Hi.
Once again another week has come and gone and the blessings
of the Lord have shone forth in great abundance over the land of Kodjoviakope.
I have yet again found my way back to a cyber to spend these wonderful few
minutes sharing with you my life and my joy here in Africa. The joy of serving
a mission has been truly noted by my soul in this past week.
Not to get anyone’s hopes up. I didn’t march down to the
waters of Mormon and baptize 500 people, nor did I march with a very toned body
in the army of Helaman (the young women know what I am talking about ;D ),
don’t worry I giggled a little as I wrote it too. I didn’t stand with John as
he told the world of the light that is the Christ. Nor was I there when Peter
proclaimed without hesitancy that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living
God, and in turn Jesus gave unto Peter the calling of Prophet and President of
His church. I wasn’t there on the road when Paul was visited by the voice of
the Lord.
Yes, it is true that I wasn’t there for these monumental events,
but I know for a fact that they happened! I have felt the Spirit’s gentle
presence bear testimony of their truthfulness, and no it was as though I was
there. That is the magic (not really magic, just a gift of God) for those that
read the scriptures and study them truly with an open heart and mind. I was
truly blessed by the scriptures this week in my studies.
This week, was full of great rendez-vous and opportunities
to share the everlasting gospel with those kind-hearted and sweet spirited
people that live in my small plot of the earth the Lord has entrusted me with.
Isn’t that something to think about? It almost sounds daunting knowing that the
Lord, through His servants the Prophet and my Mission President, has entrusted
me and my companion to bring back His lost sheep (see Luke 15). The Lord has
high expectations for those He has called to do His work, and it is my heart’s
sincere desire to do this work with as much devotion and diligence as it
deserves.
This is to build up hopes and aspirations for the next week,
but we have six baptisms planned for this Saturday, the 31st of August. I am
not sure if I had mentioned that again, but we have been planning these for a
while, so long in fact that our Zone Leaders gave us a call asking why we ALWAYS
have six baptismal dates fixed. It was a good moment to laugh for a second. We
are proud that our six baptisms are just one short of matching the amount of
baptisms had in the whole zone last month, of course I boast in my Lord like
Ammon did. ;)
We had a good moment in one of our lessons as we were
reading over the power of God and the producing of miracles here on the earth.
There are things that are hard to explain here in Africa due to every corner
having a different church performing “healings” on a regularly scheduled basis.
The question that is often asked is why we don’t have regular programs like
that in our church, and I think that I may take a crack at answering that
question for the benefit of others as well as myself.
When one saw the Savior of the world, he was filled with an
often new yet familiar feeling. That was the thing that we were blessed with
recognizing as the creator of the individual particles that form us, they know
their master. So upon the healing of one being sick and afflicted, the body and
the disease or invading virus recognize their supreme creator and are put back
in their proper order. That is the same power that we carry with us as holders
of God’s Holy Priesthood upon the earth. We represent our Savior when
performing these sacred ordinances, and these things are not for spectators. It
is an individual’s faith that brings forth these miraculous things, as well as
it being according to the will of God.
The next thing that we need to realize is the devil has
power to fool the mind and grant unto men a false power to perform what the eye
may deem a “miracle.” Therefore, one must learn to recognize a true wrought-by-God
miracle, and then those wrought by the elusive and cunning wiles of the devil.
For the plan of the Devil has always been to stand in defiance to the Father’s
eternal plan of happiness for His children. He assumes the appearance of an
angel of God and tricks the frail minds of man as he wreaks havoc across the
land. For as stupid as his first choice was, he is a very smart man. But then
we remember that intelligence is only a blessing when one gives into the wisdom
of God.
That is where the message that we carry to the world comes
in. We bring them the way in which one can find out for themselves the
truthfulness of the everlasting gospel and not depend upon the words of another
to convince them. They will gain a relationship between them and a loving
Father that eagerly awaits them with open arms, for our message is the one that
allows families to be bound for time and all eternity and not to fade away with
the wearing of time here upon this earth. The message that we carry is one
where an eternal joy and peace is found in each moment. It is a protection from
the hardships of this world, and a way to be healed from emotional, physical,
and spiritual maladies. It is something that can never be fully described until
you try it for yourself. For one cannot describe salt to someone who has never
tasted it, it is much the same unto the gospel.
I am grateful for a living prophet. I am so grateful for
Joseph Smith and his humility and desire to know the truth, to know where our
Heavenly Father wanted him to be to live life in a manner pleasing unto Him. It
is something that I hold very near and dear to my heart. I cherish each moment
in which I can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost, a very sacred and personal
friend. It is a gift extended unto all who do the things the Lord has asked,
have faith in Him, repent, and be baptized and in return He will send unto us
the Holy Ghost through His servants who
hold His holy priesthood on the earth. This gift, this holy and sacred gift, is
a blessing to allow us to live out lives in harmony to His teachings and be
able to return and live once again in the presence of God, our Heavenly Father.
There are many missionaries like me around the world; they
are facing difficulties and challenges of their own. Each has his or her own
testimony, and to some degree or another they know the same things as me. We
stand alongside the prophets and apostles as representatives of the Savior
Jesus Christ. It is not something to be taken lightly, and it is something that
will bless the lives of those that speak to them, even for just a few minutes.
Those who are not a part of our church, I encourage you to
invite your local missionaries over and hear what they have to say. You don’t
have to join our church, that isn’t what is expected when you just speak to
missionaries, but they will invite you to do things that will enrich your lives
in ways that you can’t even imagine. If you do these things, your life will be
filled with joy; it is unavoidable joy that is directly tied with this gospel.
Those who ARE part of our church, I encourage you to feed
the missionary in exchange for them feeding your soul with the gospel. Allow
the testimonies of the missionaries to fill your homes and introduce them to
your children, friends, and families. The members, I dare say, are better than
missionaries in the bringing others into the church. Overcome fear that your
friends may judge you or think less of you for being a part of this great and
noble church. Take upon you the desire of the sons of Mosiah and cringe at the
thought of one soul perishing in darkness for not having the light of this
gospel in their lives, and the attitude of John and be not ashamed of the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I
have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might
have everlasting life.” (3 Nephi 5:13) I know that this is true. I love you all. You have been an
influence in my life, and all of you combined have played a role in getting me
to this point in my life where I am eternally happy. This gospel has changed
and will continue to change my life. I love you all.
Sincerely,
Elder Robert Eugene Haggard II
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