We didn't get the chance to teach Brother Andersen's neighbors because Elder King was sick the whole day! Karma I know right. So I spent the whole day preping the apartment, cleaning and planning for the next coming weeks. Man it got boring after a couple of hours haha. The next day (Wednesday) we had Transfers. Met our Zone Leaders and made the exchange with Elder King. He went with Elder Pitts. And than I waited for Elder Gifford to arrive, than we made the exchange and made our way back to Birkerød.
What a wonderful week we have had. Elder Gifford just came from
Nykøbing. He loves to exercise and was the Safety at Alta High School. He lives
in Draper Utah. Utah I know a real shocker haha. But he spent 7 months in
Nykøbing and finally moved here. He spent a lot of time knocking there, so he's
a professional. haha. Also met up with Elder Call again from my MTC group for
the 1st time since the MTC. That was awesome to find out that he was with Elder
Ogden and now I have 2 Elders from my MTC group now in my District group haha.
Me and Elder Gifford have spent much time in finding new investigators this past
week. We have been trying our hardest to build up a teaching pool again. We have
had many miracles this past week. One was where we knocked on this one man's
door and told him we were Mormons and that we have the Book of Mormon. He
replied that he just ordered a copy! We set up an appointment this next week to
teach him! We have had similar experiences while knocking as well. More than I
have ever had while serving a mission.
Another miracle happened this week where we received a text
message during an appointment with our new investigator. Earlier that day was
not going good. We went out knocking and we had no success. We ignored the
message so that we could finish our appointment. The appointment went okay, but
we quickly left and biked all the way from Birkerød to Sandholm so that we could
teach Bunmi and Adeshina. We later found out after biking our hardest to
Sandholm, that that text message was Bunmi saying that she would be in
Copenhagen signing some traveling paper work. At this point I felt everything
was going wrong. I didn't know what to do. We were stuck. Elder Gifford tried
offering ideas but they didn't work out. I never have prayed so hard for Faith
and what to do in my missionary life. I tried to stay positive and keep my chin
up. I finally thought okay we can go try visiting with a less active (that we
tried earlier that morning). She lived near by and I thought she possible would
be home. We got there and found out her husband wasn't home. So we scheduled a
time we could share a message this next week. After that I had the thought to
visit with the neighbors who were members and ask for referrals with cookies. I
had to pull out the map to find which street they lived on. While looking up the
street a woman and her two kids called out to us ''Are you the mormon
missionaries!'' Yes we are, how do you know us. She replied that she had family
living in the States that were Mormons and she loved that we were out sharing
our message. She told us she like it and thinks that everyone needs our message.
We asked if we could come by next week and share a Christmas message. She replied yes! She is Swedish and her
husband is Danish! But now we have the opportunity to teach a family!
What a miracle, because if we wouldn't have read that text
message from Bunmi after our appointment, than we would have never met her. If
the less active's husband was home than we would have never met her. It was a
testimony to me that the Lord truly puts people in our path, especially when
everything is going wrong and being at the right place at the right time! But we
have found a lot of potential investigators this past week. What a wonder time
to share this message! The work is truly going forth! What a miracle, what a
blessing!
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! I am so excited to skype on Wednesday! See you on Wednesday Read Family!
''Some years ago in our meetinghouse in Darmstadt, Germany, a group of
brethren was asked to move a grand piano from the chapel to the adjoining
cultural hall, where it was needed for a musical event. None were professional
movers, and the task of getting that gravity-friendly instrument through the
chapel and into the cultural hall seemed nearly impossible. Everybody knew that
this task required not only physical strength but also careful coordination.
There were plenty of ideas, but not one could keep the piano balanced correctly.
They repositioned the brethren by strength, height, and age over and over
again—nothing worked.
As they stood around the piano, uncertain of what to do next, a good friend
of mine, Brother Hanno Luschin, spoke up. He said, “Brethren, stand close
together and lift where you stand.”
It seemed too simple. Nevertheless, each lifted where he stood, and the
piano rose from the ground and moved into the cultural hall as if on its own
power. That was the answer to the challenge. They merely needed to stand close
together and lift where they stood.
I have often thought of Brother Luschin’s simple idea and have been
impressed by its profound truth. Tonight I would like to expand on that simple concept, “lift
where you stand.” President Uchtdorf.
''Brothers and sisters, fear will be replaced with faith and confidence
when members and the full-time missionaries kneel in prayer and ask the Lord to
bless them with missionary opportunities. Then, we must demonstrate our faith
and watch for opportunities to introduce the gospel of Jesus Christ to our
Heavenly Father’s children, and surely those opportunities will come. These
opportunities will never require a forced or a contrived response. They will
flow as a natural result of our love for our brothers and sisters. Just be
positive, and those whom you speak with will feel your love. They will never
forget that feeling, though the timing may not be right for them to embrace the
gospel. That too may change in the future when their circumstances change.
It is impossible for us to fail when we do our best when we are on the
Lord’s errand. While the outcome is a result of the exercise of one’s agency,
sharing the gospel is our responsibility.
Trust the Lord. He is the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep, and His sheep
know His voice; and today the
voice of the Good Shepherd is your voice and my voice. And if we are not
engaged, many who would hear the message of the Restoration will be passed by.
Simply stated, it’s a matter of faith and action on our part. The principles are
pretty simple—pray, personally and in your family, for missionary opportunities.
The Lord has said in the Doctrine and Covenants that many people have been kept
from the truth only “because they know not where to find it” (D&C
123:12).
The Lord knows us. He knows we have our challenges. I realize that some of
you may feel heavy laden, but I pray that none of you would ever feel that
reaching out in normal, pleasant ways to share the gospel would ever be a
burden. Rather, it is a privilege! There is no greater joy in life than being
anxiously engaged in the service of the Lord.
The key is that you be inspired of God, that you ask Him for direction and
then go and do as the Spirit prompts you. When members view the work of
salvation as their responsibility alone, it can be intimidating. When they view
it as an invitation to follow the Lord in bringing souls unto Him to be taught
by the full-time elders and sisters, it is inspiring, invigorating, and
uplifting.
We are not asking everyone to do everything. We are simply asking all
members to pray, knowing that if every member, young and old, will reach out
to just “one” between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And what a wonderful gift to the Savior.'' Elder Ballard
And it is not to late! We still have Time =) Keep trying the Lord will
bless you in your efforts! NO effort is wasted!
Love you all and GOD JUL!
Ældste Jantzen Richard Read
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