So this week things are
a little mixed up. It is not preparation day today, however President
feels that we should not move our email schedule so hence the email. The
reason it is being moved is because of our temple trip. Our preparation
day will be on Thursday (the day we go to the temple). I am super
excited to go again. This has the potential to be the last temple trip
of my mission due to the fact that they are usually at least 7 months
apart. Considering it is to be my last temple trip for a while I intend
to take lots of questions to the Lord concerning what I should do for
school, and hopefully get some of those answers out of the way early. I
want it to be a temple-revelatory experience!
Also,
unique to this week was this morning, where we had interviews with
President Daines. I love my mission President. I know he cares about me
by the way he conducts the interview. He is very genuine and sincere. At
the end of the interview he offered a prayer petitioning the Lord to
help me as a missionary. I was touched and felt loved. President is a
true representative of Christ by showing his love for his missionaries. I
really respect President Daines and look up to him for advice and
council.
Things are looking brighter in the
zone and in our area. Last week we became very discouraged because we
could not find anyone to come to church. Sunday morning, randomly, one
of our investigators who has not responded to our calls and texts for
the last week texted us and said "see ya at church today." What a tender
mercy that was. It has been almost a year since I have not had anyone at
church and I am glad to say it will stay that way. She came to church
and stayed for Sunday School, where she became the primary participant
in the lesson about the fall of Adam and Eve. A good experience for us
all, and she said she would come next week for the Primary program,
which I am really looking forward to.
Also, we
are teaching a small family (mother and daughter) that we found this
last week and we were able to commit them Sunday night to come to church
this next week. Although they have a long way to go before they can
enter the waters of baptism, there is a strong spirit in their home
confirming that they are prepared to receive it. I have great hopes that
one day they will enter the temple. Baptism is really only a stepping
stone and the longer I am on my mission, the less interested I am in
getting people baptized and the more interested I am in getting people
to the Temple.
I was very pleased to hear that
Sadie is regularly attending the temple. That was one of the anchors to
my testimony in college, and still is today. I love the temple even
though there is tons I do not understand. I am also really looking
forward to hearing about Cari as she attends. In the temple heaven meets
earth, all cares and sorrows seem to disappear, and the power of the
atonement of Jesus Christ is made more evident. Oh how I love that
place. It is kind of amusing; when I first read my Patriarchal blessing
and the many promises it has in it concerning the temple and family
history I was disappointed, not knowing what it meant and not having
much interest in it, but that blessing has proven to be prophetic over
the years. The Lord really does know us personally. ( Has Kristi
received her blessing yet?. . . . .)
How proud I am to be part of an eternal Family, where I have learned eternal truths that I will forever hold to.
Love you!
Elder Beutler
