Sorry to hear that Landon and Noelle have been a bit stressed but it´s great to hear about some of the fun things that you were all able to do. I remember seeing the book "Wonder"- I heard that it´s an amazing book.
I wanted to do my letter a little different today. I know that a lot of people talk about how the mission is an amazing experience but also a difficult experience. I feel like really the biggest difference in my life has been my perspective. When I trust in God and choose to see his hand- I am at peace and happy. However sometimes I allow myself to listen to the voice of the brother downstairs- Satan.
This week Presidente Resek has asked us to raise our faith and really committ us to the goal of the mission- 48 baptisms in each companionship. It´s a very high goal, and as such, upon hearing this goal there are a lot of perspectives I can take.
To help us towards this goal, Presidente and Hermana Resek asked several sisters and elders that were blessed with a high number of baptisms this past December to share thoughts on how they were able to achieve those results.
In this situation I find that Satan tells me things like the following- "You work just as hard if not harder than all of these people that baptized four or more. What´s your problem? Obviously there´s something seriously wrong with you." "Clearly you´re not good enough- it doesn´t matter how hard you work. You won´t achieve the goals." "President and Hermana Resek and all of the other missionaries think that you´re a poor missionary because you haven´t been able to achieve four baptisms in a month." "If you would baptize more you would have had more positions of leadership." "You´re a failure- even with your best efforts to apply everything that you have been learning you haven´t achieved the results of these other missionaries." "It´s just their areas- that´s why they baptized more- they wouldn´t baptize as much if things weren´t arranged so they would baptize that much."
Every single one of these thoughts doesn´t help me. However, I know that the truth is that God is a loving God that blesses all of his children as they follow Him. I am his child. I have been called by a prophet of God and set apart. I have been given the Holy Ghost to guide me and sanctify me. I have been given the priesthood of God and been endowed with power from on high. I have been sent to succeed. These are the thoughts of truth that sustain me.
God does not criticize me for what I have not accomplished- he loves me and encourages me to reach higher. I know that He loves all of you and is calling for you to become more than you imagine that you can be. The process is not always easy, but it is possible through the High Priest of Good Things to Come, our Savior Jesus Christ.
I love you all!
Elder Lambert
No comments:
Post a Comment