what a week. tell you what church was so amazing. Elder Sheppard, Bishop NICHOLLS (not neilson but nice 2nd try) and i all spoke on missionary work. it was a wonderful experience cause we had a handfull of less actives and investigators there. That is really funny that Bishop called you! how cool what a great guy! So Highlights of this week. I think im getting a grip on teaching with the spirit. A year and a half ago if you asked me i would have said that the greatest feeling in the world is overpowering someone else with your momentum and smashing them in the ground right before they can throw the ball. I have had a bit of a change of heart and now i would say the greatest feeling is listening to someone's concerns and fears. Listening to the spirit then saying exactly what they need to hear as directed by the spirit. Absolutly amazing! So i think i told you about Joy a couple of emails ago? the lady with 17 german sheppards? So we decided to randomly pop by one day and it happened to be the worst day she had had in a long time. Well by the end of the meeting she knew that God loved her and was proud of her. I love makeing peoples day. Elder Sheppard goes home tomorrow :( super sad i have gotten on so well with him it is a bit unbelievable. For the last week of his mission he decided that he wanted to beef up a bit so he had me be his personal trainer. this guy has like zero percent body fat so after a few days of using an elastic band to work out his arms are looking quite nice. Honestly it is incedible i'll have to take a picture before he leaves.. he is going to have all the girls hanging off of his arms in a few days.
ok so big news transfers are this week! I will be getting my 12th companion now. Elder Jankoski will be my new companion and he is a bit of a funny story. he began his mission up in Manchester but went back home for a couple of months then came back to finish his time here in the ELM. I will be his last companion with makeing him the 6th companion that i served with in their last six weeks. Can anyone blame me for being trunky? half of my companions have been missionaries who next companion will be an eternal one. Anyways Elder J. has quite a reputation. It is really sad but i have not heard a positive thing about him yet. Elder Sheppard was not happy with the call and asked the assisitant why. he response was ' i don't know. i know that president is inspired and he has great confidence that Elder Solomon will be able to keep him in line.' What that is suppose to mean i havent got a clue. I'm really excited for this transfer though cause some really good things are going to be happening. We will be haveing (fingers crossed and God willing) three baptisms in the next month and out of the five wards in the zone we have 12 baptism dates set.
i was a bit down the other day and i realized something that i already knew. I have had very littel success by my own efforts on my mission. the the only time that i ever really have success is when miracles happen and the Lord just drops a bit of gold in my lap. I've seen the harder i work the worse the rejection gets (which was my initial fear of serving a mission) but also the harder i work my self the more i am blessed with rays of sunshine. take for instance Bedford for six weeks i didnt do anything (well very little at least) and i didnt see a single miracle that transfer. Hayes I worked my tail end off and miracles were dropping out of the sky, but not of my own effort. There is a lesson to be learned here.
I love the gospel. One scripture that i have been sharing alot with people is 2 nephi 10:23. i was studying one morning reasons why the Lord has told us to be of good cheer. the reasons include
1. the atonement
2. the chance to serve a mission
3. the gift of agency
2 nephi 10:23 says something along the lines of Therefore cheer up your hearts for ye are free to choose for yours self, Everlasting death or eternal life.
What a wonderful thing to cheer about. God have given us the ability to think, to reason for ourselves and make a choice. I'm grateful for a Father in Heaven who loves me enough to give me this oppurtunity. For a Father who has confidence in me that i will be able to make the right choices and reach my potential. In grateful for a Father in Heaven who trust me enough to allow me to walk by faith.
I'm not sure how this transfer will turn out but i know that there is always something to be learned. Please pray for me that I'll be able to learn whatever God wants me to learn and that i will be able to make a difference in some souls life.
Love,
Elder Solomon
