Well, I have been transferred unfortunately. I think it was probably for the better, considering the fact that Elder Golden and I were so close, I think it was starting to interfere with the work.
I think the best way to sum up our entire companionship is this quote that he wrote in my signing journal. "Elder Brown, I am currently asking you to do the dishes... And your response was to take your pants off and start playing the piano. I think that sums up our entire 2 transfers together" Haha, while that might be a little crude, it's a little scary how accurate that is.
It honestly has flown by so fast! I cannot believe that I have been in Parkview ward since October of last year! It feels like literally yesterday! But, I'm sure I'll see those members around and I'll for sure be keeping in touch with Elder Golden.
But onto Transfer news! I'm in the Santa Fe ward in Hesparia (so not far from Victorville at all. They're neighboring cities) And my new companion is...... Elder Wedel!
Elder Wedel and I have become really good friends at past events devotionals and so we were pumped when we found out! Let me try and describe him for you: Red head, from Idaho, thick accent, still has greenie fire (Has been out less time than me) and a complete bundle of laughs. But he's pretty well known through out the mission for taking Lucerne Valley (A pretty dead area out in the middle of nowhere) and getting a ton of work started by buying a chainsaw and chopping wood for people. He got a ton of less-actives to church, got a ton of investigators. The guys wakes up an extra 30 minutes to an hour early just to work out and study. How beast is that?
Also we whitewashed into an area that's super dead. (Whitewash-we're both brand new to the area) and the phone is broken, so we don't have contact with anyone in the ward yet. Get pumped.
We're excited to baptize all of Santa Fe, so we'll let you know how many times we have to fill that font, haha.
So for my spiritual thought, Elder Golden and I came up with a bit of a parable that has caused me to ponder. It's a little simple and has flaws, but bear with me. It's about this awesome miracle medicine that's released that heals all leg pain. All sorts of people buy it and rave about the success they find! In just a few days, any and all pain they had is gone! Taken away!
One day, an old woman walks in and buys a bottle that should last her about a week. She returns the next week, complaining that the bottle didn't help her leg pain at all, so she buys another. Week after week, the old lady buys more and more bottles and continually complains that it doesn't work. After a few years of this pattern, she passes away. When people went to clear out her house, they found a huge pile of unopened bottles of this miracle medicine. She hadn't used a single one.
Now this may seem silly to us. When you buy a bottle, you take the medicine! The relief is not found in obtaining the medicine, but in partaking of the medicine. No one would go weekly to buy medicine only to not take it!
But how often do we go to church without applying it to our week? How often do we read our scriptures without applying what we learn? How often do we pray and not take of the answer? Aren't these activities just as fruitless as purchasing medicine only to leave it unopened?
Before we jump to the conclusion that the gospel isn't working for us, we must ask ourselves if WE'RE working for the gospel. Are we taking those steps and truly partaking of that medicine every week? Or are we letting our church attendance, study habits, and prayers sit in a pile, unused? In Pres. Uchtdorf's talk: "It works wonderfully!" He said
"Brothers and sisters, dear friends, I pray that we will focus on “the simplicity that is in Christ” and allow His grace to lift and carry us during our journey from where we are now to our glorious destiny in our Father’s presence.
"As we do so and someone asks us, “How is being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints working for you?” we will be able to say with pride, in all humility, and with great joy, “It works wonderfully! Thank you for asking! Would you like to know more?”
I know this to be true! I can testify that it's working for me. :)
I love you all! I hope you have a great week!
Church is true!
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