Here's a quote that I found that I love and also was very appropriate for this week.
So. This week was a LOOOONG week. We did a free bible, Book of Mormon, AND lemonade stand. While we were waiting for the hermanas, it was really hot, so Elder Berry fell asleep with a nice cool jug of lemonade. So I snapped a picture.
And then I realized that I had no pictures and we were driving by the church and saw other missionaries so I snapped some pics with them.
Left to right: Elder Berry, Elder Tukuafu, Elder Heath, Hermana Christensen and Hermana Carling
Also, funny story of the week, Elder Paulson and I were on exchanges, and we found this gangster guy named Gabriel, offered to introduce us to his friends so we could teach them, and we said sure. So we followed him through this apartment complex and he was shouting about how he was the angel Gabriel and that he had two white wings (us) behind him and everyone was throwing signs and it was pretty great. And then this white guy pulled over so he could try to bash with us and it was just a rather interesting experience and he was a real jerk to Gabriel so we stood up for him and might have called the guy to repentance. Now we have street cred. Also we walked up to five guys who were getting high and one of them was really plastered and apparently hadn't slept in three days, so I started teaching him the word of wisdom out of the Old Testament, and as he got more and more aggravated, I remember getting the distinct impression thant I had to make the decision between apologizing, or continuing to teach and getting punched in the face. I chose the former. However, because I stood up to him, his buddy's gave me their number and said we could come back. Gotta love it here.
So the reason it's called trying times is because sometimes, the Lord likes to test our endurance. We talked to 127 people this week and only received one new investigator. We fought so hard. And then on Friday, one of the hermanas who lives behind us had to go home for medical reasons. I'm not gonna lie, I cried. And then they moved the other hermana out to go into a trio with another set in the zone, so now we're all alone. No one to go walking with in the morning.
So. I would like to testify of trials. Because they make you stronger. Sure, I sweat more than I taught this week, but that's only because the Lord has something better in store for the future. All my trials shall be consecrated for my gain. It may sound cliche, but strength isn't measured by how much you can push at once, but by how much you can push when pushing is all you have left. When you feel like you can't go any further, and when everything inside the natural man of you tells you it's ok to give up or take a break, that's when we show not just Heavenly Father, but ourselves what we're made of. I've learned a lot this week. Lessons that will last for an eternity. I testify that true endurance requires something of the soul. "Rather than shoulder shrugging, true enduring is soul trembling. Jesus bled not a few but at every pore." And when we cling to our faith as endurance helps us to do, then we will be taught our potential as well as our next course of action.
This week was a great week.
Love y'all,
Elder M. Wright
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