This week was a wild one. Lots of stuff going on.
I found out last night that I will be leaving the great city of Paris. I knew it was coming though. Last night me and Elder Powell were driving back from some appointments and as I was looking at those good old corn fields listening to Saturday’s Warrior I had a really strong feeling that I was about to get pulled out. And yea I was right.
But yea Paris has been an amazing experience. I have grown so much here! Haven’t learned as much french as I thought I would though.
So yea this week was neat. Here we go baby!
The Running Tweaker
Interesting Woman
The Refiners Fire
The Refiners Fire Pt. 2
Irthdayberb
Last Thoughts of Paris
Concluding Remarks
The Running Tweaker
Man I am going to miss tweakers SO MUCH! They are just the best.
So yesterday we were trying to visit some peeps but nobody was home, but we saw a tweaker out. We went up to try to talk to him but he was being all weird and when we asked how he was doing he just made a grunting noise and walked away. So we started to make our way back to our car, when I heard a nearby train whistle blow in the direction that the tweaker had started walking.
Then, I beheld the most glorious scene of my existence. This poor tweaker must be terrified of trains or something because there he was, running away from the train, at full speed. Seriously, I have never seen a tweaker run so fast. Actually I don’t even think I’ve ever seen a tweaker run at all. They’re always just walking slowly in a zigzag pattern. But yea I’m really not sure what it was about the train that got to him but he was running for dear life. Me and Elder Powell were laughing so hard.
Then right after that another tweaker we tried talking to told us to “get the f*** away” and it was pretty good. Ah I’m gonna miss that so much!!
Interesting Woman
We went to this ladies house and as we were talking to her she said that she put Jesus’ blood on the whole perimeter of the house which keeps all evil from entering. She then looked at us and said, “so you passed the test”. Not sure to react, I just kinda threw my hands up and said “yahoo!”. Also when she said that I thought about some tweakers that we know that could help us test that theory. But yea we taught her the whole restoration and she’s a great lady. I love meeting people outside of our faith who have a strong faith in the Savior. Maybe there’ll be some potential there!
The Refiners Fire
This week was the most spiritually draining time I have ever experienced in my lifetime. I can’t think of another time in my life where I felt the power of Satan working harder than ever to tear me down.
So I was up late just praying in my bed for strength. It was probably an hour or so of just pleading to the Lord for strength and guidance. After a little while I went to the other room to get a tissue, when the whole room lit up from behind me. My heart stopped. No joke. I was like “ohhhhh my goodness it’s an angel”.
I turned around slowly ready for like a Joseph/Moroni experience when I saw that Elder Powell’s phone had gone off for some reason and the screen had lit up the room. It was pretty funny haha. He never leaves his phone in there either so I would never have guessed it.
But yea an angel definitely did not appear to me, as cool as that would be.
But long story short, I fasted and prayed for a couple days and got a lot of strength. I read in my scriptures like I never have before, clinging to the words in there. I can not adequately express how grateful I am for scriptures that lead and guide me on a daily basis.
The Refiners Fire Pt. 2
So yea that was one challenge this week. Another challenge is Dusty. It is one of the saddest points of my mission.
So as I’ve been talking about in my past emails, Dusty is just incredible. She is so elect and everything has been more perfect than I could have ever imagined. She was set to get baptized on Monday the 15th (like I talked about last time), and was super excited about it. She was inviting all of her friends and we were inviting all the members. Then after church on Sunday, right before her baptism, she got sick with covid and has been under a 2 week quarantine.
So every day we have been doing video calls with her. We have been taking her food and medicine and all this stuff. We’ve also had members at almost all the lessons so she knows them all super well. It could not have been more perfect!
Then the other night, right before we were about to call her for another video lesson, she texted us saying that she doesn’t want to learn about God anymore and that she has unfriended us and the rest of the ward on Facebook. Me and Elder Powell were shocked. We tried to get more information about what happened but got nothing. She told us to come by and pick up all the stuff we’ve given her.
So we both wrote her letters with our testimonies in them and dropped them off. When we saw her, she was crying. We and she both know that she wants to keep meeting with us, but the power of the adversary is so real. She’s been being beaten on all week and hit her breaking point. She said none of us did anything wrong, but that she just wants to be alone. It was heartbreaking!
I was super discouraged. But after listening to some Saturday's Warrior I was able to get through it.
So yea I’m not sure what’s going to happen with Dusty. But that was a huge challenge this week. She was so close! But I continue to pray for her daily and I have faith that she will get back on the covenant path hopefully soon.
Irthdayberb
Yea so it was also my birthday yesterday! Weird stuff! I honestly totally forgot. Even during the day while doing missionary work I would forget haha. But that’s exciting. Elder Powell baked me a cake and his mom got me a shirt that says “It’s my birthday”. It’s only good to wear one day of the year haha but I wore it proudly.
Last Thoughts of Paris
I have really truly loved my time here in Paris. I have learned and grown so much. One thing I have definitely learned is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what makes people happy.
Paris is a pretty lost town. The vast majority of the town seems to be pretty depressed. The only people I have talked to here that are happy with their lives are those who have a belief in Jesus Christ (whether or not they are a member of our church).
The reality is folks, that choosing the right makes you happy and sinning makes you sad. And that goes for whether or not you are religious or anything like that. Happiness comes from obedience from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sadness comes from disobedience. And that’s because our spirits long to progress, even if we feel that our bodies sometimes don’t. You will always be happiest as you are faithful. “Wickedness never was happiness”. Never forget that! And if you don’t feel bad yet for deliberately doing things contrary to the commandments of God, don’t worry. You will.
Alma the younger didn’t feel bad until the moment he realized he would have to stand in the presence of God, after which he said “the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror” (Alma 36:14). So just keep that in mind.
But I absolutely love the Paris ward. We have incredible members and I would not have survived without their help. I am going to miss them all so much. My faith has grown as I have literally seen how the Gospel is spread far and wide. Good stuff is happening before the second coming of the Savior. But yea Paris will have a piece of my heart forever. I have loved my time here.
Concluding remarks
I would like to end with a scripture I read this morning in my personal study that hit really hard. Alma the younger is talking to his kids about the importance of living the gospel in comparison with how Nephi used the Liahona to be guided to the promised land. (Alma 37:44-46). It’s good stuff-
“44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.
45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.
46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.”
The journey can be rough you guys but the idea is simple. The Book of Mormon repeats this phrase all throughout it- “Inasmuch as ye keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land”.
You don’t have to have a perfect knowledge! You don’t! You just gotta be faithful.
I promise you guys with all the energy of my soul that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that. I don’t know a whole lot haha but that’s something that I do. We talk to people who are like “satan wrote that book” and it just cracks me up. The Book of Mormon persuades people to do good! It makes people happy! Just look at all the good it’s done in the world! So therefore, the source by which it came needs to be good as well, meaning Joseph Smith is a prophet, which means he saw what he said he saw, which means all of this is true and Jesus IS the Chirst!
I promise you guys in the name of Jesus Christ that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.
Read, study, pray, and be faithful to the Gospel. As you go forward with faith, you will understand more
I could go on forever but I gotta hit up some spikeball and start some packing. But yup there’s my weekly. Hope you guys have a good one. Love you all tan mucho.
Adios.
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