Week 50

As of Wednesday, I have officially been serving the Lord as a full-time proselytizing missionary for a year! Some parts have gone slow and others really fast, but I've still got a year to go, and I'm going to give it my all!

MONDAY

I spent a lot of preparation day just playing board games and card games with the missionaries in my zone. It's not the most interesting thing to write about, but all that matters is that I won. Other than that, once we got back to doing missionary work, we had some fun tracting a couple of neighborhoods.

TUESDAY

We got the news that we can do our weekly planning at any time of the day as long as we are done before 5. It's not the craziest change, but it will definitely give us a bit more control over our schedule. Something really cool that happened was that we were able to have a great lesson with one of our friends over the phone where they said they wanted to be baptized! The weather Tuesday was also really crazy—we got a big dust storm and a ton of lightning with it.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday marked my official one-year anniversary from the day I started home MTC. To start the day, we had a meeting with our mission president and his wife, along with the whole zone. We got to know them and their family a bit and then had interviews with them afterward so they could answer any questions we had. After that, I went on exchanges to our district leader's area. It was pretty interesting because they cover the ward for the Fort Bliss military base, so I had to get a base pass for the day.

THURSDAY

We had our ward coordination meeting for the first time since I’ve been here. It went really well, and I was able to get to know the people who are supposed to help us out with missionary work better and hear their ideas so we could improve.

FRIDAY

Nothing too interesting happened, other than that we got to go onto the military base for dinner because one of the members on base goes to our ward instead of the military ward.

SATURDAY

We got news of another mid-transfer transfer, and our companionship is having movement again. Elder Gurney is leaving, and in his place, we are getting Elder Short, who came into the mission from the Lubbock, Texas mission! Elder Short will be the 8th companion I’ve had in 9 transfers. I guess I just can’t be around anyone for too long, haha.

SUNDAY

We got some sad news that the previous bishop of the ward passed away from cancer. It was really sad to hear, and a lot of people will miss him. But it was God’s time for him, and I’m sure God still has a big plan for him.

Alma 34:8–9, 14–16 says this about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how essential it is for our salvation:

*"8 And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it. 9 For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal. 15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. 16 And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.”*

Without Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us, we would not be able to make it back to God. We would all be separated from our Heavenly Father, and we would not be able to receive the blessings that come from the resurrection. But there was a sacrifice, and we have a Savior. That allows our efforts to bring us closer to our Heavenly Father and feel His love so much stronger.