Hey all!
I've had so many different ideas of what I've wanted to write about this week but for the sake of your time and my sleep schedule I'll stay concise as best as I can.
We've had lots of ups and downs lately. We've seen lots of miracles in our area specifically, but our zone as a whole is struggling pretty badly. As part of the missionary leadership here, I feel partially responsible. As a result, my confidence has been struggling and my spiritual lamp's flickered a bit at times, but "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28.) I know that God is teaching me patience, humility, and consecration through these experiences.
So here's an open question: how can I be more confident? In leadership, in trusting the Lord and other missionaries, in getting along with my companion... all that stuff. I'd love some help if you have any impressions.
On a brighter note, our friend Chase is choosing to be baptized this week! He's a super smart med student with a ton of friends in the Church already, so teaching him has been awesome. What's extra cool is that he'll be getting baptized on Good Friday and confirmed on Easter Sunday!
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More fun stuff:
- a girl from my BYU ward got called to my mission! Shoutout to Sister Washburn.
- MLC! My favorite parts included some powerful workshops, lunch with my trainer and a bunch of other mission buddies, and a mission-wide invitation from President Collins to eliminate all negative talk of any kind.
- consecrated my study space and put away my hotwheels, minifigures, and almost anything not directly relating to do with Christ. All in, baby.
- befriended a turkey. Might be a one-sided relationship.
- Brother McClellan: Fort Smith First Ward's Temple and Family History leader and a popular biology professor at the local university. He's a super nice guy and his love of nature makes me want to be a biology professor too. Man...I'm just gonna quintuple major at this point.
- watched Elder Keller nearly get mauled by a terrifyingly vicious...corgi?
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Thought: the most important holiday of the year.
Easter is a time to remember the suffering, death, and triumphal resurrection of Jesus Christ. As such, this holiday is a celebration of hope.
The adversary is fighting its hardest to drag us down into despair, and his power is real. The world offers many so-called strongholds to protect us from the harshness of reality, from substance abuse to immorality to digital devices, but the cold truth is that eventually they'll all make like the Alamo. None of them will survive the day.
There is one (and only one!) avenue to ultimate hope: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:5)
Jesus Christ makes everything better. Celebrating Easter means celebrating His universally positive influence. When we turn to Him, anger turns to peace, fear turns to faith, and despair turns to hope.
Isaiah 61:1-3:
"...the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."
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Cool talk: "That Thy Confidence Wax Strong" by Bishop Richard C. Edgley
That Thy Confidence Wax Strong
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Song of the week: "Scar Tissue" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
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Love you all!
- Elder Rigby
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