Wow! This week was good. I'm so excited to tell y'all stories about the mission! I love it out here! Everyday is a miracle!
M. Russell Ballard said:
“I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.”
As of late, we have been working our tails off to see our area improve. We have been doing this by using all the principles of Preach my Gospel that we possibly can handle into our work- especially proper goal setting! And it is amazing what has happened. We have seen success, I feel like a better and harder working missionary, I feel really good about my efforts in proclaiming this awesome message, and I have had greater peace of mind with a stronger testimony of God playin a part in every single itty bitty fiber of our lives. And of course, He does. And it has come not necessarily by working harder, but working smarter! Which actually kinda brings me to another point. We had a mission tour a few months back with Elder Palmer, and his wife talked about S.M.A.R.T. goals which was all very very nice and much appreciated on behalf of the missionary. It is important to set good goals for ourselves. Although.... If I remember correctly way back to when I was in Yosemite *shout out to Roberto(my dad), Greg, and Grant* we listened to a big long podcast kinda rippin on "smart" goals haha.... I don't remember exactly what was said, but the main message I got from it was, DON'T PUT LIMITS ON YOURSELF! a"Raise... the bar... shoot for the moon!" And remember that we don't just give an accounting in this life, but in eternity! (see D&C 72:3) So I think that ends my schpeel on goals and stuff, but this past week we got to go on exchanges! I went with a missionary named Elder Foulk! It was nice and we had a really powerful lesson with a sister named posh (pronounced like Porsche [but the average joe way, with a silent e pops] and we testified to her about her identity as a daughter of God and long story short she cried, we thought about crying, and she was baptized the following Sunday. But when she was baptized it really changed my view on baptism. It is not so much of a "Welcome to Gods church" but a "You have found who you really are, and where you really belong! Welcome back sister!" A little deeper than that, but yeah... Made me think of some scriptures in Alma 7 though:
14 NowI say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.
15 Yea I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.
16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.
and,for after they've been baptized/repented/started over:
19 For I perceive that ye are in the path of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his path straight.
Love you guys!
elder fraga
footnotes:
a- eminem song
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