I don't have a bunch of time this week and am not in the most write-a-letter mood so here are my condensed thoughts:
Dawid has had some pretty incredible experiences. This past week he faced trials: be it doubt, self-doubt, ridicule from others, confusion etc. He described it as feeling everything at once. There was a darkness, a confusion over him and it was visible. He sent a text on Friday sharing his feelings of feeling unprepared. It was a big surprise but then after the events of the weekend Heavenly Father's hand in it all is clear. We were able to address his issues and then when he asked if there was some magical way he could get help to quit smoking (he repeated the question clarifying that he didn't want dark magic but wished that there was a "light" magic). We then explained the priesthood as God's power and he asked for a blessing, afterward he had a smile on his face. At the end of the meeting another visible metamorphosis had taken place. He enjoyed culture night with us and was able to relax Saturday night.
He was running late to church on Sunday, we were worried it but then it had turned out that he forgot his wallet and didn't notice until he was on the tram. He seemed to get some answers at church and received a lot of support. Our members have welcomed him in. Waldek, a member of over twenty years (so has seen the growth and dwindling of the church in Gdańsk), called Sunday afternoon and shared how excited he was for Dawid and told us his desire to take Dawid under his wing and be a spiritual mentor and support in this difficult new life. Waldek is not the exception. At the end of all the Sunday meetings he said that his mind felt clear. The difference in my life from the influence of the Adversary and of the Holy Ghost is identical. My favorite word to use when I describe how I recognize the presence of the Spirit is clarity. He found peace and surety and is more confident thanks to his experiences. I'm grateful for our opportunities in overcoming struggles to grow.
I've been thinking about what I want to change this next year. President Edgren's invitation to sacrifice has been on my mind a lot recently. I want to sacrifice having a bad attitude. There are parts of missionary work that stress me out or I plainly don't care for. Similarly, in life there are aspects we dread or worry about it. This is normal and positive stress pushes us to develop but I'm ready to cut out the unneeded anxiety. Rather than avoid or let problems fester in my mind I want to address them full on and change them. Why do we allow ourselves to have these yearly, monthly, or even weekly and daily dreads? I am over it. Even when things seem out of my control I want to adapt to the situation. The need for our positivity, love, and service is infinite and we can't afford to be caught up with things that don't really do not matter but have a knack for weighing us down. We can't help others if we don't first take care of ourselves and when we are in a situation to look beyond ourselves we will see the need and be guided in caring, thoughtful service as we seek the loving direction from our Father in Heaven.
Enjoy the Christmas season! Share your belief in Christ and if you don't have one then listen to somebody who does. Share your love with those around you.
Kocham swojego Zbawiciela i wiem że doskonale nas rozumie i też nas kocha. Miłego tygodnia!
Starszy Kimball
No comments:
Post a Comment