I know that Christ Lives! I love being a Missionary!

This has been another quick week.  And it’s the end of another transfer.  

In the scriptures it talks about the sons of Mosiah and how they were troubled in their missionary service.  They were getting rejected, being stoned and many other harsh things that were going on for them.  And they began to turn back.  Turning back in there meant going home.  But I have been thinking, there are things in today’s time of turning back and it’s different. 

• It may be becoming disobedient, because it isn’t fun to be obedient anymore. 
• It may be literally turning back and wanting to go home. 
• It may be having your mind on home and your feet in the mission. 
• It may be focusing so much on things of the world, and not the things of God.
• It may be being preoccupied with other things. 

But as a missionary you are expected to devote all your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs.  And in the missionary call letter it states that as you serve with all your heart, might, mind and strength that you will be led to those who are ready to be baptized.  Being on a mission for awhile now, I know how true that is.

Laugh for the week. There was a drunk guy walking and he was really falling over. I was like hey are you alright. He was like, ya, I am fine, just a bad back.  As he stumbles down the street. Me and my companion were like what the heck...

This week I was with an elder that doesn’t believe he can baptize. Which is wrong.  Missionaries are called to serve, to invite others to come until Christ through baptism.  Missionaries can baptism.  And if more missionaries believed that, they would have more baptisms.  I remember a story about a missionary in a hard mission whose trainer said they could baptize every month. That young missionary took it to heart and he baptized every month.  There are some areas that are more challenging than others. But there are people that are being prepared no matter where you serve.

I have been reading the Book of Mormon again and during Christ’s ministry it touched me so much this week how real it was. I know that Jesus Christ lives, with spiritual experiences that I have had, I know that He Lives!

As for missionary work this week.  I went on a couple of exchanges as we are getting to the end of the transfer again.  On one of the exchanges, it was fun to meet up with a guy we had met some weeks before. He had been on vacation and now home, so we were able to meet with him again.  He was raised in another church, but it looking for something else.  He loves how we focus on families during the meetings.  He loves the church!  

Got to spend some time with the new Elder in the area as well.  We were able to do service one evening.  Cleaning out a shed.  We were able to burn all of the old things from in there.  First fire in 21 months.  I loved it!  It was cool.  He’s a really cool guy also and recent convert with a funny sense of character. 

Another investigator is here in the area going to university.  It was so cool.  He had read the Book of Mormon and hadn’t felt anything.  But during the lesson the spirit was really strong.  He had wondering about how important baptism was. It’s a question he has had for the last five years.  This is something that I had been in thought over for the last three months.  Baptism, the ordinance and what baptism does.  Remission of sins and how we receive it and so on.  When he asked this question, I was like…. There is a reason I met him.  I showed him some scriptures about baptism.  And  I was able to explain that the physical baptism is the outward sign and is very important.  But baptism should also be an inward commitment.  They are both crucial to baptism.  At that point the Spirit touched him and he just sit quietly looking at that scripture and pondering over it.  At the end of the lesson he accepted to come to church.  He took to heart the testimonies that he heard and understands this is not just another church, but it is the Church of Jesus Christ.  

Lessons like that are what make me grateful to be a missionary.  I love it!

Love, Elder Stevenson