So, this week....felt like nothing happened. Literally 1 lesson with an investigator, no less than 3 days spent either in Hannover or traveling to and from Hannover, and a whole lot of study. And the 1 day where we really had no prior commitments? Where we could go contact all those people we wanted too?
0 for 7.
No one home, or else not interested.
In that slightly depressing spirit, I am just gunna focus on potential this week. Potential, after all, looks a whole lot better then the past.
First, accomplished potential. I have fulfilled the word of the Lord, or rather seen it fulfilled in me.
One of the better points of last week was during our Saturday Lunch Break. We were on our way to see if one of the big churches in town was open, so we could look inside a little, when a lady stopped us on the street. She soon told us that she was a Jehovah's Witness--very common in German. I then, alone, talked to her about the very nature of God and his Prophets for the next 15 minutes. In German! My companion was and still is too new to contribute very much very fast, and she was very spirited in her arguments, but I had the Spirit. In an argument that ended me feeling very pleased with my ability to respond to her objections, and her out of scriptures and half-truth facts about Mormons to throw at me, I kindly offered her a card, and walked away. Later, I realized how revealing this brief exchange was.
Not only had it all been in fluent German--a enormous miracle--but I had not had to think about my German. Not only that, I had not had to think about what to say. I opened my mouth, and it was filled. Filled by God, filled by the Holy Ghost, and filled by the hours of study I have devoted to the gospel since arriving in Germany.
Second, current potential. I have great potential right now, potential to go one of 2 ways. I have yet to see a baptism, I have yet to see a baptismal date. I have yet to have an investigator even say "yes" when we ask him or her to be baptized!
But something is changing. I can see my faith increasing. Feel it rather. It is still hard, I still am dying to baptize--more then ever in fact. But I know it will happen. I am not panicked, I am not sorrowful, and I am not worried. Urgent, yes. Going as fast as I can, yes. Wishing it was now, yes. But I will find the prepared people. And the people I am teaching now? Many of them will be baptized. I do now know when--but my faith, their faith, and the faith of the members is there. I can see the change in their lives--ever so slowly. And one day they will take that first and important step into the kingdom of God. I do know that.
And third, potential to come. I do not know how silly this letter may seem. I do not know, if I will continue to progress, both as a missionary and as a person, as I have up to this point. But I believe in myself. And, to a certain extent, I am beginning to believe in my testimony.
I think that the hardest part of being a missionary is believing that you have power. If you can believe that you have power, everything else comes. If you have power, you can baptize. If you have power, you can teach. If you have power, you can even get along with your companion!
Powerful testimony, powerful work, powerful effort. All of it is necessary to build the Kingdom of God. And, as I have learned recently in my study of the Old Testament in particular, Power comes by way of faith. As it speak is both Hebrews 11 and in Ether 12, faith is the means by which God accomplishes miracles. By faith the Red Sea was parted, and by faith Nephi built a ship. By faith the very Sun stood still at the word of Joshua, and by faith the 2000 stripling soldiers--warriors rather--fought and saved the Nephites.
And perhaps the key element of faith is action. The very fact that I am now training a new missionary has forced me to begin acting. To bear my testimony, to trust my German, to really act. And it has already proved to be a principal of power in my life.
Miracles are reliant on Power. Power is reliant on Faith. Faith is reliant on Action.
Moral of the story? I hope I DON'T have to point it out, but I will:
Miracles happen when we act.
We can all move mountains by faith. All we need is a shovel.
At this point, I would bear my testimony, but I find it lacks something written down like this, to so many. The opportunity to bear your testimony to individuals is really why we come on missions after all. I will encourage everyone who reads this to begin acting--particularly those preparing for their missions. You have power already, believe it. Believe as I didn't--not at first.
In Closing, a related thought from one of the greatest men I have ever had the blessing to meet, President Kosak. This is not a direct quote, but rather an excerpt from my notes of one of his talks he gave in Stake Conference last week:
Power does not come through experience. Power comes through faith. New members of the church--and new missionaries--can and should have just as much power as those of 30 years of membership or more! Teach them, to have power.
I love you all, I hope you are all safe!
Go Bears!
Elder Burton
No comments:
Post a Comment