Dear Family and Friends,
This week was once again an amazing week and I hope and pray that everyone is doing well at home! Once again this week I strive to do everything I can to be 100% obedient because I know it is only then when the heavens are open and we are given the power to convert thousands of souls unto Jesus Christ just like the Sons of Mosiah. I look up to the Sons of Mosiah every single day. Their mission was probably one of the hardest missions in the history of the world, but as they trusted and had faith threw the strength of heaven they converted thousands. I hope each and every day to just get closer to as good of missionaries as they were. But here are the best experiences that happened this week!!
First of all, tuesday was a great day because of what happened at the end of the day. We had been working hard all day and not have anything come of it. But what I have noticed just two weeks into my mission that if you endure those tough times, then you will be lead to success. So we came home for dinner and I was sitting at the door waiting for Elder Shaffer so we could get back to work and I got prompted to grab a Plan of Salvation pamphlet, not knowing why but trusting in the Spirit I did so. Then we went out harvesting, which is basically knocking on doors and asking them if they would like a blessing from Jesus Christ to put a peace and comfort on their home, and we blessed three homes in a half hour with a bunch of new investigators that seem really solid! Then at the end of the day when we were about to go home we starting talking to this guy on the street and seeing if we could leave our Savoirs peace and blessing upon his home. By talking to him we found out that he lost his daughter a couple of years ago and because that happened his belief in God dwindled to unbelief. It was then that I remembered the Spirit had prompted me to grab a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and I was obedient. So I gave it to him and we committed him to read about it and truly ponder what it had to say. I know because of this experience that if we are 100% obedient we can draw upon the powers of heaven to let us know what to do. Because when all we can do is done, we still need the powers of heaven to bring souls unto Jesus Christ. We cannot do this work on our own. Just as Ammon said when he came home from his mission in Alma 26:12, "Yea, I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak. Therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God. For in His strength we can do all things...".This week we met so many amazing people harvesting though! There is a man named Mike who has an incredible amount of faith in Jesus Christ and knowledge of the Bible. We blessed his home and taught him the restoration. Then of course we asked him to commit to be baptized and he wasn't sure. But he recognized the Spirit when we were there with him so we asked him to bring the question before the Lord, and that we know if he goes before Him with faith that he will recieve an answer. Oh and Mike is 100% blind!! He has endured so much threw Jesus Christ in his life and even played football in college while he was blind! Also on Friday we had a great day of harvesting! Thursday night we set high goals cause we knew if we had faith that the Lord would provide a way to accomplish our goals. Then in one hour of harvesting we got three blessings, seven new investigators, and three people with baptisimal dates! It was such an amazing experience and helped me realize that with hard work and faith that Jesus Christ will be along our side helping us do His work, absolutely anything is possible! With faith anything is possible!
Overall I have learned so much this week and know that if I trust in the Lord with all my heart that he will direct my paths, Proverbs 3:5-6. I see it every single day out here in Wellington. One talk that has been on my mind a lot this week has been the Character of Christ by Elder Bednar. In it he says that we need to develop the Character of Christ as representitives of Jesus Christ, and His character is to always turn outward. When the natural man would normally turn inward and start thinking about himself, Christ would turn outward and think of other people and that is exactly what we need to do as missionaries in this great work! I have grown to love every single person in Wellington no matter if they accept the gospel of Jesus Christ or not. It is their choice and they have the agency to do so, but it is my choice to bring them this great gospel that has blessed my life so much!
So the work in Wellington is doing amazing!! We have two baptisms scheduled this week that as long as everything goes as planned Saturday and getting tthey should be getting dunked on he Holy Ghost this next Sunday so I'm super pumped for both of those! We also have a lot of good progressing investigators that we really just need to push over that edge and get them to get baptized! I really wish everyone out here would see us as who we really are, representitives of Jesus Christ and accept us as that. So you could say I'm trying every single day to be more like Jesus so that more people will see me as a representitive of Jesus Christ. But mission life is amazing I love it down here in sunny Florida! The people and culture down here is what I love the most! But to answer some of your questions so you guys don't get mad at me for not answering them my companion is from Springville Utah. He is a really great guy but he frustrates me a lot of the time cause he doesn't always wanna work hard and be exactly obedient. He said he follows "the spirit of the law" when you are suppose to be 100% obedient but I'm just working my hardest!! I love serving the Lord and have never experienced more happiness and joy in my entire life that helping souls come closer to Jesus Christ! I love you all family and friends and please write letters. I accept letters from everyone I promise!! You all are always in my prayers and pray for the people of Wellington to soften their hearts for the message of the true and restored gospel.
With Love,
Elder Pond
