My dearest loved ones... How I love you so!
Been a good week. One of the Sister Missionaries in our ward
hurt her leg this week so they have the car a lot more now. As a
consequence we have gotten much more familear with public transport! We
thought it would be funny to take a picture while the train was stopped
real quick, since we are the Normanhurst Elders. the sign in the back is
small.. but it says Normanhurst! ha. We were walking on the street the
other night when the branches kind of moved a funny way. We stopped and
looked up the tree, what do ya know! A POSSUM! How awesome? (ha..ha...
lame rhyming...). (I pictured Davis Busteed saying the last parentheses)
ha. I love ane miss my friends serving. as well as my friends in
Missouri and back home. I think of all of you often.. but too often to
be creepy... We had some open space on our whiteboard so we decided to
add some personality to it! ha. Elder Nathan and I just laughed.. Ball
so Hard... or for the older genereation "Do really good missionary work
and work hard." That us about all the fun and worldly updates...,
My core experience this week has been a conversation piece
for my companion and I. The Priesthood. We have been able to exercise
the Priesthood in various ways the past week or two. Giving blessings
and administering the sacrament mostly. We had the blessing of being
able to go with a member of the ward to a Hospital with a specialty in
the area of cancer, where we met Sister Edwige. She is a sweet elderly
french speaking woman from New Caledonia. Luckily the member with us had
served a mission in France and Mauritius. Her joy was so full as she
was able to receive a blessing and partake of the sacrament blessed in
her native tongue. We noticed a very similar gratitude after blessing a
very faithful and very humble missionary. I kept hearing a talk from
President Eyring in my mind. "The Priesthood Man." There may have been
some pride infused into me, but I do recognize that the power and
authority has NOTHING to do with me. The point I will get to is that I
was fulfilling my purpose and calling so others were blessed by God and
received the benefits. Men and women are both blessed by the priesthood,
one may have the power conferred upon him, but BOTH receive the
blessings and benefits. The idea I am attempting to paint however, is
the importance of embracing Magnifying our callings. Our currant and
short term callings, as well our eternal callings. For me it is as a
Full Time Missionary and as a Melchizedek Priesthood holder. As a
companion and as a son. As District Leader and as Brother. Callings are
not just ways to serve in the church, but relationships we have with our
families and with GOD. Doing our part and being who we have been called
and set apart to be is embracing and magnifying our calling. Doing our
VERY best and giving all we have to these callings is keeping our
covenants and magnifying our callings.
We have been teaching as Jesus taught by teaching correct
principles. We get concerns or questions then have studied it out using
other missionaries or our missionary reference library to answer the
question or concern. We can have so much knowledge if we just "Put our
shoulder to the wheel" and study it out, if we ask questions and answer
then. Not by instantly doubting and assuming this stranger who knows not
the church or the God who guides it has found a secret hole in the
plan. Fear not, only believe. We have been studying and teaching
correctly. As I am positive Jesus did.
A lesson of great importance I have learned on my mission is one
of priorities. Before my mission I probably had good priorities.
Serving a mission removes a spiritual blind fold of what you find
important though. I now realize the importance of eternal families,
ordinances particularly the Sealing ordinance (which I had No plans of
obtaining before I was set apart), and really the Church and Jesus
Christ! If the Savior of mankind and his Church does not effect all we
do and deem important, we are greatly mislead by the adversary. When you
forget about the world and all it's other good add-ons or ornaments,
you see the truly important roots and branches in the Christmas tree
that is you and your life and thereby your priorities. I have learned a
great lesson of TRUE priorities on my mission.
Again, I love you all! Thank you for all that you have done and will do. I am grateful!
Love,
Elder Ford
No comments:
Post a Comment