Week 56

Saying goodbye to Elder Smith

  This week was another great week here in the great town of Jonesboro Arkansas.  University classes start today, so the city is going to be a lot busier!  

  We had a great Zone Conference this week in Little Rock!  It's always a busier week when we have a big meeting, because it takes up most of the day.  President Wakolo invited us to fast as a mission until we ate lunch after the Zone Conference was over.  It was really powerful, and the spirit was a lot stronger in the meeting.  That night we returned back, and were able to get one appointment in before the end of the night with Tina y Takiya. They have been really solid investigators, and we were able to answer some of their concerns about baptism, and their desires to take this step.  We definitely saw the fruits of our fasting in that lesson.  We were able to set a solid baptismal date as they opened up to us more, and have been able to see them almost every day.  We are hoping they will be able to be baptized this Saturday.  Takiya was able to make it to church on Sunday for the second week in the row!  We had a great lesson with her on the commandments, and she has strong desires to do God's will.  We have an appointment with them tonight, and we have been bringing members over there every time which has been great!

  Another cool experience was when we were just finding on a street, and there were a bunch of Hispanic houses.  It had been kind of a slower day but then we met three great people in a row, and one of them we were able to go back and teach them just a few days later.  They had a lot of questions about our church, and what we do as missionaries.  We are looking forward to continue teaching them.  As well after that we helped this Hispanic lady cut some trimmings up with her mower, and mow a part of her yard.  I have always wanted to help someone mow while being in my white shirt, and no one ever let us.  But she did and it was awesome!  She said we could come back another time to teach her.  

  Other than that just another solid missionary week!  Yup we still are teaching David, but he was busy with his coin show that he had this last weekend.  He is going to be less busy, and really wants to keep coming to church and receive a testimony.  We actually had an awesome lesson with him about not procrastinating repentance this week, and he took it really well and even received some personal revelation of why we should be baptized when we are accountable.  Thanks for the email, and enjoy your week!

Love,

Elder Geddes

Lesson's learned my first year on  my Mission

   I would say that there are a ton of important lessons that I have learned on my mission.  A big lesson I have learned is truly loving others, and truly leaving myself to be able to help them improve their life.  As I have done that I have noticed teaching has been much more effective, and people are more willing to listen.  Simply loving and being nice to people can make a huge difference in your life, and as well as their life. Even if you don't realize it.  As I have done this I have learned that everything is more enjoyable when you are smiling and being happy all the time.  People have noticed when we are happy, and they want to talk to obtain that same happiness.  Sometimes the mission work gets hard and you will get rejected all day, but I have not let that get me down  I know that things will just keep going downhill if I don't keep that positive attitude  All of that is directly related to Faith, it is such a core principle in the gospel, and will work many miracles.  

  Some of the most spiritual experiences I have had is when I have studied diligently for an investigator, and then when it comes to the lesson it is exactly what they needed to hear.  That's been such a testimony to me of the help of the spirit guiding me and my companions in what to study, and then saying the right words as we teach the lesson.  Many times I have wanted to ask a question ( this happened more at the beginning of my mission), but I was scared to say it in Spanish or not sure if it was right.    Then my companion would almost always ask that same question testifying to me that it was a question directed from the spirit.  As I have learned to be bold and confident, I have seen the spirit work through our words and questions for the investigators.  Confidence and relying on the spirit is a key element, and as I have been doing that I have seen many more miracles and changes in my investigators.  

  I am so grateful for this first year that I have had to serve a mission.  I have learned so much, and had so many incredible experiences that I would have never had.  I know that I was meant to come here to the Little Rock Arkansas mission,  and have seen that as I have connected with those the Lord had prepared for me.  The work of the Lord is amazing, and it will always continue to progress. There is no greater happiness than seeing the light of the gospel fill those who we teach as they accept the gospel.