bask in the glory

Hi guys. It is a beautiful day and I am pretty happy today. That’s real nice because this past week, as I wrote in my weekly letter to President Pehrson, has been like bungy jumping! Way up high, then waaaaaay down low, and then way up high again real fast. Crazy man. Freakin’ rollercoaster! I know I say that every week. Man I’m kinda not in the mood to write a mass of details right now which is a shame because some wonderful things happened this week.

The crowning event of this week was this lesson we had with our investigator Rob. And I was actually on exchanges, so our District Leader Elder Taylor was with me instead of Elder Mansfield. How refreshing that was, to know that I had a great Elder by my side, who I knew was actively trying to help Rob as much as I was. Who I knew was thinking as much as I was, trying to help Rob overcome his barriers. So nice. Elder Mansfield just isn’t a thinker like that. He’s not sharp in that sense. So anyway, this lesson was mind blowing. It’ll go down in the record books. In Alma 5 he poses that question, “if you have experienced a change of heart” to the people of the church. We witnessed, in this lesson, the change of heart. We saw it take place by the power of the Holy Ghost as it spoke through us and to Rob. As it entered unto and into his heart. It was amazing. Honestly.

Robs biggest dilemma was tattoos. He’s had a pretty real witness that the church is true, and was pretty much sure he would be baptized in time, but wasn’t sure when, and wanted to get a few more tattoos before he did so. We’d talked to him about it, but it was like he wasn’t done sinning before he would change, ya know. He needed to get a few more tats, smoke a few more cigs, that kinda thing. Well, the spirit blew us all away on this visit. Through the scriptures, through testimony, through sharing personal experiences (what a blessing to choose the right because I was able to relate prefectly to Rob because of something I sacrificed as I prepared for a mission. He knew I knew exactly how he felt!), it all came full circle. In a matter of about one hour, Rob knew he couldn’t get anymore tattoos. I wish you all could know Rob and see and understand what an amazing amount of progression this was. Tattoos are a passion for him. I felt bad that he was going to have to give them up to make covenants. I wish I could walk you through everything that was said and felt. I know that Elder Taylor and I were instruments in the Lords hands at this time. We could never have accomplished this on our own. Since this visit, Rob has had no desire to get tattoos anymore. He quit smoking. He hasn’t smoked in 5 days now. Barely had an urge! I don’t know how to describe this to you! It’d be like if 3 or 4 years ago, you told me that snowboarding was a sin, and I thought about it for a week, and then someone sat down with me for an hour, and afterwards I didn’t want to snowboard ever again! Can you imagine that!?! Like that would’ve ever happened!

HA! But it did happen. It happened to Rob because the spirit of the Lord entered into his heart, and as King Benjamins people put it, he had no more desposition to do evil, but to do good continually. I am not even kidding one bit. In the one month that I have been here I have seen Rob become the most positive person I have ever met. Seriously almost too positive. I feel like he might need to take it down a notch! He doesn’t let anything bother him! Its crazy, I wish I could be like that. I feel like I kinda had a similar experience deciding to go on a mission. That really diminished many of my former desires. Or at least I was able to give many things up very easily that I formerly would have had great difficulty doing. The Lord removed those tempations from us as we opened our hearts. YES!

So yea, pretty much a highlight of …the mission I suppose. Preparation paid off, and we observed the mighty change of heart (see Mosiah 5:2. Just read the Book of Mormon). There was so much more I could never explain to you that took place in this one hour period of time. This was one of those things that missionaries live for. Teaching experience like this. Its what makes it all worth it. I think about seeing Rob get baptized, which it looks like there is a real good likelihood I will, and how amazing it would be to see both Rob and Natasha get baptized, both of whom have made such incredible turn arounds in their lives. Not all while I taught them, but to see two people who were truly prepared by the Lord to receive the Gospel. I would be perfectly content if I only had those two baptisms. Lasting converts. But that’s in their hands not mine.

Alright enough about Rob. I could go on all day into detail. Elder Taylor made the comment after in the car – “I wish that all missionaries could have experiences like that.” Truly. We were very blessed on this day. It was wednesday.

In addition to that the next day was lovely because I had to give a training in District meeting on Relying on the Spirit. Again, preparation paid off and I felt it was great! I was on this insane spiritual high! I was floating. It was all too good to be true. But as I said…bungy jumping…I don’t know what happened exactly. I was having a bout of trouble figuring out how to be effective in certain activities and times of day and it really started to bring me down. It was a combination of many things, but man…I came down. Saturday – worst day I’ve had a loooong time! And if you looked at all the things we did, it was a good day! We got 2 new investigators, which is a huge blessing! Again – I don’t know exactly what the heck happened. I was so excited to go to church. I didn’t even know if it was going to make me feel better, but I sorta just really felt it would. And it did. The Holy Ghost. Gosh I love the Gospel.

One thing I recognized that I have really started to learn in the past few months is how much work, or service, whatever you want to call it, can really deliver you (me). We have these things that we use to cope with stress in our lives. Music, running, going for a drive, a hike, whatever it is for each of us that kinda takes the edge off. They talk a lot about forgetting yourself as a missionary. Not only does that help the people you serve, but I think it really helps the individual too. Amidst my awful day and a half this week, I noticed that when I was visiting people or teaching them, or preparing or whatever, all was well. I didn’t have time to worry about myself or feel sorry for myself. I had to worry about other people. I had to forget about myself because there was a more important work to be done. And that can be such a form of deliverance. To forget yourself and get lost in service to others. That has a familiar ring, I’m pretty sure the prophets have always told us that. Ha. The gospel is true, and we learn by doing. I used this quote in my training in district meeting, heard it at the MTC. “You either learn by listening, or you learn by suffering.” Ha. I always learn by suffering. Just seems to be the only way anything will stick! But anyway, I love when I learn these lessons of the gospel by experiencing them. Such a testimony. If we don’t do, we forget. If we don’t do, we don’t understand. That’s why so many people have misunderstandings about us as a faith. Its why so many people don’t get to experience the blessing of the gospel when we teach it to them. They don’t act. They don’t experiment upon the word. Doing is important isn’t it. I’ll learn that one over and over for the rest of my life I’m sure.

Wellll… life is good. Its all in the attitide isn’t it. Perspective. I do enjoy being a missionary. I love having a tag on my shirt. I love the feeling. Sometimes I feel like I’m terrible at it, but I like it mostly. Yet sometimes, IT IS SO HARD! But I guess I’ll figure it out. I hope I do. Hope all is well for everyone. I love you all. So much! Miss you and can’t wait to sit at our table again for a delicious dinner! Oh and my shoes soles are starting to see their last days too! We’ll see, cause I don’t walk so much here, but they do have the first signs of demise right now. I’m a missionary! Talk to you soon!

Love David Austin

so much for not feeling like details huh