**I just want to say THANK YOU!! to everyone who supports Cole...he always says the other missionaries get a little jealous of all the letters and packages he get! We are truly grateful.**
5/18/2015
Well, first I need to say
thanks to lots of people! Thanks Omie and Papa, Kam and Brandy, the
Leathermans, and Alison and Madelyn for the birthday presents! They rocked! I'm
pretty sure the apartment managers are getting a little tired of me walking in
and asking to pick up another package! Haha! Now when I walk in, they don't
even have to ask me which apartment number I live in! It's pretty funny!
Well, anyways... this
week has been super good!
We went on exchanges
with the zone leaders this week! I stayed in the Lasselle ward with Elder
Catchatoorian! We had a ton of fun! He's super funny! I love Elder Justice, but
he is SUPER quiet! Haha it was good to have a day with someone that it's not a
huge effort to hold a conversation with! It was supposed to be super cold and
rainy all day, so we set up members to give us rides. And then it ended up
being sunny and really nice outside! Haha but we got a lot of lessons that day!
We also had stake
conference this weekend! There were a lot of really good talks! The bishop of
the Samoan ward spoke about how we act in holy places, especially our homes. He
shared the story of when Moses saw the burning bush, the Lord told him to take
off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. He challenged us to
always leave our "shoes" outside when we enter a holy place, where it
be our homes, a church building, a temple, etc... Don't bring in the cares of
the world to a place where the spirit is.
On Sunday, we had
dinner with a family whose daughter just got back from the Utah Ogden Mission,
and she invited her nonmember friend to dinner with us! It was super cool! She
was very interested in learning about the church, but at least they invited her
to learn!
So you asked how we
would respond to an investigator who feels like they've been doing all the
right things (reading, praying, going to church..), but hasn't got an answer.
There are a lot of ways to respond. I may talk about real intent. Are they
scared of the answer being "yes"? I really like using Moroni 10:3-5. Moroni
gives us a pattern on how to ask God the questions of our souls. First, we need
to do something about it. Read, pray, attend church, meet with the
missionaries, etc.. It's not enough to merely ask. Second, we have to ask God
with a sincere heart. Why are we asking the question? Because we're supposed
to? Or maybe because someone wants us to? We need to ask out of a desire to know
for ourselves. Also when we ask, we need to have real intent.
Regardless of what the answer may be, we must be ready to act upon it as soon
as the answer comes. If I'm asking if the Book of Mormon is true, but have
absolutely no intentions of being baptized, then why will God answer my prayer?
If I'm asking God if this is the right church for me, but don't plan on being
active, then I shouldn't expect God to answer me. We also must have faith in
Christ when we ask. We need to believe that it is possible for God to answer
our prayers. Sometimes people do all those things and still don't recognize
their answer. I didn't say that they don't receive an answer, just that it's
hard to recognize it sometimes. I even have a hard time recognizing answers to
my own prayers! I really love the advice that our Heavenly Father gives to
Oliver Cowdery in D&C 6:23- "Did not I speak peace to your mind
concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?".
So many people want a huge display of God's power as their answer. But that's
not always the case. Like the story of Naaman. He wanted Elisha to give him
some grand task in order to be healed, and was offended when it was something
as simple as bathing seven times in the river. Sometimes we will receive those
simple answers. Calm, peaceful, positive feelings. That's how the Holy Ghost
works!
Thanks again for all
the birthday cards, presents, letters, etc.. It was a great first mission
birthday!
I love you all and
miss you lots!
Love,
Elder Warren
Birthday Festivities - We forgot the hats!
There are humming birds everywhere in SoCal
Adventures or Exchanges with Elder Catchatoorian.
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