I Will Take it for the Boy

Wow, another week has just rolled on by and the whole week I have been deciding what to write about to my family and time and time again I never come up with any good idea's. This week has been a super busy week.  My companion and I made it to Kenema three times with the transfers, and it was just like driving into your hometown after a vacation and the feeling came every time we went there. We received 6 new missionaries in our half of the mission and they are all super great Elders. Straight from the MTC!! the spirit and feeling that they bring into our lives is so great.  During the mtc they focus on the 8 fundamentals of preach my gospel and the needs of investigators rather than the lessons.  When they get here they start learning the lessons more in detail with the trainers. To see the excitement of the learning process of the lessons in these new missionaries is just great!  It reminded me of the time when I first came and started studying The message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I was excited to study every morning to learn more about why its important and even true.  Yes I knew the message from primary class and things. But the added desire and spirit filled my heart with a remarkable love for the Gospel.  I can see this same love and desire of these new missionaries here now!  They all came from different countries, Uganda, Nigeria, south Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana. Philippines USA and so many more.  My companion and I were the ones to ride with them to their trainers and tell them all about the mission and the area they are in and who they will see.  It was so much fun!  I guess for the highlight of the whole thing we were able to be with the Mission President and his wife.  They also took us out to eat dinner.  I had a pizza!! a pizza!  Though someone wouldn't consider it a true pizza at home, but it was a pizza to me!

Again we had the same convert Brother Amara teach us the gospel.  He has now finished The Book of Mormon and started over again but he's reading it with an institute manual. He propounded the scattering of and gathering of Israel to us and  all about the Jews and Gentiles.  It may not seem that great or significant to you.  But to see how this mans outlook on life and his countenance is, is a testimony to me that there is power in the book.  The message it teaches is just so plain and simple.  Its made manifest in his life and mine as well.  If you haven't read it, READ IT! Its just that simple.

Then there was the bummer of my week that really killed me and made me upset. as we were walking down the road we had one of our (formerly) investigators was giving his child some punishment. The man had a fierce look in his eye and excreting so much power and authority over his child.   My companion wanted to continue on the path and forget about it. (cause that's very common in the culture is punishment through "spankings" ) we went and approached the man and I held my hands out for the boy and my companion carried the boy away. "I will take it for the boy" I said.  The man smiled and laughed and I thought I was actually going to get beat again.  Then he threw away his stick.  The man is a said to be a pastor. (yes dad another pastor) after some talk the man twisted and turned the gospel in such a way that just made me sick. Twisted in such a way that he was justified through his cunning words for those around him.  My heart was just filled with anger.  I invited him to repent and walked away.  That instance that very night just played over and over in my mind and caused me to sorrow greatly.  To profess the name of Christ is one thing but to live His gospel and teachings is another.  I contend, that there is no true inner peace within the soul, of knowing the truth and going against it.  Only a satisfaction of the flesh.  The formula is simple to me.  Faith Repentance, Baptism, Receive the gift of the Holly Ghost and Endure to the end.  I'm just so very grateful for a prophet and apostles who live and lead and guide us to know the right from the wrong and the new from the old.  This week I have really had a deeper and more profound understanding of these things.

On Sunday I got to teach investigators class and I taught of the topic of the scriptures. haha it was so fun.  As you know I love talking and talking and talking.  What better time for me than to teach!  haha the class was going so great and everyone seemed to have an interest in the topic.  We got through the topic of the bible and then I wanted to give an example of one of the plain and simple things that were not interpreted right the first time.  I didn't have planned the Joseph Smith translation that I wanted to use so I just used one of the first that I know. Exodus 33:11 and verse 20 (I invite you yo read it) well it turns out it brought sooo much confusion to the class and then they all wanted to talk about how Moses did or didn't see God.  Even when the translation was read it just didn't make sense to the class. 10 minutes were wasted in trying to get the class back onto the main topic of the scriptures.  There are certain Gospel teachers who have mastered the "back on track" skill.  Like my seminary teachers mayn they were good at it! (Brother Martin, Brother Anderson) I really admire them for that.  Anyway the class was great and it was amazing to see how fun it is to teach many investigators.

I am so happy for Hunter to have been through the temple and I just can't wait to be home and write him!  I think that would be fun to write missionaries and let them know of my insights in personal studies. Mathew Carling does that to me and its always fun to see how interesting his studies are... haha why don't you just do that right now elder hales... well its kinda really hard with the schedule.  But I commit myself to do that!!!

anyway Mom, Dad and family just know that i love you all and am working as hard as I can to build other's testimony and faith in Jesus Christ. That's my focus and that's my purpose!

LOVE ELDER HALES