I Love To See The Temple

(Written: October 14, 2013)

Hey everyone!

Well last week i know I scared everyone but don't worry! I am feeling better and it was some dehydration with a cold on top. Lots of people in Ghana are getting some sickness somehow similar to what I was dealing with. They say it happens as hammartan (said like hammah tin) approaches, or the hot season. In december we see the sharaian winds blow down from the north and warm up western africa. which means only one thing...... hot wife points.

anyways congrats to whit and ryan for entering the field and for elder jensen on finally being able to go to argentina! it is an honor to be considered a missionary with the likes of you, I definitely don't feel like i am on the same level as each of you but thank you.

So this week was a growing experience.

Monday, after email, we went out to teach Paul. It went super long and I was pretty worn from being sick. i got frustrated with him asking the doubter question about the book of Mormon. well not so frustrated with him as just tired of the forever long lesson. I love questions but I love when they actually have real intent. with paul we are trying to lead him to a sincere prayer. we have given him all the scriptures, showing that God has a body, that men have seen him 'face to face' ect. but as we learn in james 5:9 (and I just love this verse so much, I use it a ton when I teach because in Ghana we have the issue of people not praying sincerely, just praying how the pastor taught them) but the witness of God is greater! Paul is in a position many of us get in. there comes a time when we are backed to the wall and have to take the leap of faith. Sure the Gospel can answer questions but as sister Judd (the mish pres wife) taught me "if you can intellectualize your way into the gospel, you can intellectualize your way out of the Gospel." so he is at the point where he needs to test God, or prove him. I hope that it doesn't take the financial disaster he is headed for for him to be humble enough, but I would rather it be that then he never comes to receive the witness of God. I suppose the same goes for each of us, that we don't need to be compelled to humility, find faith in him now. we left for the apartment that night and I felt a little tired of the week already but I will show you how the Lord blesses those poor in spirit who come unto him. as we got home, i felt lifted as I talked with the elders in the apartment and my companion, and ate some food (being sick made me not hungry, but at paul's i felt two days worth of not being hungry suddenly come back to me haha Van Wagoner's and their food).

so tuesday we had ztm (zone training meeting) on the way back, Elder Ballard and I (not the ga but his grandson who is on mission with me, he is from WX) we talked about some mexican place we plan on double dating at in 2 years in north salt lake. I forget the name but if anyone finds it, they have food like cafe rio but half the price. we dropped him and elder didericksen off in osu and headed back. That day we had some good lessons but especially one that started with a man named Sadat. he lives and works by perpetual. as we sat with him and his brother, more and more men began to come and sit with us. some we had planned for and others just showed up! it was so sweet as I watched a mini version of the gathering of Israel. We were teaching the restoration and as the end came the spirit directed a testimony I bore to them. there was a power and words I didn't know I could use (simplicity is key out here and it really makes you learn the gospel on it's most foundational level, which is great) I watched as several skeptic men had there hearts opened to two small boys, even one of them being obruni. it was such a tender mercy and I felt carried by the spirit that night.

Wednesday morning was our temple trip! I woke early to a bunch of Elders in the apartment compound and we left for our session. I was praying for all english so we could see the new video. as we entered I felt a peace and at home feeling I havent felt on my entire mission. I love to see the temple. as we sat in the session room waiting for it to start, i looked for the dreaded headphones (people wear headphones for translation, the only video that has translation into many ghana languages like twi, ewe, ga, fanti, and even french is the old one). I looked row by row and on the last row, there they were. it would be the old one and it was because one person needed headphones.

I was bitter and wanted to ask him to leave haha. I thought, I work hard, i am a missionary, can't we just get to see the video? as things began, I watched him fumble the headphones and drop them as he tried to work his set. I felt some compassion as I saw the stress lines in his face. I wasn't the only one who needed the blessings of the temple. I put aside the bitter and saw him with some love and was grateful he was there for this. where else could he get the peace and answers he needs? The session became much more enjoyable and I felt peace. upon entering the celestial room i felt to read in alma 37, as i did new understanding of the Atonement entered my life. I realized that I was all alone. for the first time in 2 months. upon finding such a rare moment I knelt down and began to pray. the spirit i felt and the thinness of the veil is something i can never forget. I was not alone, but upheld and carried by the family past and future. our family is a great one, especially eternally speaking. that is a moment I will never forget. I left the temple feeling love.

We came back and began the interviews. I was pretty early in the line up and so i entered in. President began by saying "i will make a prophecy: there will come a day when you won't want to go home. you will rise each day excited to be a missionary." i was stunned by this. I had always dreamed of this but could hardly hope for such a message. as we talked i let him know that my mission wasnt what i had expected he talked of how abraham was asked to sacrifice isaac. I too was asked to sacrifice my fantasy of missionary work in order to find the more beautiful one the Lord has created for me. I asked what I could do right now he answered 'dont whine, not even too yourself, I know you don't but when the thoughts of whining come, push them out and be grateful' there is a surprising power i have since found in those words. as i began to leave he talked of how i would one day carry leadership and to prepare myself for that day, I used to want that but as I watch my leaders out here, somedays it would be nice if we could go in cruise control, but that is not how it works. right as I stepped out he asked if the Book of Mormon was the center of my studies. I said, usually i read preach my gospel and study the scriptures it directs me to and that i find. he said that was good but to stop it and change to Book of Mormon study for my personal study. so i did.

The next morning, thursday i began study of the book of mormon from page one. I learned a lesson from lehi in verses 6-8. notice that he is overwhelmed after he sees and hears much and then he comes to cast him self upon his bed. many times we all do this, life over whelms us, we will want to rest or to quit and be done. yet in verse 8 is the miracle of missionary work, and the miracle of anyone who will push onward. Lehi is carried by the spirit.

as i talked about early the Lord blesses the poor in spirit who come unto him. when you are tired and want to quit, keep pushing upward, the Lord will then carry you. similar to peter walking on water in matthew 14. somedays we are walking on water,but inevitably we begin to sink as life and fear creeps in. yet only then does the savior carry us. "and immediately he stretched forth his hand". My study of the Book of Mormon has opened up my teaching like never before, I find answers to my daily questions and strength to do his will. I had forgotten a truth I know beyond doubt: "the Book of Mormon is true". I pray that each of us will make it the center of our studies, our homes, our families. Make it the foundation that you build on, teach on and stand on. there will be answers and love found therein. please open the book. please. the bible is great and you can never discredit that or the doctrine and covenants or the pearl of great price. but the book of mormon is the most correct of anybook on earth and will bring men closer to God than ANY other book. I know that it is true. I invite everyone to 1. read 2. ponder in your heart the message it contains and 3. pray and ask God, very specifically if it is true. he will then answer you as we learn in the introduction page and in moroni 10:3-5. the still small voice will testify and teach. and this is the answer to every question you have. how crazy is that. i have every answer you need. it is called:

The Book of Mormon

Another Testament of

JESUS CHRIST 

as for the rest of the day we taught some great lessons. my ability to teach even from the bible has increased by study of the book of mormon. one funny moment was when we were headed in for the night and a drunk guy came up to me as we passed miriams and started talking about how he loved us english people, we had love and he just thought it was great and he kept almost falling over so i had to pretty much carry him haha man that was a great moment. o Ghana!

friday was a pretty average day, so by that i mean not average at all because it is africa, but we taught 3 member present lessons with a guy named chinnydoo who is a sweet rm who served like 3 years ago in my mission haha man he is a stud.

Saturday we had some great lessons and even one with a chief inspector, who i didn't realize was chief inspector because he was just chilling in his boxers outside of his house (side note clothes are some how optional and yaa..) but he likes the book of mormon! which is great :) but my comp was getting pretty tired since he somehow has a small small sickness like everyone does right now. so he had to sit for a little bit but i was able to go and talk to a few people i felt prompted to find. that night we taught Sadat and a few of the guys again and we finished at bismark who is so sweet! such a humble guy, man i love him. his wife wanted to listen but she only speaks twi so bismark was translating for us and i was throwing out what ka ka ka kra twi i know. but still great lesson.

sunday is church day which rocks! why is church only 3 hours?? but bismark and sadat came to church, no other investigator so we won't reach our baptismal goal which is sad because we worked way hard for it but more to come on that next week. after church we planned according to the new standards of planning we learned in ztm and it was really cool to see the Lord guide us as we looked at what everyone really needs and how we can bring it to them. we taught bismark and i even taught his daughter how to do some math she was working on (thanks grandpa for putting up with me, I taught her fractions :)) so we finished at paul and i used a bunch of stuff i learned in my Book of Mormon study that really kinda... confounded him.. wow hadn't realized the whole 2 nephi scripture coming into play there. pretty cool.. alright well anyways we had somehow b.l.t. s for dinner and finished up the week playing uno haha man spongebob uno is the best thing ever. by the way bakko is uno in twi for those of you who care.

Elder lloyd was like do i have to draw four? and we said no just one so he drew one because you can't end on a special card and then as he draws it elder nelson goes... "uno.... now you have to draw four" haha man definitely had to be there... email jokes are lame but hey i laughed and enjoyed!

well that was this week, go to the book of mormon and the temple. Jordan wells congrats on getting out our endowment! go as much as you can and read the book of mormon each day! each day everyone :)

i love you all to pieces, dad happy birthday and grandpa too. elise i am sending you a letter and i have letters for ryan and other elders too that i don't have adresses for so i will send them home and hopefully you can get ryans address from the church program.

but i love you all! church is church the book is blue!

Elder Van Wagoner