Dear Crowd,
Happy Birthday dearest brother, Matthew Haggard! You are now 22, and that is how old I will be when I get home from my mission..... sounds like quite a length of time.
Anywho! Another week has flown by here in the tropical oasis of Kodjoviakopé. In hindsight every day bullets by me here on the mission, but each moment that you are living it seems to be a "groundhog day" moment. Though, since I am speaking French each day, I can use the term "deja vu" to explain it all.
So this week we have had a focus on helping the members of the group here learn the cantiques because they... have difficulties... I don't blame them in the slightest though, there is no piano to help them along, and all a capella groups in French needs some fine tuning. They sing the same six cantiques over and over again, and as good as "Sauveur d'Israel" is, it gets kind of old. They have now taken a liking to "Fais ton Devoir" and it's nice to have a new song in the book to turn to.
So I have thought of something that I feel as though I lack and I now want to make an effort to improving, being an example. Ironically an example is something that we all are. There are always those that look at us, and based upon what we are doing, whether it be good or bad, it adds a type of witness to that thing which you are doing.
It was strange how this thought came to me. We were on our way back from a rendez-vous at Soeur Sonia's with her friend Gloria, and it was a good lesson, but I felt a distinct impression that I hadn't been asking her the right questions throughout the lesson. I continued to think of what I needed to ask her to see if there was something special that needed to be asked, but by the standards of a lesson going in the right direction, it met the criteria. So I tried to ask the most simple question that I had thought we had covered in talking with her in multiple lessons, the question I asked was, "who is God to you?"
Honestly, this is probably the most disputed idea that has ever been presented to humanity since the time Adam and Eve were made to part from Eden. So there was a pause following the question, my companion looked at me like I was an idiot, he hopefully thought the same thing as me prior to asking the question, that we had covered that subject thoroughly. She responded with the best response you can ever give, if we had first taught her the lesson, "I don't know."
Disheartened this sweet girl looked to the ground, but for some reason I couldn't help but smile. (She would be made uneasy by this, obviously.) There are two things that I love beyond anything in teaching on the mission, and in general. The first, due to my love of my Savior is the Atonement and the many wonders and glories that therein lie. The second becomes a hybrid because it starts with God being our Heavenly Father, but there is no way to continue on that subject without the bright hope and love that we too can inherit a family of our own and dwell eternally in the celestial kingdoms above.
Confession to the world. I wasn't always the best child to a loving mother, though she rightly deserved my love and respect. Luckily I have all of her life to make that right with her, if the cards are played right, if they aren't, I have all MY life to make it right by her. This ties back into that example thing I was talking about... (Sorry kind of scattered hope this all makes sense at the end.)
Gloria! So as we go into explaining this amazing hope and promise of God that HE is in fact our Father! He has given us the divine means and resources to seal our families for time and all eternity, and He will stand at the head of it and bless those within that keep His commandments. She, Gloria, is a single mother at 21 years of age, which is not uncommon here sadly. Her young son, though he is currently a little devil, is the family that she has. This message gave her hope, and I feel it may have made a difference in the teachings that follow.
You see, that is what we become, as an individual or within our families, examples to those around us. We can set the tone for those around us that are lost and searching for the true and proper way to raise a family, or feel a sense of belonging. The world around us has many that are in the darkness, though we don't know it. We MUST be the light that illuminates the road to life, and joy, and the hope of never-ending joy ahead of them. That is the goal that I have, be an example that even I could look up to.
The next exciting thing that happened was this Sunday as I was asked to speak in la Réunion de Sainte-Cène alongside the other missionaries. My talk was on the Atonement! :) It was my choice, but it was something that I feel isn't very well understood here. There is an amazing thing that happens as you speak about the Savior in reverance and love, an outpouring of the Spirit is felt and leaves a burning within your heart of the truth and divinity of the Savior's infinite sacrifice for the children of God.
I am eternally grateful for those sacred hours under the moonlight in Gethsemane. The moments that only can be described with words of awe and adoration, though even in complete humilty our words can't describe the fulness of what transpired there. The presence of an immortal being suffering anguish that wasn't His own, with the support of an angel, still bringing the most perfect and pure Being to shudder and ask for the cup to pass from Him. Followed by the humiliation of a criminal's death, as even His closest friends turn away from Him. His suffering upon the cross in which the world around Him was engulfed in blackness as He felt the bitter sting of loneliness as He was doing this for all those that were betraying Him.
At the end of all of this, after He had suffered the pain, affliction, sickness, and sin of each and everyone of God's children that has, or ever will come to the Earth, His perfect heart broke. I, with a heart full of regret, contributed to my Savior's death. Though a voluntary death, the broken heart was not His doing, that was each of us. I guess that is the sombering message I want to leave with each of you, remember that perfect One that suffered and died for you. He is there with open and out-stretched arms awaiting to embrace those that find themselves upon the path to everlasting life.
I love you all! Pray daily, preferably twice or more daily, read your scriptures. Find the faith!
Sincerely,
Elder Haggard
No comments:
Post a Comment