From Dad:
Hi Josh,
What is it about a new year that brings a sense of renewal
and a desire to start fresh and set and commit to finish those same goals we
probably set and broke last year! This year is going to be different by golly!
When I pause and reflect on 2016, though, I have to say that
in so many ways we achieved far more than I ever imagined and we did and
accomplished things I didn’t even set goals for!
This Christmas was bounteous to say the least, especially
considering being in our new home.
One of the things that has been on my mind a lot is
considering how we can take the miracle of being here and having this land and
find ways to use it to bless the lives of others. It is really causing me to
look for ways to make our land and home a place where others will want to come
and be uplifted and helped when here.
One somewhat silly example of how this thought affects us is
demonstrated in this little experience we had on our way home New Years on
Sparwood.
After spending some wonderful time with my family at the
Payne Lake Lodge, we committed to Auntie Liz and Uncle Jeff and their family to
stop by their place on our way home to see their new place and visit. We are
very excited for their new home being built. For Christmas they got an air hockey
table and we enjoyed playing that with them. The next day at work, I was
curious how much an Air Hockey table would be on Kijiji, so I scouted around.
Turns out I found someone looking to sell one for $150 that day! When I got
home, I talked to Jen about it and she convinced me that we should buy it on
the premise that we want our home to be a place of gathering and fun. So we did
it! Crazy, eh!.
This week’s house project has been the building of the
library shelves. Mom got some great ideas from Pinterest and we were able, with
the help of Sam and the kids to build some Ikea shelves on our library wall and
make a wonderful floor to ceiling bookshelf. It is super exciting to start
putting books in and it is just another tender mercy of seeing some of our
dreams come true!
One of my favorite gifts this Christmas was the book “The
Washington Hypothesis”. It is a second book by this author that discusses the
powerful impact that Abraham Lincoln and George Washington had on preparing the
way for the restoration of the gospel and temple covenants by restoring the
National Book of Mormon Covenant (Keep the commandments and prosper else be
destroyed). One insight that really struck me was the discussion of why if this
is the promised land with a covenant of prosperity based on righteous living do
so many righteous people including members and non-members sometime struggle
economically? The suggestion in this book is that there is a difference between
the promise of the promise land based on the general righteousness of the
people vs. the individual covenants we make with the Lord. The National
covenant means that everyone will have the freedom to make individual covenants
and that there will be general prosperity to help protect and grow the restored
gospel and church. Individually, we will undergo the necessary trials to help
us spiritually become like God and sometimes that may mean economic struggles.
It has caused me to think a lot about covenants and again about how we can
covenant this land we now live on to the building up of the kingdom of God.
This week we had a fun YM activity down at the lake below
the Patrick’s. Bro. Patrick cleared a spot on the lake and we had spotlights
set up for a good old Canadian shinny hockey game. We had a bonfire going and
had about 5 people on each team. I was pretty sore when it was done, but it was
great fun.
I suggested in my last letter that I would like to share
some of my mission experiences with you.
One of the most treasured experiences of my mission came
right at the end. I have probably shared this experience before, but here it
is:
It was the end of a long day of tracting and missionary work
and we were on our way home for the day. I was serving in Ottawa and my
companion was Elder Weckesser. As we left the last apartment we were tracting
in, a pretty Haitian lady was climbing the stairs as we descended. I felt the
prompting to GQ her and she couldn’t talk then but gave us her name and number.
Her name was Catherine Chery. As we began to teach her she felt the
spirit and came to both English and French church with us. On the 3rd
discussion she struggled to understand the need for 1 true church and the
importance of prophets and apostles. We invited her to kneel with us and we
took turns praying. This is what I wrote in my journal. “After the prayer we
stayed on our knees, heads bowed and felt the spirit burn within us. She felt
it strongly and could hardly talk. We told her it wsa the spirit of the Lord
testifying to her that what we were telling her is true. The spirit stayed
strong as we finished the discussion”. I also recall that while we were
kneeling the phone rang and she waited for a few rings, quickly stood up
answered and told them she was busy and knelt down again, not wanting to lose
the feelings of the spirit.
After some wonderful teaching experiences and some fasting
and prayer, Catherine was my last baptism of my mission the Sunday before I
left. Here is the Journal entry from that day:
We surely enjoyed seeing and talking with you and we love to
hear your experiences.
Have a great and productive week. Seek and teach by the
spirit.
Love Dad.
From Josh:
My how time flies, I
have been with my companion Elder Blodgett for almost three months now and
transfers are next week, I have a feeling I will be moving but that will be
confirmed next week, I have to say though that I hope I don't, this ward is
really fun to be around, lots of amazing people and great adventures already,
Sherman Oaks has a range of landscapes.
But I really don't
know if I would live here or not, this land is the land of the movie business,
and its prices are prices for really rich people. Example:
But I love it out here nonetheless,
The other day we were knocking down this back street and it
was getting dark, we knocked on this one door and this big black guy opened up,
he didn't look happy, this guy had to be nearly a foot taller then both of us,
and his arms were as thick as tree trunks, he told us that he wasn't religious
and I nearly had to choke out the words I spoke, but luckily the spirit came in
and we asked if we could share a message with him and his family, he told us to
make it short, and so we started in on the restoration, he didn't look really
receptive pretty much the whole time but we used short simple statements and
testified of each one being unified in purpose we switched off and the words
seemed to flow from our mouths so beautifully and finally we told him about the
Book of Mormon how it is the witness of all we talked about, he stopped us and
said he had a question, I was preparing myself to answer his question through
the scriptures when he asked something I didn't expect "where can I buy a
copy of that book?" I was taken aback for a couple seconds, luckily my
companion jumped in and said that we would give him a copy for free for him to
find out what was true. I asked him if he was an honest seeker of truth and he
told us only when the truth presented itself to be found, and I boldly
testified that this was that very moment that the truth was right in front of
him and he was getting access to it now. when I said that his hardened face
broke into a smile not a smile of humor but of joy and of sincere happiness, he
accepted a copy of The Book of Mormon and a date to come back next week and
teach his family these things. I know that the Spirit truly comes at the very
hour we need it as long as we treasure up in our hearts those things that will
benefit the lives of others.
Honestly being a missionary is wonderful, but it can be hard
sometimes, you need to have an abiding trust in God a hope that things will
turn out for the good in your life and the lives of others. When you can learn
to maintain an eternal perspective you will be able to see trials for what they
are, opportunities to learn and grow, experiences meant for your benifit, I
really love the knowledge we have of the plan of salvation, that when we know
we can be together forever, death becomes simply a momentary parting where we
can have a hope to see each other again. So when you experience hardship in
life remember to always take it as it is a learning experience.
I love you all so much!
Joshua
I love your experience of meeting the tree trunk man! It
goes to show that you never can tell from the outside. The Lord looks on the
heart. I wish I could do that. :)
Time is going to go really fast now, Josh. Make it matter!
Love,
Mom
P.S. You have two packages on the way. One from us (I like
calling it your New Year's package) and one from Kurri and the rest of the
family.
Josh Reply:
Haha I couldn't do it either, it was literally the spirit
because all I was thinking about was trying not to pee myself.
Yay, I am excited for the packages! I love you so
much!
Mom Reply:
Currently...
(Ben is at school, Dad is at work.)
Josh Reply:
NOOOOOOO! Puffed wheat squares my only weakness!!
Mom Reply:
Do you think they'll
last three weeks in the mail? If you like them rock hard, we could give it a
shot! Lol!
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