New Companion: Elder Nelson
New Area: Tarzana San fernando
New Stake: Canoga Park
New Assignment: Car area
New Apartment: Unknown at the moment
Transfers were today and I am super new to the area I am a
little sad to leave such a great ward as Sherman Oaks but i know it is the
Lords will, back to my old Zone fun stuff, I am still trying to figure
things out, I am new but not uncertain, something I feel like I learned most in
Sherman Oaks was to bear testimony at every opportunity, there was so many
times that bashers and trouble makers tried to disprove us but bearing
testimony of the truth of the thing in which they were so apposed was the best
way to make them wonder about what we believed, and even though they didn't
necessarily change their minds because of it they knew for a fact that I
believed it with all my heart and that they could too if they were willing to
discover the truth of it, I found out the importance of studying to strengthen
the testimony that I have. a few days ago we picked up someone who wasn't
interested at all just by bearing testimony of every thing we taught, when I
asked her why she wanted to learn more about the church, she said, "I can
see the conviction and passion you have when you talk about it and I want to
know more" So at every opportunity whether a missionary or not, first gain
a testimony that is unshakable, then bear it with all the passion that you have
felt in learning it, if you don't enjoy learning about it then you won't enjoy
telling others about it, so learn to love learning the gospel and never give up
on your studies.
Another experience the other day was we knocked into this
guy who grew up jehovah's witness but got out of it and said it was a cult,
then turned to us and said that we were a cult too, and in order to get out of
it we had to find something to doubt then dive into it, basically magnify the
doubt until it is so big that it blots out the truth you have learned, and he
is right, that is exactly how you can get out of believing this church is true,
and that is to ignore the truth of it. As you do this you will lose your
testimony, lose a connection with the divine, and in the end, end up like him
an anti-theist someone who isn't even atheist but abolishes any kind of
religion or form of belief, I related that to marriage as an example, when you
marry someone it is out of pure love for that one person, or some aspect of
them, then you can choose to pursue it and focus on the wonderful love and
everything you love about the person, and let that over power you to love the
person unconditionally, or you can find a flaw or doubt and dive into it like
he said and then end up in a divorce with ends up hurting the other individual
and all others around it and involved with it. So in the end I choose to follow
Elder Uchtdorfs council to doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. As
you do so a greater light and knowledge will be added unto you, and that is a
promise
To answer Mom's Question in a recent letter from december 4
about Luke 14:25-34 I would think that he is forcefully drilling in a point to
rely wholeheartedly on being a disciple of the Lord, in a way I forsook my
family to come here, leaving you behind so I could focus fully on my calling
from the Lord. it does not mean I will abandon you forever, but I must be
willing to move past hardships that may be facing us at home and focus on
blessing the lives of others, it may be hard to say but if one of us died, then
there would be a brief mourning period but we would still have a desire to and
have to move past that fact and dedicate ourselves to the work, with the hope
that one day we will be reunited, we will live together forever, as we all
dedicate ourselves to the lord
I love you all so much, see you in another 11 months.
Josh
From Mom:
Just hanging out until Ben's basketball practice starts. We
are on a tight budget so I told Mia we would go to A&W and spend on
whatever she found in my purse. She found $14 in change. What?
Dad is in Albany, New York on business. Sam is at home, and
we're here.
Mom and Josh Conversation:
Josh:
A few random pictures
Mom:
I think I told you already but there is a package coming for
you. There is $200 USD for you to buy some new pants...
LOVE YOU!
Josh:
haha I got it! thanks so much Mom, I really loved all the
letters and what everyone wrote, I loved the Canadian chocolate everyone
flipped out and loved it so much.
Mom:
So glad! Yay! You got it sooner than I thought!
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