Monday, May 15, 2017

We are All in this Together



Paul teaching Timothy said, 
"I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

We not only endure trials for our own learning and experience
but as we do so we are to help others along their path. 
I am so grateful for the opportunity I have as a missionary to play a direct part in helping people find Christ and experience God's love. 
We are all in this together. 
Lift each other and experience the joy of the Gospel together. 
It is truly such a wonderful thing!


This week was full of awesome experiences. 
One evening last week we were leaving an investigator's home and her little girl loves the missionaries. And as we were leaving she ran out to us and wanted to give us a kiss on the cheek. We tried to tell her we can't. She then started crying and was devastated and ran back into her house. We basically destroyed this little girls dreams! But we did what we were supposed to do! 
Then, the next day, Elder Merrill and I were just exercising in the morning
when we got a text from a member. 
She said that her boyfriend, Glenn, wants to meet with us and become a member of the church! Of course we were super excited and couldn't wait to meet him. It was truly a blessing....Especially after making a little girl cry the night before. :-)  Well we had our first lesson with Glenn and he is awesome! 
He loved the first lesson and set June 3rd as his baptismal date! 
He wants to be ALL IN and not do this half way or only for a month. 
He then asked for a Book of Mormon so he could start reading. 
I'm so excited to see how his testimony grows in these next few weeks! 

We also had an awesome discussion with this guy named Brian. 
We knocked on his door a few weeks ago but finally touched bases again this week. We had a solid hour and a half conversation on his porch about these questions that he has had since he was a teenager. He has a hard time truly believing that there is a God and that one man, Jesus Christ, died for our sins. We talked a lot about spiritual experiences and why we are on missions. 
As we shared some scriptures from the Book of Mormon with him
his face just lit up and he seemed like a kid that just saw
his new bike on Christmas morning! 
He wants to believe that there is a God but is struggling to understand that. 
We assured him that even having only a desire is enough to get started
on the path back to Heavenly Father. 
It was probably the most heartfelt conversation I've had
with someone I have just met outside on their doorstep. 

I truly appreciate those that are searching for what is true. 
We cannot simply accept what we have always heard. 
We must search for ourselves and build our own beliefs. 
Without truly believing in something on our own we will eventually fall. 

My mission has given me the atmosphere that I have needed to develop my own testimony and has solidified my beliefs. 
The joy that has come from it is amazing and I am forever grateful for the people I have met during my mission. They have taught me so much! 

This Sunday was a great way to finish off the week! 
Toni and Hussein (he is being taught by other missionaries but came to our service) came to church! 

I had a great time skyping my family too. 
They are such a wonderful support for me and it is so crazy to think that was my last skype call home. 
Now as I approach the home stretch, I hope to keep pushing as hard as I can
to do what I know is right. 

Thank you all for your support! 
I won't be able to email a whole lot tomorrow because we will be going on a church history tour almost all day. I will send a bunch of pictures later in the day! 

Have a wonderful week and Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mother's that help this world go round!:) 
I love you Mom!:) 

- Elder Odland

We designed these awesome Zone T-shirts




A picture from MLC (Merrill, Roberts, Bagley, Odland, Deurksen, Evans.)


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