Dear Family,
So do i still send my main e-mail to you (parents) or to brittany? Dad said something about sending stuff to both you and brittany on the tape. I got your package! That was sweet! Elder Huston's mom also sent a package with stockings for the both of us. It isn't really looking or feeling too much like Christmas around here. It's still pretty warm. I'm fine with just a shirt and suitcoat. Don't even need a sweater. It's been pretty rainy lately. If it were colder we would be getting a lot of snow so i'm greatful for the rain. We did get some snow one day (tuesday). But it was pretty much all melted by the next day. The highway was slick that night though.
I'm glad to hear that you got to Russia safely! I can skype for Christmas. I just need to know a time so i can coordinate with a member. Also, how far ahead or behind is Russia from Central time? other family can join in as well if they would like. We aren't really given an exact time limit, but president said to keep it to an hour or two. I guess some missionaries last year spoke to their family for 7 hours.
This week has been a good week for the work. Amos was baptized this last saturday and confirmed on Sunday. Also Maria passed her baptismal interview so she is all set for this upcoming saturday. And i will be here for that. I am staying in Lenox this transfer and so is elder Huston. The only person leaving in our district is the district leader and his companion is going to be training. There has also been some pretty crazy things happening this last week as well. We had a recent convert storm out of church because she got offended. She threatened to go to Osceola for church but we got her calmed down and she is on good terms again. We also had Merl drop us. That kind of stinks. But we picked up two more solid investigators. They are both part member families too. Well technically one of them isn't married so we still have that hurdle to jump but i have confidence.
While I was preparing to talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost at Amos' baptism, I had this thought pop into my head and it's so true. First, the gift of the Holy Ghost really is just that... a gift. In the spirit of Christmas, Christ has given us one of our most valuable gifts, the Holy Ghost. but just like with any gift we receive we need to open it and use it. Imagine Christ appears at your doorstep and knocks on the door. You open the door and you are very shocked to see Christ standing there. He gives you a gift (wrapped in white wrapping paper of course) and you greatfully receive it and then throw it up in the attic without opening it. That doesn't benefit you at all. In D&C 88:33 it says:
"For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift."
We don't benefit from it at all, and we don't rejoice in what we are given or in Christ who is the giver of the gift. So once we open the gift the benefits that we receive a plethora of blessings. Just read hymn 143 or Galatians 5:22-23 if you want a short list. But like it says in hymn 143 we have to LET the holy spirit do those things. I want to focus on peace right now for a second though. I was reminded of the story in Helaman chapter 5. This is when Lehi and Nephi were out doing missionary work and they wind up in prison. Starting in verse 43 it says: And it came to pass that when they cast their eyes about, and saw that the cloud of darkness was dispersed from overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, yea every soul, by a pillar of fire. And Nephi and Lehi were in the midst of them; yea, they were encircled about; yea, they were as if in the midst of a flaming fire.
Sometimes i feel like i am encircled by a pillar of fire. It can be distracting. It can be the chaos that comes from the world. It can feel uncomfortable. But with all of these things flying around us, we can still feel the peace that the holy ghost brings. going on in verse 46: And it came to pass that there came a voice unto them, yea, a pleasant voice, as if it were a whisper, saying: peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved.
If we just have the faith to open up the gift of the Holy Ghost and tap into the power that it can bring to us we can receive this peace that comes even when we are encircled about by our pillars of fire. This church is true and i'm so thankful for the Holy Ghost in my life and the direction it brings to me. I love all of you!
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