aren't on the map? How many more tiny clusters of homes? It opened my eyes on the urgency of preaching the Gospel. The intimate personal relationship Heavenly Father has for each of those individuals.
While writing in my journal and praying last night I closed with this thought. "One of the healthiest things I've ever done is loving others more than myself."
I love guys all so much so personally. I pray for you and your success. Dad, wanna print and send me what you wrote? Sorry for not writting you this week haha. The only time I have is lunch, breakfast, night and my companions like playing risk and I have to roll the dang dice to defend myself... Love you guys so much.
Keep the fire going!
Elder Edgel
Friday, September 6, 2013
We can have a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father through the Gospel.
Love that momma lovin'. My mommy is so good to me and so motivated. I love it!
Thank you so much for the Gavin letter! That makes me so happy. I love my nephews. I think of them all the time when I see kids. Elder Jordan's sex blessing is spreading like wild fire. Everyone in Elders quorum wants a blessing. All the missionaries know. It's gunna be an infamous one.
Stanley is good. We're learning how to help him. He talks forever and last night we didn't even get a lesson. He kept telling captivating stories. He's got some stories. His infamous mud buggy and how him and his buddies would run from the cops across farm fields, up streems, drive over trees, hid in farmer's barns, go out to their bar that would over sell to minors. Funny funny stories.
Quotes: "have you ever had feelings for a sister missionary?" "Ew! No whey!" (Nacho libre but missionary lingo" "We're dead!" With a southern accent "Getcho self a good pinch!" southern accent. Everyone here says Sundee. Instead of Sunday.
We had a neat experience where we went to a part members house in Dinosaur. She's very strong but her husband is jealous of church and make her choose between him and it. She's very distraught. I felt impressed to ask if she wanted a blessing. Oh and a priest going on his mission got to be a part too. I told her that Heavenly Father was glad of her choice of marriage. A steep claim but I felt impressed. She was balling. She was so happy to have the priesthood in her life. It was amazing.
Female appreciation:
Females are an amazing species I'm finding. All the elders like to bag on sisters and their inability. It's really sad. We elders have such a hard time being obedient, spiritual, sensitive, considerate, loving, smelling good and not talking about poops and farts. We all have our weaknesses. But sisters are such an example of selflessness and love. They're so genuine and trusting in their Heavenly Father to make the difference. The sisters in our district wipe a 90 year olds butt twice a day! Talk about true love! (very true story)
So many women out here are married to men that don't want to be active, don't want to try the church, and don't want to let their wives show their devotion to God by participating. It's so sad. So many women trail blazers. They're so awesome. We're going to make their husbands ball like babies and become spiritually sensitive.
They're black people here at the community college!!!!!!!! IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO SEE ALL 5 OF THEM!!!
We're having a lot of blessings. I decided to bare my testimony at every fast and testimony meeting to help motivate the members. They're telling us they liked our testimonies. I have so much greenie fire. I jump up as soon as I can to bare my testimony like a primary kid and just give a short testimony about how I love the work and sit down and my companions stroll up casually a little after and give very wise, comfortable and inspired testimonies. Love those guys. We've had 4 new investigators and 23 lessons. Which is awesome for being white washed. Our productivity gets better and better every week.
I've been praying to have my testimony strengthened. It was shaken good a few times before my mission and so I feel a lot more confident with the things I've learned from them. But Satan is tricky and makes me forget the amazing spiritual experiences I've had. He makes me think they were made up and not by the Spirit. By that I mean he gets Baptists to talk to me. (teehee ok that was mean) But really, talking to Baptists, they're all VERY factual. That's everything they rely on is what they can see. And they can see the Bible and are comfortable with it. So when we bear testimony about how if they try and give a sincere heart the Spirit will work inside them and let them know, they tell us, well you can fool yourself into anything. Emotions are complicated and you can misunderstand them all the time. Tricksy Baptists. But by the Spirit we can know ALL things. Even your Bible says so! HAHA! So I've been praying a lot for confirmation on my testimony. I got a little jealous of my companions but Heavenly Father was patient with me and gave me what I needed. I was praying to remember my spiritual experiences, and remember what I've learned and know as well as further confirmation. And everyday I still do pray for this. We all could.
That night I wrote in my journal all the experiences I've had that have helped me to KNOW. and I keep praying to remember more and receive further confirmation.
I know this church is true. Every young man everywhere should prepare to serve a mission. It will bless their lives more than they can imagine. I've been out for only a month and I'm changing into a whole new better person. Give of yourself wholly! EVEN THE SISTERS GO ON MISSIONS!!! And they don't even have to! As Kenine Singleton said in his testimony after a bunch of women shared theirs, "we need to pick it up guys."
The Gospel blesses us and our familes. We can have a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father through the Gospel. That's the biggest thing I know. I've had a place to escape to my whole life whenever I felt depressed and like giving up. But because of the Gospel, I knew God was a Heavenly Father who loved me beyond anything I could ever imagine and was going to do His best to help me along. I KNOW that because of the Gospel.
A missionaries dying wish: do your home teaching, plan your lessons for church and anything else with love and thought, help others sincerely and know you're where you need to be.
I love you guys.
The church is true and the book is blue.
Elder Edgel
Thank you so much for the Gavin letter! That makes me so happy. I love my nephews. I think of them all the time when I see kids. Elder Jordan's sex blessing is spreading like wild fire. Everyone in Elders quorum wants a blessing. All the missionaries know. It's gunna be an infamous one.
Stanley is good. We're learning how to help him. He talks forever and last night we didn't even get a lesson. He kept telling captivating stories. He's got some stories. His infamous mud buggy and how him and his buddies would run from the cops across farm fields, up streems, drive over trees, hid in farmer's barns, go out to their bar that would over sell to minors. Funny funny stories.
Quotes: "have you ever had feelings for a sister missionary?" "Ew! No whey!" (Nacho libre but missionary lingo" "We're dead!" With a southern accent "Getcho self a good pinch!" southern accent. Everyone here says Sundee. Instead of Sunday.
We had a neat experience where we went to a part members house in Dinosaur. She's very strong but her husband is jealous of church and make her choose between him and it. She's very distraught. I felt impressed to ask if she wanted a blessing. Oh and a priest going on his mission got to be a part too. I told her that Heavenly Father was glad of her choice of marriage. A steep claim but I felt impressed. She was balling. She was so happy to have the priesthood in her life. It was amazing.
Female appreciation:
Females are an amazing species I'm finding. All the elders like to bag on sisters and their inability. It's really sad. We elders have such a hard time being obedient, spiritual, sensitive, considerate, loving, smelling good and not talking about poops and farts. We all have our weaknesses. But sisters are such an example of selflessness and love. They're so genuine and trusting in their Heavenly Father to make the difference. The sisters in our district wipe a 90 year olds butt twice a day! Talk about true love! (very true story)
So many women out here are married to men that don't want to be active, don't want to try the church, and don't want to let their wives show their devotion to God by participating. It's so sad. So many women trail blazers. They're so awesome. We're going to make their husbands ball like babies and become spiritually sensitive.
They're black people here at the community college!!!!!!!! IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO SEE ALL 5 OF THEM!!!
We're having a lot of blessings. I decided to bare my testimony at every fast and testimony meeting to help motivate the members. They're telling us they liked our testimonies. I have so much greenie fire. I jump up as soon as I can to bare my testimony like a primary kid and just give a short testimony about how I love the work and sit down and my companions stroll up casually a little after and give very wise, comfortable and inspired testimonies. Love those guys. We've had 4 new investigators and 23 lessons. Which is awesome for being white washed. Our productivity gets better and better every week.
I've been praying to have my testimony strengthened. It was shaken good a few times before my mission and so I feel a lot more confident with the things I've learned from them. But Satan is tricky and makes me forget the amazing spiritual experiences I've had. He makes me think they were made up and not by the Spirit. By that I mean he gets Baptists to talk to me. (teehee ok that was mean) But really, talking to Baptists, they're all VERY factual. That's everything they rely on is what they can see. And they can see the Bible and are comfortable with it. So when we bear testimony about how if they try and give a sincere heart the Spirit will work inside them and let them know, they tell us, well you can fool yourself into anything. Emotions are complicated and you can misunderstand them all the time. Tricksy Baptists. But by the Spirit we can know ALL things. Even your Bible says so! HAHA! So I've been praying a lot for confirmation on my testimony. I got a little jealous of my companions but Heavenly Father was patient with me and gave me what I needed. I was praying to remember my spiritual experiences, and remember what I've learned and know as well as further confirmation. And everyday I still do pray for this. We all could.
That night I wrote in my journal all the experiences I've had that have helped me to KNOW. and I keep praying to remember more and receive further confirmation.
I know this church is true. Every young man everywhere should prepare to serve a mission. It will bless their lives more than they can imagine. I've been out for only a month and I'm changing into a whole new better person. Give of yourself wholly! EVEN THE SISTERS GO ON MISSIONS!!! And they don't even have to! As Kenine Singleton said in his testimony after a bunch of women shared theirs, "we need to pick it up guys."
The Gospel blesses us and our familes. We can have a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father through the Gospel. That's the biggest thing I know. I've had a place to escape to my whole life whenever I felt depressed and like giving up. But because of the Gospel, I knew God was a Heavenly Father who loved me beyond anything I could ever imagine and was going to do His best to help me along. I KNOW that because of the Gospel.
A missionaries dying wish: do your home teaching, plan your lessons for church and anything else with love and thought, help others sincerely and know you're where you need to be.
I love you guys.
The church is true and the book is blue.
Elder Edgel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)