Monday 14 March 2016

Another Great Week


            Hey everyone!                                                                       March 14, 2016
           
            This week was great! We had some awesome lessons this week. We had a bunch with some less active members that we are working with, and a few with some non-members. Elaine is going to have her baptismal date moved to April. We have the Provo City Temple dedication this Sunday, and General Conference is coming up so we figured that she would have better fellowship in the Ward if she has more opportunities to go. She has been having trouble getting to church because of work, and yesterday she was gonna come but she was in Heber with her family for the weekend, so she couldn't make it in time for our 10am meetings. We are going to meet with her today at 4:30. We are both extremely excited for that! She has been doing great, but she simply needs a little more time to prepare.
            We gave talks in one of our wards yesterday. It was amazing! I've grown to love speaking in front of groups of people. It's been such a miracle for me to do so, because that is a talent that will be a blessing for my whole life. I spoke on faith, and how faith is a principle of action and power. With faith we can see miracles and receive revelation. My companion and I had a lot of members compliment us on our talks afterwards, so apparently we did a good job.
            I played catch last p-day! It was the first time I had played catch for such a long time. My arm feels loose and it was so nice to play a little toss. I played catch with my companion and a less active member, Joe White, that we are working with. He loves baseball, he used to play for Utah State so it's been cool connecting with him through baseball.
            This week I read a talk by Elder Bednar. He establishes a pattern of prayer that I think is profound;
Ask in Faith - Elder David A. Bednar (2008 April General Conference) "If you and I would truly pray and ask in faith, as did Joseph Smith--if we would pray with the expectation to act and not just to express--then the work of proclaiming the gospel would move forward in a remarkable way, Step by Step Process for how to pray in faith
            - Thanking Heavenly Father for the doctrines and ordinances of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, which bring hope and happiness into our lives.
            - Asking for courage and boldness to open our mouths and share the gospel with our family and friends.
            - Entreating Heavenly Father to help us identify individuals and families who will be receptive to our invitation to be taught by the missionaries in our homes.
            - Pledging to do our part this day and this week and petitioning for help to overcome anxiety, fear, and hesitation.
            - Seeking for the gift of discernment-- for eyes to see and ears to hear missionary opportunities as they occur.
            - Praying fervently for the strength to act as we know we should.

            I testify that prayer becomes meaningful as we ask in faith and act. I invite all of us to pray in faith about our divinely given mandate to proclaim the gospel. As we do so, I promise doors will open and we
will be blessed to recognize and act upon the opportunities that will be provided."
            Now, I'm not quoting this saying that all of your prayers need to be step by step as Elder Bednar teaches in this specific talk. Prayer should come from the heart, but this pattern is a suggestion of how to
pray if you are looking for more missionary opportunities. I think it's amazing, and I love how when we pray for opportunities and act accordingly, the Lord guides us through the Holy Ghost. Then, when we
have a chance to share the restored gospel, we will know exactly what to say and how to say it. I want to invite all of you to give this a shot this week, and pray for specific individuals or families that you know could use a boost this week.
            Have a great week!
                                                Love,
                                                            Elder Strate

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