Lessons Learned.‏

Hey everyone!

It was obviously a great weekend seeing as Elder Cook came and visited us. I know that every missionary there felt ultra inspired to work harder and do better. I think it really helped many people catch the vision of why they are here and why we need to be diligent in our work and our efforts. It was so cool because he gave us his apostolic blessing that everyone that we love and care for in any way will be blessed for the work that we are doing here. And that one day we would be able to come to understand that and see those blessings.. So that's great news, I love you all and blessings are coming your way. It was real special to hear that.

When you shake an Apostles hand you really KNOW that they are a man of God. They can't fake the authority that they so obviously have. It's real and there is power with them. I have an even greater strengthened testimony of the fact that this church is being led by God through a Prophet and His Apostles.

This week Elder Dryer and I had a great experience with a recent convert and member family. The husband and wife were having some serious marriage issues. They had both had kids, divorced and then met and married each other and brought their families together. They were having some real problems because of the kids as well as their own struggles and issues. 

So when we went over there for our weekly lesson everything just blew up in our face. They started pointing fingers, yelling and accusing each other for their own unhappiness. It was getting quite out of hand. We stopped them and just took it back to what matters. We pointed out how they had made a goal to go to the temple and be sealed forever as a family. Then right when they set that goal we pointed out how trials and issues started arising in their life. We showed them how Satan will try as hard as he can to disrupt the good things that we are doing. Romans 7:21 explains that perfectly. Then we spoke to them and brought up, "Lord, is it I?" by President Uchtdorf that he spoke about in Priesthood Session, and talked about removing the beam in our eye before helping someone else with their "mote." Then we brought it right back to charity. Love in action. Moroni 7:45-48 We spoke of the Saviors love for us as well as the need for charity in a family. 

Once that was finished and we heard their comments and thoughts I felt inspired to give them an outline for companionship inventory. I challenged them to have that inventory right after we left. They did and it really helped clear up a lot of things for them and they are communicating so much better with each other. I am excited to see how their family relationships improve when doing things the right way and involving the right kind of spirit.

Elder Dryer and I after walking out of that lesson really had a great experience talking with each other. I told him, "Elder Dryer, if you ever wonder if the spirit has ever spoken through you, I want you to remember that lesson we just had." Because it's so true, we were guided in everything we did and said. Once we got out of our own way and let the spirit take over the lesson was amazing. That was a lesson I learned early on in my mission, and it's something that Elder Dryer really just got hit with as well. So that was a great teaching and learning moment that we both had together. And I think a lot of that really came with me allowing him to fall and to try to prevent him failing. Because once I did that, he was able to learn that amazing lesson and something great came from it. So thank heavens for that.

All in all it's been a great week. We didn't teach a lot of lessons, but I really did feel good about what we did as far as work goes. We helped change people and helped them feel the saviors love. Even though on the surface it didn't look like a successful week, we really were able to touch some hearts. And that is what this work is all about.

I love all of you! Thanks for the support.

@elderthayne