Dear Family and Friends,
I kinda forgot what week it is that I've been out so yea. But this week was amazing!! The Spirit directed us to some amazing people and helped us bring people unto Jesu Cristo!! Heavenly Father even gave us the power and authority to baptize and confirm one soul this week!! Even though it was suppose to be three.. But it still was absolutely amazing and I'll tell ya'll about a little bit later. But guess what!? I've been starting to get a southern accent by saying stuff like ain't and ya'll and things like that! Down here in Wellington there are a whole bunch of Hispanics, Jamaicans, and Hatians which makes it wayy hard cause I don't speak Spanish, Creo, or Jamaican!! And yes Jamaican is a language beause I honestly cannot understand our Jamaican investigator Walter sometimes, it really is like he is speaking a totally different language. But I'm still waiting for that Spanish English dictionary so I can actually kinda talk to the hispanics down here in Wellington! The weather down here is wayy sweet!! It will be wayy hot and ya'll will feel the sun beating down on you, and then out of no where it will start pouring rain! They call it the wall of rain down here in South Florida and they say biking threw it is basically like biking threw a swimming pool. I haven't got to experience the wall of rain yet but I am very excited for my first experience. And I never realized how much I loved the mountains until I got here to Florida for three weeks and it is as flat as a pancake!! It's soo different. Oh and we have a bike car share area with the Wellington North Elders. So every other week we get a car but the other weeks we have to bike and I hate biking cause it takes much longer to get to appointments and stuff like that. But they actually bought us a new 2012 Malobu so it's pretty nice. We also get fed very well here in Wellington so I've been having to get up early and work out hard so I don't get chubby!! Cause here in Wellington we have a very special tender mercy of the Lord. The Bishop of our ward is amazing and so are the members!! But the bishop and a couple of members own the McDonalds here so all of the missionaries get free McDonalds any time we want!! I'm already kinda getting tired of it.. So if I ever visit Wellington again I'll have to remember my missionary tag to get free Mickey D's. The members also feed us very well. A week from this Sunday we went over to the Somoan families house and they defiently put out on food it was amazing!!
But I know without a doubt that the people of Southern Florida are ready for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and I know it is mine and Elder Shaffers duty to bring that to the people of South Wellington.
This week I was reflecting on obedience and my thoughts were turned to a bunch of different things that I would love to share with you. One was a talk written by President Monson entitled Finding Strength through obedeince. He says, "There is no need for you or me in this enlightened age, when the fulness of the gospel has been restored, to sail uncharted seas or travel unmarked roads in search of the fountain of truth. For a loving Heavenly Father has plotted our course and provided an unfailing map—obedience!" Then that helped me turn and think about the Sons of Mosiah and once again the great example they are to me. I can relate to them cause in my life I had a turning point where I decided to follow Christ more and I saw the happyness that the gospel of Jesus Christ brought into my life, and I wanted to share that same happyness with other people. I love the 17th chapter in Alma where it kinda talks about the conversion process of the Sons of Mosiah. In Alma 17:2-3 it reads:
2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel afirst appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had bsearched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel afirst appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had bsearched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and afasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.
That brings me to the point that as we do those things we are suppose to do as representitives of Jesus Christ and be exactly obedient, we will teach with power and authority just like the Sons of Mosiah and will convert thousands unto the truth. The only way that we can do that is threw exact obedience.
One thing that I have come to know on the mission is how hard of work it really is. But I have seen exactly why we need to be obedient at all times. Because I know if we are exactly obedient, then we can call upon the powers of heaven to help us and that will bless many peoples lives, and blessing peoples lives just gives me so much joy!
This week we saw much success in harvesting as we strived to reach Presidents commitment of 15 blessings! We helped a lot of people come closer to Jesus Christ and one lady even cried during the blessing she loved it so much. She said that she knew we were sent from God to help her and her husband. One way that I saw how being exactly obedient helped me to call upon the powers of heaven was during harvesting. Elder Shaffer and I always do everything that we can to be exactly obedient in every way. I know because of that God blesses us to be led by the spirit while blessing a nonmembers home. Because almost every single home that we blessed expressed their gratitude to us and they knew that blessing was from God because it related to every single one of them. By listening to the Spirit we are able to be BOLD and promise blessing in peoples lives if they but follow Jesus Christ more fervantly in their lives.
The person that we got the privilage of baptizing this week is a Haitian man named Amos. His famlily was baptized three weeks ago and I know threw the Spirit we were able to bring him the restored gospel of truth. Just as the Sons of Mosiah the Spirit allows us to teach with the power and authority of God. I got the honor of baptizing Amos and it was such a spiritual experience. For all of my friends and Zac who are either on missions and havent baptized yet, or about to go on missions I cannot wait for you to have this experience. I felt soo much JOY by even being a part of this baptism and am eternally greatful that the Lord has lead us to two souls who were ready for the gospel of Jesus Christ already in my mission!!
El Bellion and Kyle if you guys are in Orlando you better be comin down to Wellington!! haha just kiddin President Anderson would kill me. But ya'll will love it in Florida and Laboe it's insane that you are leaving so soon!! You're farewell is in a week!? I better be recieving a letter with your addresses and everything bro!!
P Payne what's been up with you bra!? I'll be sendin ya a letter here soon to see don't worry.
And of course Big V!! I'm waiting for your letter to inform me how Milly is doing without the Brighton Boys thank you!!
Ah I love you all and thank you soo much for the prayers for me as well as the people of Wellington! I miss ya and think about ya'll every day!!
With Love,
Elder Pond
