Why does this guy want to be baptized when he doesn't want to come to church?
What is worse, being drenched in dirty rain water or being drenched in salty sweat?
Why spend ten minutes telling me the excuses for how you can't met for five minutes when you could say no thanks?
Does America still exist?
Anyways, I have been going a little crazy this last week as we had no missionary meetings or anything. It has been good and we have been able to get a lot of work done but it has been a week and of half of only seeing my companion and no one else. Now I know why being on the border of the mission is exile! It overall has been a good week though. We had our crazy, English stuttering investigator come to church, but only for first two hours which means everything but sacrament meeting. This Monday we had a lesson with him and he told us he wanted to be baptized next year but we said he could this year. He asked us to teach him the commandments (he is a former investigator from about five years ago who we visited last month who has a lot of knowledge about the church) so we taught him that he needs to pray, read the scriptures and come to church every week. Mizuguchi San was like, "The first two I got but the third one?" Then me and Elder Silva chant "Dekiru!" You can do it! "Dekimasu!" You can politely do it! He still didn't know if he could but said he might. So he did! He came first during priesthood and we sat with him but then for Sunday School, we teach an English Gospel Principle class so he had to go to the other class taught by the senior couple. We hand him over to them, have our lesson and then go to find him but he disappeared! He came though so that was good and we can work from that.
Today's thought (and email subject line) come from an experience I had yesterday. We just had met a Vietnamese guy at the train station after we had church and it was about 4 o'clock so we were tired and hungry and needing a little lunch break. We had scheduled to visit a former investigator a good ten minutes or so away from where we were. I felt we should go but my stomach and weak spirit decided to go home. Right after I told Elder Silva the change of plans, it didn't feel right. So, I did what every sensible natural man would do, turn the way to go to the apartment. We immediately stopped to talk to a guy, nothing happened and then I continued to go. It kept bugging me though so, I took the turn leading away from the apartment and went and visited the former investigator. No one was home but before that we met a cool older man who was walking his dog. He had gone to a Christian school when he was young so I asked him what he liked about it. He said he loved Christ's love for everyone. We shared Mosiah 2:17, gave him a Book of Mormon, and invited him to our church open house this weekend. We also have a lesson with him Wednesday. I shudder to think what would happen if I had let my stomach get the best of me.
The Lord calls upon us many times throughout our lives. The 2015 EFY CD I received from my family is entitled "Here Am I", quoting Samuel 3:4. Many of us remember the story of Samuel the boy prophet as he instantly answered the Lord when he called him in the middle of the night but we forget the preparation it took for him to get to that level. He had served most of his young life in the temple and was always willing to keep the covenants he had made with the Lord. The Lord didn't just randomly come to him. That night might have been the first time the voice of the Lord came unto him but it wasn't the first time the Lord called upon him to serve Him through the Spirit and the words of His former prophets.
I think our relationship with God is like Wi-Fi. If we are in a hotspot (a.k.a. A spiritual standing where you can feel the Spirit) then you will be ready to receive the call and answer. If your Wi-Fi is weak, you can't receive the call, serve the Lord and be there for Him. Many times even as a missionary, I let the little things get in the way with receiving the call from God to serve His children. I wish I could be in more a position to always answer the Lord "Here Am I" and not to let the little things, like other priorities, friends, distractions, hunger, fatigue or disobedience get in the way. So find out today how you can get the hotspot of the Spirit always in your life and how you can keep those obstacles from clogging up your Spiritual Wi-Fi. Then accept the call to serve your fellow brothers and sisters! And use your real Wi-Fi to keep sending me emails!
I love you all and here is for living up the last bit of summer! See you next week!
Eating Ramen... Japanese Style
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