1.26.15 - Real Intent

Hello!

So what did we do this week? Let me brain vomit it all over you.

President asked in our emails if we could write him about a moment from our mission when our lives were changed. I wrote this really quickly, and I figured i'd include it here too.

Serving with Elder Warren in Eagle Pass during the summer on bikes made my mission. For 3 months we worked as hard as we could and saw no success. If success came easily, I wouldn't have been forced onto my knees in exhaustion, confusion and humility. At the same time we studied faith as a mission. I remember reading somewhere, written by you, possibly said by a zone leader, or maybe through personal revelation the words burning into me, "Where is your faith, in you, or in me? In investigators coming to church, or in me?" I learned to work by depending only upon the strength of God, and that pattern has grown to include how I teach investigators and missionaries. No matter what I do, my strength is insufficient, but I see miracles as i put my faith in God.

On Saturday we had the most joyous day.

I studied real intent and finished the training i'll give the new District Leaders tomorrow. We know from our own experience gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon, in order to receive an answer in prayer from God, we must be willing to act according to the answer we have faith we'll receive. We must desire to know the will of God so we can do it. That's the simplest way I know to say it. In Moroni 7 we learn that an offering given to god in service or prayer is counted as a wrong if it isn't done for the right reasons, if it isn't the right intention. It brings the question, what is the correct motivation or intention to pray, to serve, or to seek the will of God? God Makes his will known to us through his commandement, he's taught his work and his glory is the Eternal life of Man. When we align out desires, intelligence, and purpose with that of Gods, we too seek the Eternal Life of mankind. The first and second great commandments ring out with great power, because God's will is that being motivated by love we work toward the Eternal Life of his children, just like he does. The parable of the oranges from the Last CES fireside exemplify the tremendous influence in the effectiveness of the service we render when it's done with real intent, and when it's not.

We didn't have any pending trainings to prepare for, and we put off some book work for a less productive day and got out to work by 12. Our first 3 lessons fell through, that's ok, the weather was beautiful. We taught Glenda, recommitted her to baptism on Feb. 14 (Which we'll have to push back again because she couldn't get work off yesterday for church.) then we dropped by Uziel who's 26 with kids and an unbaptized wife. We just asked if we could do anything for them and shared a quick scripture even though his wife wasn't there, and low and behold he and his wife came to church yesterday. Hooray! Following that we found no success contact on some streets we hadn't been to before - too many white people. For Dinner we went to Pepe's and ate some really good Tortas. We then took ourselves out to Taylor Texas, quickly found a family of 3, taught them and passed them off to the Taylor Elders. Next we taught the Morales boys with their member mother, and Arnoldo with is member wife. Neither of them ended up coming to church though. we committed 14 people to come to church, 1 of them showed. Well, that's how it goes.

Every companionship saw a change in our zone, so we met a lot of new faces and we're excited to start working with everyone.

I love you!
Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell