Serving the people of Fresno

Serving the people of Fresno February 2014 - February 2016

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Splits with President Gelwix

 On Wednesday it will have been exactly one month since I said goodbye to home, goodbye to friends and family, goodbye to sports, goodbye to the world.... But I said hello to the next two years. Two years of growth, knowledge, hardships, and rewards. I am so grateful to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yesterday I mentioned to Elder Moss that it seemed like we were at church yesterday, and he said something very telling: "On your mission days go by slow, weeks go by fast, and months are gone before you know it." < So true! On Wednesday I will have served just around 5% of my mission. WHAT?! Time flies when you are having fun I guess... This last week was amazing. We had zone conference and I feel like President Gelwix literally enlarged my understanding. We had thirty minutes of FIO (figure it out) time for our patriarchal blessings. He challenged us to read it like we have never read it before. The Lord taught me so much in that time, but most of all, he taught me about you. Yes, you. The Lord loves you ABSOLUTELY unconditionally. He has a plan for YOU. That plan is called the plan of happiness. You have a plan already prepared for your happiness. So why is it that we so often find those times of despondency, depression, and despair? Well we are human, and the devil is real. Remember me talking about the baptismal date we set for N? Ya well the next day when we stopped by to see her something had changed. It was very apparent that she was not the same happy nineteen year old we had taught before. She talked about the "research" she had been doing on the church, and how she doesn't ever want to see us again. For the first time on my mission I cried. Why? Why would a loving Father in Heaven allow us to feel pain and hurt? Why would He, in His infinite goodness and mercy, allow us to have false precepts surround us? Because He loves us enough to let us learn for ourselves. I am so grateful for the trials that I have been through because as my man Kanye puts it, "that that don't kill us, only makes us stronger." (Yes, a missionary just quoted Kanye West, but don't worry, I can already feel the Spirit chastising me!) So yesterday Elder Moss and I got to speak in church and teach gospel principles. It was awesome. We had forty minutes for the two of us, so right before we spoke I leaned over and asked Elder Moss how much time he wanted. He said "five minutes." Well, I gave it to him; I ended up speaking for thirty minutes. Ya, not surprising is it? Anyway, we are teaching a brother from Iraq named A... No joke he literally asked me what part of Syria I was from! Well to keep teaching him we need approval from President, so on Wednesday I get to go on a team up with President Gelwix. No pressure. I love you all so much and I am so grateful for you. I pray for you everyday.

Love,
Elder Jaron Hoani King 

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