안녕하세요 여러분!! 잘지냈죠?? 이번주 잘보냈어요? 벌써 월요일 인데 어떻게 그런지 모러게ㅆ어요!!!!! The week has
gone by so quickly! It has been a good week with lots of roadblocks. The good
things about roadblocks is that they are actually just stepping stones. It has
been one of those upward and onward kind of weeks. You know, the kind of week
where you keep muttering "onward and upward" under your breath as you
feign patience and diligence until it becomes sincere intent. Sometimes I associate
myself with that funny little train climbing the mountain: "I think I can,
I believe I can, I have faith that this is something that I should be able to
do so I will move forward with the attitude that it will all go well and I'll
adapt and throw the plans and the backup plans and the backups to the backups
out the window when the spirit prompts
me to". It has been a good week.
So recently in the mission Elder Ballard has challenged all
of the missionaries in the Asia North Area to essentially double the number of
lessons we do each week. This is in an effort to increase productivity and
baptisms as a whole and improve every facet of the work in the long run. So we
are working on this and searching out more investigators and showing forth
faith, but Elder Baker and I have been thwarted this week by other people's
agency!! THWARTED! Way too many cancelled appointments. The good news is we are
seeing even more miracles and our drive to do quality work has never been
higher. I think one of my favorite experiences was when we were fasting for the
zone on Thursday and Elder Baker and I went to share a short message with some
members in our ward. We got there and they brought out plates of sliced fruit
and like four huge cobs of corn for us. (hard to eat everything and share a
message in the twenty minutes we're allotted for member visits - another
mission program) and the members just started going off about other members and
the success of the ward and things that missionaries need to do more of or do
less of and we tried to share the message and it came out but the spirit just
wasn't amplifying us. It was tough and we got out of there and talked about it
on the subway home. We had several ideas for improvement and new and improved
direction for the week. We learned some very valuable lessons. We prayed and
fasted for success and were blessed with greater understanding. I love the way
the Lord works!!! HE is so much smarter than me!! I'm glad I'm starting to
learn that and have been seeking His help more and more.
2.0
I am out of time but wanted to share a thought from one of
my personal studies this week. I was studying healing. I was struck how
whenever someone has a problem in the scriptures, a physical or emotional, or
spiritual wound, they approach the savior and are made whole. I found especial
meaning in the fact that the healing came as they reached out, as they searched
and followed and besought the savior for relief and respite. In missionary
work, in life all of us have different things that need "healing". We
all have wounds or bruises. Maybe we are suffering from an "issue of
blood" or from one of a million other "issues". Sometimes there
are problems that we bring upon ourselves and often there are troubles that
have been with us since birth it seems. I like the Korean verb 고치다.
It is one of the verbs that mean healing, I love how it can also mean to mend,
repair, to set right, to put in order, to redress or amend, to rectify, to
cure. It can mean to improve, to make better, or to heal. Mostly I think it
means to change into a better condition. I love language and I love the Lord. I
love how he comes with healing in His wings and that he is there for us. I know
the Atonement of Christ is real!! I know that through it we can all find
healing. I know that healing extends to broken hearts, to unhappy outlooks, to
unfruitful mission areas, and most especially to you and I as we trip up from
time to time on our pathway to perfection. I love the Lord and am so grateful
to be His missionary. This work is true! Pray about it. Find out for yourself.
We worship a very real and very personal Father in Heaven. He knows you and
wants to heal you.
I love you all,
Onward and Upward
Elder Tucker