LOVIN LIFE!!!

LOVIN LIFE

Dearest friends and family,

First off I love you and thank you all for being you. I miss you all but I am having the time of my life out here, and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I learn so much each and every day its almost weird but how I enjoy it man. This week was really good for Elder Newman and I. We are trying our best to get our investigators to come experience church. I like using a term here to get people to realize they don't know what they are missing out on here on these warm Sunday mornings. "How do we know whether a food is delicious or not?" They usually say "we try it," although we have gotten some out of the park answers a couple times haha, but then compare food to church, we will never know if we like it if we dont try it. Gets the people thinking a lil bit. 

Here is a cerpt of the email I sent to our mission president:

This last week, much of my personal study has been focused on faith, because of a Less active who asked us a question on how he can truly build his faith to be stronger. We gave him the answer I think most missionaries would have given. Read, Pray, Got to church, but I was disappointed with our answer. I wanted to go into more depth, to truly help him increase his faith, of course reading, praying, and attending church will be the best place to start, and he knows that. Luckily I had a talk given to me by Elder Stratton way back in training that I had not read until this last week. It is called "Increasing our Faith in Jesus Christ" He explained how the 12 apostles wanted the same thing, to better to increase their faith. They had asked Jesus Christ what they must do to better increase their faith. Christ gave a parable about a servant and a master, how the servant had worked all day in the field then comes back to the master expecting a break because of the such hard work put in. The Master had him continue with his duties with out time to sit and relax, or take a break. the apostles were confused while expecting the answer to pray, read, treasure up the word of God. They got the opposite, what Christ was explaining how we are always in debt to our Father in heaven. Our Faith is grown by giving/ dedicating our life to the LORD and his son Jesus Christ. It never stops, our faith is either increasing, staying at the same rate or descending. 

I am super happy to be here on a mission to give myself to the LORD, This is the best time of my life. I love this work and coming closer to our Heavenly Father each and every day. Its crazy for me, I've dreamed of being out here since I was baptized and being here now almost doesn't seem real. Have to pinch myself sometimes. But I love it, the trials and realizing the significance of a trial in the midst and enduring while enjoying. The life of a missionary, how you see things from a different perspective out here.

This talk I shared isn't exactly quoted but its how I understood it. I hope it helps you to grow your faith each and every day! 

I love you al,l keep being yourselves and having fun.

Love,

Elder English