Monday, March 20, 2017

3-19-17 When we submitted, we committed...

NAMASTE hamaar bahut julum aur pyaari pariwaar!

Not heaps of time today, sorry, but it's okay because not very much happened last week anyway. 

This week is transfer week, so I'm preeetty sure I'm losing Elder Datoon on Friday. I can't be %100 positive because transfers are never %100 predictable, we go where the Lord calls us to go and we serve whom the Lord calls us to serve. Whatever happens, I've promised myself and the Lord that I will serve with my %100 percent no matter where I go or who I'm with. As I progress through my mission, it's occurred to me that the time is coming for me to become a senior companion and an example of diligence, commitment, and love for the people I serve. This transfer is especially unpredictable, so I'm really looking forward to the call tomorrow! 

It's seriously been an absolute pleasure to serve with Elder Datoon in the time that I have, I sincerely believe he was the man I needed to prepare me for the rest of my mission. He's put me through ups and downs I've never experienced prior to my service, but those ups and downs have formed habits within me that will carry me through my mission and strengthen others as I share them with those around me. Please contact his family if you haven't already, and thank them on my behalf for raising such an incredible example. 

ANYWAYS, there's really only one thing I wanted to touch up on from the last week, and I feel that it's appropriate to tell it in story form. 

On Saturday, March 18, 2017, there was in instance in which four missionaries (two Elders & two sisters) decided to spend four hours at a birthday party during prime proselyting time.
"To be fair", the party started nearly two hours late, and they didn't want to be rude and leave the party before it began. The sisters later reported that they had to cancel 4 appointments due to the elongated duration of the gathering. 

Bottom line: They wasted four of God's hours. Plain and simple. They didn't waste the district's time, they didn't waste the zone's time or their own time, they wasted our heavenly father's time. They deprived their brothers and sisters of spiritual growth. They (ministers of Jesus Christ) sat at a birthday party eating cake for FOUR HOURS while others sat in the dark, waiting for the change in their lives they never knew they needed.

Not only did they show their lack of commitment to the work, but they openly showed a room packed full of people that missionaries have the time sit around for so long and do nothing. They publicly belittled the importance of our work and our calling by giving God's precious time to an event so insignificant and irrelevant to the building up of the kingdom of God. 

When we submitted our mission papers, we committed TWO YEARS of our short, God-given lives  to the building of God's kingdom. Not 5-6 days out of the week from 8am to 9pm.Two full years. We committed every single minute of every single day of the 18-24 months we've been assigned to serve TO SERVING. I will not lie and say that I get caught up in material things throughout the week, but I am praying and fasting to become as effective a tool in the Lord's hand as I can possibly be. I have a testimony that if you don't follow the missionary guidelines and use God's time wisely, YOU will not grow, nor will you be able to help your investigators to progress and genuinely convert to the gospel. 
As for everyone, you will reap what you sow. When we commit all our time and efforts to the work to which we've been called by God, we will reap the blessings we've been promised by our heavenly father. One who sows a good seed and nourishes it well is sure to harvest good fruit. One who sows a bad seed or none at all is sure to receive thorns or nothing at all. 

It's hard sometimes to keep the work and the people and the scriptures in my heart 24/7, but I testify that my efforts in trying to do so has greatly improved my ability to do so, and it has spawned countless blessings and miracles in my mission so far.

This week was a wonderful week full of finding new people. We have a beautifully bountiful list of people we look forward to following-up on this week. I have no doubt in my mind that these people were brought to Elder Datoon and I because he has noticed our efforts and determination to the work. What motivation it is to keep up the hard work! EVEN if these people are not baptized or even very interested in our message, I know that they were given to me to teach me something and that I could plant that seed within them and remind them of the light that dwelt within them their entire lives. 

I am in great health and even greater spirits, I see the blessings of your prayers and hard work from back home influence my every day life. I love this work and this gospel, and I love you all so much. Have an incredible week!

Ham aaplogke bahut pyaar karta hai, hamaar pyaari pariwaar! Khyaal rakna, aur ingat kayo!
OH THANKS FOR THE LETTERS I'M GLAD EVERYONE IS DOING WELL I HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SEND THIS AND LOG OUT I LOVE YOU ALL THANK YOU!!
Elder Ishibashi-Fiji

 
-Sunday morning selfie 

 
-Suva zone conference

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