Monday, October 25, 2010

The Spirit Is Amazing!

Ok I am so happy right now!!!
I didn’t have time to email in the library today. Just enough time to print off the emails that I had received last week so I was kinda sad, then all of our appointments cancelled for the night so we went over to the Elder Quorum president’s house and are using his computers.
I cannot tell you how happy I am to receive the wonderful news from the families. Dave and Nancy’s emails we particularly good. I loved hearing about their mission experiences. Especially Dave’s although he told them twice it was so good to hear about them I really hope that I will be able to one day come back to England and visit some converts and have similar experiences. The new training that the first Presidency is stressing for missionaries is brilliant. It really helps us understand what the missionaries and the investigators need to feel for conversion to take place. The spirit is an amazing thing I absolutely love how it feels and directs me. Today we went bowling with the zone and at the alley they were playing some worldly music and then I was getting quite competitive with the game and it was amazing how horrible I felt when I lost contact with the spirit. I felt so lost and even had a bit of a panic attack. I truly felt helpless! It was so silly cause I was just bowling and I wasn’t really in a situation that I was relying on the spirit to teach or anything but I felt so alone it was incredible! I have really been focusing on putting off the natural man lately and I was getting frustrated because I would often let myself get distracted by different things but that experience today kind of helped me see the difference between who I am and who I was and how far I have come. I can just see y'all rolling your eyes at my story... I think it is funny myself. But the spirit it so necessary for the teaching of the gospel. I never really paid attention to most of the doctrine and covenants because it was always addressed to random people going out on missions so now it applies so much to me and I cannot get enough.

So Elder Engelbrektsson... my days! Love him. He grew up with five sisters... need I say more? He is a very nice sensitive guy who is soft spoken and enjoys long walks on the beach... Ok, he never told me that but I'm just assuming. He is a really good missionary though. He is even softer then Elder Enenkel. It is so weird cause he is the district leader but acts like the junior companion. Its like pulling teeth to get him to say anything in a teaching appointment. I have so much to learn from him and I cannot wait to see how this transfer goes!

So investigator update the Peruvian family is doing well we always have amazing lessons with them but we just cannot get them to keep any commitments! The mother is good though and has gone to church three times now but we can only get the kids to the Friday night sports night at the church. I guess we are facing the same issue as almost every parent in the church. 'How do I get my teenagers interested in the gospel?'

Mom and dad, thank you so much for your thoughts it is so refreshing to know that my family is so strong. That they do read and pray together AND go to church. That is almost unheard of here. I was so happy to hear about Brigg and Sheldon preparing the sacrament. I was so proud I started tearing up here at Brother Trice’s home. I love my family. I can attribute all of my good qualities to my upbringing. Today at zone meeting I was talking with the zone leaders about how our parents brought us up. I decided that if I were to use the same means as dad to teach lessons I would probably be put in jail. I remember one time as we were walking to the hunted house one Sunday evening I was not listening to dad and he was getting frustrated with me. He put me in the ditch and held me under the water just long enough to get my attention. If I were perfect I would say that from that day on I always listened to my dad but that was not the case. But it did impress the importance on listening to dad. I believe that I was placed in this family to help me be in the most successful situation. Life is a funny thing. It can be the cruelest thing you have to go through but it is the greatest gift we have been given.

It was funny that you mentioned Regan and sister Clifford. I was in someone’s home the other day and their surname was Clifford and they had the names back ground and history written out in old English on the wall and after I had read through it I remembered that I knew someone named Clifford. I'm glad to hear that she is doing well.

Thank you Meagan, Lindy, Kassidee, Taylor, mom, Jamie and Taylor for you post (letters) over the last two weeks. I am working on a reply but I currently have no stamps so don’t expect anything for at least two weeks!

With all the love that I can send over and email,

Elder Solomon