Week 3 in Denver and Getting to Call Home

This week was an amazing week filled with some amazing miracles and some great moments!

Me on a very very cold and windy day with the Denver skyline in the background. Sweet is the work.

One of the greatest things that ever happened so far on the mission is something that I'm sure everyone has already heard about - the ability to call home to talk to my family every single P-Day. What an amazing blessing. We were very lucky when we heard the news. The email came out while we were in a zone conference with Elder Nielson of the seventy who is on the missionary council for the church. He announced it to us a few minutes after the news came out and we were able to have a great discussion about it. It was amazing and full of fantastic insight from someone who was heavily involved in the change. One thing that really stood out to me during all of this was he told a story about how the missionary council was debating how long of a time limit they should put on the missionaries to be able to call home. When the idea of the time limit was presented to President Russel M. Nelson he responded simply with "Don't we trust them?" and so now we don't have a time limit. It was great to hear of how much confidence and trust that the prophet of God has in me and my calling, and that I need to continue to work hard of always being worthy of that trust. It also serves as a great reminder to always be obedient. As we go about everything we do in life we should always strive to be obedient and seek out ways in that we can improve how obedient we are. I know that when we try out best to improve and to follow the Lord better we will see tremendous blessings!

Me and one of my great new friends on the mission, Elder Olsen, taking a post zone conference picture.

One amazing miracle that I saw this week came through one of the people that we're teaching. We weren't sure when we should proceed next with her as she has been taught all of the lessons. We decided to pray and we came to the conclusion that we should put her on date [for baptism]. That seemed very challenging because while she had been taught everything, she didn't seem to have retained much and still had some worrying questions and misunderstandings. We followed this prompting with faith and put her on date for baptism. As we prepared for our next lesson with her I just couldn't help but feel so nervous and even sick to the stomach that maybe we did the wrong thing and that maybe we're pushing her too hard and too fast. I prayed for her so strongly and that we would see a miracle occur within her. As we went to the lesson and went over the baptism questions with her so she would be familiar with them it was so amazing. She testified so strongly of the simple truths that we had taught her and of the restored gospel on the Earth today. It was a miracle to me to see that when we follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost things will always turn out for us. I know that we can see these same miracles in our own lives. As we strive to follow the Holy Ghost and always listen to his promptings, no matter if they make sense to us or not, things will always work out for the better and we will be tremendously blessed for our faith.

Me and one of my companions, Elder McMullens, walking home at night during a heavy snowstorm. [Asthon told us on the phone today that he's had to borrow some hats from his Denver companions because he doesn't have any. He was told in his mission papers to not buy such items until he gets to the Ukraine. We may need to re-think that now that he's in Denver.]

I want to leave with a scripture that reminds me of the change that has come with the ability to call home on P-Days for missionaries. It comes from the story of Captain Moroni and his 2000 stripling warriors in Alma 56:47-48:
 47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

These verses remind me of a very powerful quote that comes from President Harold B. Lee:

“The most important of the Lord’s work that you will ever do will be the work you do within the walls of your own home.”

This opportunity that has been given to us missionaries to call home on P-Day allows us to continue to serve as missionaries within our area as well as being able to be missionaries within the walls of our own homes. It is a chance to testify to our families of the power of Jesus Christ and his atonement, the Father's great plan that he has set for all of our children, as well as the ability to share the miracles that we have seen in the service to our God. Just as the stripling warriors knew of the truthfulness of the gospel through the missionary work that their mothers did within the walls of their homes, I as a missionary now have the chance to do the same. This is, however, a reminder to all of us that we can all be missionaries within our homes and to those around us. I promise that as we seek to help bring others to come unto Christ we will be blessed for our efforts. If we invite, then we get an A+ grade. It is up to everyone and their own agency to choose whether or not to accept. Always take peace in knowing that as you invite people you are receiving an A+ grade from the Lord. Continue to be a missionary to those around you and a light of the truthfulness of the gospel. I promise that as we seek missionary opportunities, they will be provided to us and we will be blessed tremendously for our efforts.

Love you all so much! Have a great week :)