YSA everyday!

Working with the YSA is SO different than working in any other area. In order to teach someone we have to ensure that they are: 1) between 18 and 31 2) not married 3) have no kids... This can be odd to establish... Shocking, right? Well regardless of if they are YSAs or not, we teach EVERYONE and we invite EVERYONE to come unto Christ. He is THE only way we can find true happiness. One thing about missions is that we base our success on the number of invitations we extend, not on the number of invitations that are accepted. Our branch is so amazing. We have about 30 active members, and I learn about our Redeemer every time I interact with any of them. We had the opportunity to do two things I had been missing this week: mow a lawn and garden. Service as a missionary is somehow twenty times better than service before you are set apart. While Elder Moss was in the garden, Andrew (one of our members' 7 year old cousins) and I went and mowed the lawn. After I had been mowing for no longer than twenty seconds, Andrew insisted on mowing. The lawn was too big for him. The lawn mower was too heavy. But he did it. I was sitting there watching and I got to feel, for a brief moment, a portion of how our Father in Heaven feels. At first he just mowed random patches with no real pattern. I had to point out the spots he missed. He was so eager to mow them again. I hope this has all made since. Eventually I began to realize that the Lord is so much more concerned with how often we go to Him then He is with how often we make mistakes. Dillon is being baptized on Wednesday and we are about to go bowling for his birthday today! Please pray for him. I know you will. Thank you for all you do.

Love,

Elder King

Easter

Easter Sunday. I am so tempted to just stop writing right now. Easter is the best, and every good thought you have about it is just multiplied when you get to wear His name next to your heart the whole day. Yesterday during personal study Elder Moss looked up and asked "So people (do what they do on 4/20) even on Easter Sunday?" We really do live in perilous times. On Sunday every Christian had a choice even more so than on any other day. A lot of people chose to follow Satan: that master of all lies. This world is a rough one, but think of the wonderful Sabbath on the other side of the veil! I know without a doubt that "numberless concourses of angels" sang "He Is Risen" yesterday. This week was very interesting. One of our investigators, A, is living in very difficult circumstances. She lives with her very abusive and constantly drunk father, so she tries to have us come when he is gone. Well the other day we came by while he was there. I was able to witness some of the promises made to the Lord's servants: we were able to speak truths and this man literally had nothing left to say to us. It is difficult seeing people in such darkness that even the smallest glimmer of light blinds them. I would be lying if I tried to say it wasn't. But that is not what our days are filled with. We get to see people come unto Christ each and every day. 

We are really struggling to find. It is hard in a YSA just because they are so [flaky] by nature. I love them! But much more importantly, the Lord loves them! If you could include Dillon in your prayers I would really appreciate it. He is supposed to be baptized this week, and Satan always works the hardest right before we make covenants with our Father in Heaven. In our mission we do something called BDAW: before, during, after, warning. It is such a powerful tool! We recognize the feeling in the room when it changes. When we can literally feel a member of the Godhead with us. The Holy Ghost is real. He ALWAYS does his part. Our privilege as missionaries is to invite him into every home we enter. I love you. Thank you for your prayers. It is a different feeling being a missionary and knowing that literally millions of people are praying for you and for your purpose. The church is true!

Love, Elder King

Funny how we learn

So we toss around a quote a lot here: "Obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles." It is a cool quote, but think about that? It is an amazing quote. Because Elder Moss is our District Leader he goes down to meetings quite a bit, so I get the opportunity to go on exchanges and lead our area quite a bit. On one of these exchanges we had two right in a row, so I had to plan on my own. When we get in every night we plan. We don't change out of our proselyting clothes until planning is finished. On this particular occasion (the first of my two exchanges) I was with two other Elders who were also training. Right when we got in they changed, and without even thinking I changed into my pajamas and then planned. The next day went horrendously. Everyone canceled on us. We got chased by some crazy guy. I lost my scriptures. What else could go wrong? I am so grateful for this experience. Oh and to top it all off, I was with Elder Leavitt (our zone leader who has been serving for over 20 months). So I know my thoughts are random, but essential what I am saying is that God knows what we need to be happy. The Creator of the Universe and His Father are so invested in us that they gave us a plan of happiness. They tell us everything we need by sending us the Comforter. They literally send a member of the Godhead to be with us always. Life is rough sometimes. Sometimes we fall in to ruts. I promise you that if you look to the Lord you will find happiness, regardless of your circumstances. Our baptism for yesterday fell through because our investigator had some things he is still struggling with. I love him. He is such a good example of courage in the face of opposition. Weeks go by so fast out here. 

Real quick I want to type out this awesome poem that an Elder in my zone let me see:

In His Steps

"The road is rough," I said, "dear Lord;

these stones, they hurt me so."

He said, "Dear child, I understand;

I walked it long ago."

"But there's a cool green path," I said.

"I'll walk there for a time."

"No child," He gently answered me,

"The green road does not climb."

"My burden, Lord, is far too great,

how can I bear it so?"

"My child," said He, "I know its weight;

I bore my cross, you know."

"I wish there were some friends with me,

who'd make my way their own."

"Ah, yes," He said, "Gethsemane

was hard to face alone."

And so I climbed the stony path,

content at last to know,

that where my Master had not gone,

I would not need to go. 

And strangely then I found new friends,

the burden grew less sore,

as I remembered - long ago,

He went this way before.

-Leona B. Gates

If you wonder why life is hard, just remember. He is teaching you to grow. I am so grateful for your example to me, and I pray for you always.

Love,

Elder King

Conference!

I was thinking this week about what else I would be spending 20 hours a year doing, and I can tell you that nothing comes close to hearing from prophets of God. I love this church! If there is one thing you can do to draw nearer to church, do it. I'm sure you were thinking I was going to expound on some great secret I have learned huh? Well nope. I can't do that. Our Father in Heaven WILL allow each of us to face challenges for specific reasons. I don't know all those reasons, but I know He loves His children.. So this week kind of went by without anything super amazing to tell you about... until Saturday. Saturday April 5th was one of THE most spiritually enriching days of my life. Of course I loved conference. I especially loved Elder Rasband's talk on Saturday morning, but that isn't even what was so great. If you could pray for both Aimie and Nate that would be awesome. They are both some former investigators that we ran in to. They are such stellar people, we just need to meet with them again! We had two different investigators attend conference! Dillon (who is being baptized on the 13th) came to Saturday morning with us, and then Christina came on Sunday morning with us. I want you to know that the Lord is preparing people everyday to hear the message of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I loved how Elder Uchtdorf talked about how we are living the Restoration. Don't let this time pass you up! Of course you are busy. Of course you have a calling.. Of course you have other things that NEED to be done. But what better joy do we have than to invite people to come unto Christ. That mutual theme for this year is so inspired. Sometimes it may be hard to see how someone has been prepared to receive the Gospel. But I promise you that they have been.. I love you so much. I am so grateful for you: my brothers and sisters who chose to follow the Savior once already. The only real test of this life is whether or not we will choose it again. Keep up the good work. Keep the faith. Never forget the feelings you feel when you have The Spirit. He is a member of the Godhead. He testifies of truth. He is the comforter. He is everything to us, and we know him better than we know ourselves.

Love,

Elder King