Hiya everyone!
Sorry I wasn't able to write home last week. As I've said, my Pday (preparation day) has now changed to Saturday and we were pretty busy this past Saturday. Being an office Elder is pretty exhausting with everything that we have to do.
So Zone conferences are coming this next week, and we have done A LOT of planning for it this week. We have made and ordered some new posters as well. President Hughes wants to focus a lot on companionship unity and being one with Jesus Christ. We also had to figure out where and which missionaries would be staying over night (some places are too far to travel the day of) and we still have yet to book travel for both of the zone conferences.
So a little bit about what I do as an office Elder.... we help manage and build upon the Google system that is in place to get things out to missionaries and to automate some of the work here. It makes it easier for everyone. We also book travel for everyone within the mission if they need to get somewhere. We edit and make videos for zone conference, we manage supply orders and send them out to missionaries, and even set up for conference and meetings and make sure that all the tech is working. So it can get really busy.
We have been able to go out a couple day of inviting but not much because of the craziness that is going on around here in preparation for zone conference this week. All of our friends that we are teaching are all on vacation right now, so we haven't been able to have any visits. Next week they should all be back, so hopefully we can start getting back to some teaching appointments.
This ward LOVES to feed their missionaries! We have had a DA (dinner appointment) every day this week so far. I don't want to gain weight.... stop feeding me! Haha! I guess it's just part of the two year sacrifice! I am grateful that we are not starving though, the ward is nice and welcoming too, which is awesome.
Oh, almost forgot, my new companion's name is Elder Farnsworth. He's from Arizona. He's really cool and awesome. So grateful that the Lord has blessed me with companions that I get along with! I hope and pray that in the future when/if I get one that I struggle with, that I will learn patience with myself and for him.
So, this week I was reading in Alma. Honestly, the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon is amazing. There are so many great things to learn, even in the war chapters. I was reading in Alma 47. This chapter is talking about Amalickiah who was using all manner of wicked tactics to become king of the Lamanites.
A bit of context... in the previous chapter, Amalickiah tries to become king of the Land of Zerahemla but Captain Moroni puts a stop to that. He flees to the land of Nephi where the Lamanites are, and stirs up the king there to go fight against the Nephites. The king sends out a decree to go up against the Nephites. There were some that wanted to go, but a lot of them didn't want to, and this latter group of Lamanites fled up a mountain and made a man named Lehonti their leader. Amalickiah was tasked with getting those Lamanites who didn't want to go against the Nephites to join the army who did want to go and fight.
Now in chapter 47, v10-18, Amalickiah sends people to go get Lehonti to come down from the mountain 3 times, but he refused everytime. After Amalickiah realised he wasn't going to come down, he went up the mountain just outside their camp and sent messengers again. This time they told Lehonti that he can bring his guards with him if he didn't feel safe. He eventually struck a deal with Lehonti, that he would make Lehonti first in command of the army and he, Amalikiah would be his second. The two armies combined into one. Then Amalickiah had a servant administer poison by degrees to Lehonti until he died and Amalickiah became commander of the army.
When I read this, I was like "Wow! This is exactly how Satan works." He will try to tempt us to get us to come down the mountain many times, and when he sees that he can't, he'll try to get us to take a seemingly innocent few steps down the mountain instead. He will do this with small things that compromise our standards. He will even try to make himself seem like like a friend, and will poison us by degrees until we eventually feel sick or unworthy. One of the ways that he tries to get us to come down the mountain step by step, is to stop doing the small and simple things that feed our spirituality. They can become easy to not do, sometimes making them seem hard to do. But it is by doing those small and simple things that we can be protected against the temptations that comes our way. We need to be praying daily, reading our scriptures daily, going to church every Sunday and serving others. These are the things Satan will try to get us to stop doing because he knows how important they are and help keep us rooted firmly up the mountain. If you are at a point where you feel unworthy and feel you are starting to step down the mountain, DON'T! That is Satan convincing you with his lies! The Saviour's grace is sufficient for all who come unto Him. If you are struggling with your testimony, start by doing the small and simple things and great things will come as a result. I testify of it.
Thanks for everyone and your prayers!
Love you all!
Cheers,
Elder Jakob
Chocolate milk!
Sorry I wasn't able to write home last week. As I've said, my Pday (preparation day) has now changed to Saturday and we were pretty busy this past Saturday. Being an office Elder is pretty exhausting with everything that we have to do.
This is the mission office in Birmingham. Our flat is above the offices.
So Zone conferences are coming this next week, and we have done A LOT of planning for it this week. We have made and ordered some new posters as well. President Hughes wants to focus a lot on companionship unity and being one with Jesus Christ. We also had to figure out where and which missionaries would be staying over night (some places are too far to travel the day of) and we still have yet to book travel for both of the zone conferences.
These are the posters we helped make.
So a little bit about what I do as an office Elder.... we help manage and build upon the Google system that is in place to get things out to missionaries and to automate some of the work here. It makes it easier for everyone. We also book travel for everyone within the mission if they need to get somewhere. We edit and make videos for zone conference, we manage supply orders and send them out to missionaries, and even set up for conference and meetings and make sure that all the tech is working. So it can get really busy.
My new workspace
We have been able to go out a couple day of inviting but not much because of the craziness that is going on around here in preparation for zone conference this week. All of our friends that we are teaching are all on vacation right now, so we haven't been able to have any visits. Next week they should all be back, so hopefully we can start getting back to some teaching appointments.
This ward LOVES to feed their missionaries! We have had a DA (dinner appointment) every day this week so far. I don't want to gain weight.... stop feeding me! Haha! I guess it's just part of the two year sacrifice! I am grateful that we are not starving though, the ward is nice and welcoming too, which is awesome.
This is a kebab. They have kebab shops around here like they have Tim Hortons at home!
Oh, almost forgot, my new companion's name is Elder Farnsworth. He's from Arizona. He's really cool and awesome. So grateful that the Lord has blessed me with companions that I get along with! I hope and pray that in the future when/if I get one that I struggle with, that I will learn patience with myself and for him.
This is not my new companion. He is the Elder I replaced in the office. (My new companion doesn't like pictures... I'll see if I can get one of him next week).
So, this week I was reading in Alma. Honestly, the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon is amazing. There are so many great things to learn, even in the war chapters. I was reading in Alma 47. This chapter is talking about Amalickiah who was using all manner of wicked tactics to become king of the Lamanites.
A bit of context... in the previous chapter, Amalickiah tries to become king of the Land of Zerahemla but Captain Moroni puts a stop to that. He flees to the land of Nephi where the Lamanites are, and stirs up the king there to go fight against the Nephites. The king sends out a decree to go up against the Nephites. There were some that wanted to go, but a lot of them didn't want to, and this latter group of Lamanites fled up a mountain and made a man named Lehonti their leader. Amalickiah was tasked with getting those Lamanites who didn't want to go against the Nephites to join the army who did want to go and fight.
Now in chapter 47, v10-18, Amalickiah sends people to go get Lehonti to come down from the mountain 3 times, but he refused everytime. After Amalickiah realised he wasn't going to come down, he went up the mountain just outside their camp and sent messengers again. This time they told Lehonti that he can bring his guards with him if he didn't feel safe. He eventually struck a deal with Lehonti, that he would make Lehonti first in command of the army and he, Amalikiah would be his second. The two armies combined into one. Then Amalickiah had a servant administer poison by degrees to Lehonti until he died and Amalickiah became commander of the army.
When I read this, I was like "Wow! This is exactly how Satan works." He will try to tempt us to get us to come down the mountain many times, and when he sees that he can't, he'll try to get us to take a seemingly innocent few steps down the mountain instead. He will do this with small things that compromise our standards. He will even try to make himself seem like like a friend, and will poison us by degrees until we eventually feel sick or unworthy. One of the ways that he tries to get us to come down the mountain step by step, is to stop doing the small and simple things that feed our spirituality. They can become easy to not do, sometimes making them seem hard to do. But it is by doing those small and simple things that we can be protected against the temptations that comes our way. We need to be praying daily, reading our scriptures daily, going to church every Sunday and serving others. These are the things Satan will try to get us to stop doing because he knows how important they are and help keep us rooted firmly up the mountain. If you are at a point where you feel unworthy and feel you are starting to step down the mountain, DON'T! That is Satan convincing you with his lies! The Saviour's grace is sufficient for all who come unto Him. If you are struggling with your testimony, start by doing the small and simple things and great things will come as a result. I testify of it.
Thanks for everyone and your prayers!
Love you all!
Cheers,
Elder Jakob
Wow that is some testimony that you shared and thank you, something i really needed to hear today
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