Thursday, March 17, 2016

Wk #24: Another Week, Another Email.



Good Morning! I apologize for not sending out a group email last week! I had it all typed out and then when I pushed send, it kicked me out of the system and I lost everything! I didn't have the patience to type it out again, I guess (; But yes, I am alive and well. In disbelief that this transfer is already coming to a close, but alive nonetheless. Can you all believe that in 3 weeks, I'll have been in the mission for half a year? I can't. 

      I'll share a quick story with you all that I think has a lot of meaning. This week we were teaching someone quite a bit. This person has been classified as an "Eternigator" or an Eternal Investigator. We had found some success with him and decided to make daily vists to keep him progressing! All three of us enjoyed it, and I specifically enjoyed the teaching. Well, we were teaching him and I felt the prompting to ask him about his testimony. And in brief, this is what he said to me: "I believe what you guys are teaching, and I think that you're right. I even think I might have a testimony. But there's one thing I ask of you." And naturally I said, "Anything! What is it?" And he began to talk about the prophets of old. Namely, Moses. He was talking about the great miracles that were performed in that time and how amazing they must have been. He then asked me if miracles like that were still performed today. I thought about that question for a moment and said, "Yes. But they're miracles in a different form. They're miracles suited more for our time and for us specifically. God is and always has been a God of miracles." What he said next absolutely broke my heart. "If you can show me a sign, a miracle, I will be baptized tomorrow." I can't imagine what Christ must have felt as those around him asked him for signs or miracles to seal their testimonies, or even to make them believe in Him as the Son of God. No, we didn't show him a miracle, but I did bear my testimony to him with as much energy my heart could muster. But unfortunately, it wasn't enough for him to want to continue seeing us. I share this story because I think that at one time or another, we have all been guilty of this. I know that I have been. How often do we think, "If I just saw something like a miracle, my testimony would be so much stronger." or "If I just witnessed something incredible I would actually know for real that this Church is true."? I hope that we can find the Faith to move past this very difficult roadblock. It's naturally hard to believe what we can not see. But that's exactly where faith comes in. I feel like I'm talking about Faith every single week, but that's just how important it is. I'll put it like this: Don't wait to be acted upon by the Gospel. But instead, put the Gospel into action and I promise you that you will watch your testimony develop from a seed of desire to believe to a towering tree of a sure testimony, filled with the fruits of your labors. If you're waiting for miracles, you're wasting your time. Don't forget that faith proceeds the miracle. And that faith requires action to really be classified as faith. This is my testimony this week, and I truly hope that it helps someone out there. I had the feeling to share specifically this story this week. 

     As always, thank you all so much for your love and support. I couldn't do it without your continued prayers in my behalf. I pray for you all every day and night! 

Espero que Dios les bendiga and God Bless America. 

Elder Holmes
No picture from the email today. So I decided to add one of Cade and his friends that are scattered around the world...