Monday, September 16, 2013

tears coming down his face

This week has been crazy. As I was going through my journal to see what was this week the stuff that happened monday feels like it was a month ago! 
So the highlights...
At district meeting on Tuesday we were about halfway through it and I guess our mission President was in the church anyway for an interview he had to give someone, and he sat in for our meeting. So we got more than we expected at the meeting, he talked to us about the works of exceedingly great faith for a while. It was amazing. Everyone felt so motivated from the Spirit and faith he has. It's kind of like 3 Nephi 7:18 when you cannot disbelieve his words because of how powerful and great faith he has. I've tried to start studying a lot more about faith. It's a very interesting topic. I thought I knew it pretty well but I think it has more meaning than I thought before, I'm going to try and take it deeper. 
Here's a quote from Joseph Smith about it I read this morning and really liked, "Had it not been for the principle of faith the worlds would have never been framed, neither would man have been formed of the dust. It is the principle by which Jehovah works, and through which He exercises power over all temporal as well as eternal things. Take this principle or attribute, for it is an attribute from the Diety, and He would cease to exist. Faith, is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things: by it they are changed; or by it they remain, agreeable to the will of God. Without it there is no power, and without power there could be no creation or existence." Y'all should study it this week or come up with good questions about it and then next week let me know about them.
On Tuesday we had a cool experience at a Jack in the Box restaurant. When we walked in this rough looking trucker said hi to us so while my companion was getting his food I started talking to him and after we talked and I got to know him we started talking about his beliefs and I told him our unique message about the restoration. I tried to put it really simply and boldly and he seemed to understand it pretty well. Then we talked a little more and we gave him a Book of Mormon and bore our testimonies and his heart seemed to be really softened. We asked if we could pray with him and he then told us about his wife who had recently died and we prayed for him and her and when I opened my eyes after the prayer this rough guy had tears coming down his face. 
Later during the week one of my really good friends in the ward--who had been in the hospital for a little while, and we'd been visiting him very regularly--died. It was pretty sad. One of the last days we were able to talk to him, he and his wife knew pretty well that he was going to die so she asked him what song he wanted us to sing at his funeral and he said, "How Great Thou Art." This was coming from a guy who had been in intense pain for the last 2 months at least and seemed to be in one of the most miserable situations I've ever seen any one in so it was pretty touching. 
Later during the week we were able to meet with a new guy we're teaching. He's from Ethiopia and this time of year is their new year so he had family over. It was way fun talking with him and meeting his family. He has a really strong testimony about Jesus Christ. 
Anyway, I'm outta time. But I love Y'all. Have a good week!
Elder Russell

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