9/30/2009
I´d almost forgotten how ´´Surf´s Up´´ had changed my life in college until
watching it with the president today.
Who all´s keep the movie list btw? Myka? Trav?
I think one of my favorite moments this week was at a lunch where we ate chili.
It's something the Dad of the family had learned on his mission and so he enjoys
making for the missionaries here. However this wasn´t the best part, the best
part was my comp being like, ´´uhh, where is the rice.....´´ and then later
outside being like ´´omg i nca´t believe we didn´t eat that with rice, uhg,
you could totally eat that with rice.´´ Wow man, ya gunna live a day with
out rice?
I think i committed the most random act of service this week as btw. As
we were leaving the house one day my comp yelled up to me that the neighbors
were asking for some help to lift something into there house. Yeah sure,
of course i said. As we got there it turned out to be helping move an elderly
lady move from her wheel chair to her bed. random yes, but cool i guess.
Anyways we had an awesome baptism this week. A guy name Alvoro who is
reading the Book of Mormon faster than i´ve ever seen. He´s already in Mosias
and he started leafing through the Miricale of Forgiveness the other day.
At the baptism it took his nearly a half hour (ok that's a bit of an
exaggeration) to decided who would baptism his, but i was pretty happy in
the end when he ended up pointing to me. Then afterwards he asked just
about everyone there twice if they would always remember his baptism. The
air truly was ring with the assurety that he new the importance of such an
ordinance.
I think excellent recent converts are something that every missionary
needs, because sometimes the work isn´t easy, nor quickly rewarding.
A few weeks ago as we were walking in the street me and my comp saw a man
fixing a fishing net he had strung between two trees. Upon asking him he
told us that the work would take at least 2 months if not more to finish
patching up the wholes in the net. TWO MONTHS? is that worth it?
Absolutely, in fact one of he best jobs here locally is fishing. Is this
any different from the work that we are invited to do everyday, at school,
at work, at play. Our church is a church of salvation and in such everyone
becomes a fisherman of men. Elder Oaks said ´´...we offer something more.
One can qualify for the terrestrial kingdom instead of the telestial kingdom
without the aid of this Church. We are concerned with a higher destination.
The purpose of our missionary work is to help the children of God fulfill a
condition prescribed by our Savior and Redeemer. We preach and teach in order
to baptize the children of God so that they can be saved in the celestial
kingdom instead of being limited to a lesser kingdom. We do missionary work
in order to baptize and confirm. That is the doctrinal basis of missionary
work.´´ For this reason we must make sure to always go about our work with
open eyes, hearts and minds. We must close up all the holes in our net in
order to help everyone and neve leave anyone out. At one point we all lived
together with our Heavenly Father, don´t all those same people deserve the
same blesing now here on earth? Elder Erich W. Kopischke Of the Seventy
said, ´´Reaching out and helping is not limited by age, health, time, skills,
or financial resources. Everybody who has the desire can help others in need...
Sometimes reaching out is as easy as offering a sincere prayer, making a
phone call, or writing a short note. If we are too busy to reach out to
someone in need, then we are too busy. When we go about doing good, we act
upon the invitation of the Savior:
“I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hid.
“Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a
candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;
“Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see
your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (3 Nephi 12:14–16).
I think its important to also release that opening your mouth to talk to
others about the church not only stops allows them to enjoy the blessing of
the gospel but also opens the windows of heaven for you as well. Just as a
perfect net will catch more fish , those with helping hands find a great
yield as well. In Elder Erich W. Kopischke words, ´´Is it any wonder that
we are often the greatest beneficiaries of our reaching out to others? The
Lord has promised, “He that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same
layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul”
(D&C 4:4). Bringing salvation to others brings salvation to our own soul.´´
Mathew22:39
ELder Neuberger
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