Hey everybody!
So this is by FAR the most beautiful place I've been to in my life. Unfortunately, nobody wants to listen to missinaries so the work isn't necessarily the most satisfying but it is here. President just told me "Banff just needs some tapping into." Well Elder Mercado and I are tapping away to everyone we can. I feel our contacting skills have improved because in Lethbridge, I was not very well experienced but now I've handed out more Books of Mormon in the past 2 weeks than I did in the past 4 months.
Bro McCouatt (BML), Elder Mercado and I spoke on missionary work this Sunday. Bro McCouatt bore his testimony that as he has accepted challenges from the missionaries, he has found more peace in his life even with all of the trials he is going through such as he and his daughter having cancer, going through a financial recession and the list goes on and on. He is going through a lot but he still is able to find peace and joy amidst all of those challenges as he strives to share the gospel with his friends. He said the 7 day challenge is no longer something he does once in a while. It is now a standard for him. He basically 7 day challenges himself every week. It was wonderful to be able to feel the Spirit in that meeting.
President Yawney (BP) challenged each family to have a mission plan. He turned to CH 13 in PMG and showed everyone what a ward mission plan should entail. Then, he left it up to each family to develop their own goals mission plans. He also had us speak and we talked about how we were more than willing to help each family reach their goals. We asked if we could follow up with each family and see how their mission plans are going. I think a family mission plan is a wonderful tool to focus your missionary efforts and to show Heavenly Father that we are sincere about inviting others to come unto Christ. That is why I would like to invite you, family, to come up with your personal/family mission plans so that you cannot only just say,"Yeah, I'm missionary minded," but also so that you can SHOW your Heavenly Father that you are missionary minded and that inviting others to come unto Christ is something that you hunger after. Are you willing to dothat?
Well, during my talk I was asked to talk about what makes me passionate about missionary work. I said there's about 531 pages of why I am passionate about missionary work. It's the Book of Mormon. It's the knowledge and the personal witnesses I've had in my life that have confirmed to me that the Book of Mormon is true. It is the word of God and it does bring us closer to God than any other book, just like the prophet Joseph said. Coming to have that knowledge did not come overnight. It came through personal experiences where I knew that God's hand was in my life. Ever since I had started reading the Book of Mormon to find out whether or not it was true, I realized a change within myself. I realized I was happier around others, I made more friends, I was more social, I had a positive outlook on life, church was finally fun and meant something to me, my prayers were more sincere. The list goes on and on but the bottom line is that by reading and applying the principles found in the Book of Mormon, my life was at the happiest moment it had ever been. Now, the Spirit is in my life constantly as I follow the teachings of Christ and as I keep his commandments.
I also talked about the impact my family had on me. Being the youngest of six, it is really easy to watch everyone else and to follow everyone else's examples. Well, am I sure glad I had the best examples Heavenly Father could have given me. By watching each of you siblings, I was able to learn what things I should do and what things I shouldn't do. Following Jesus Christ and His restored gospel is what I should do and what brings me themost happiness. So thanks family.
I hope all isgoing well with everyone. Sorry the space bar is lame and doesnt work wellbut I hope you can work with me. Keep praying andkeep reading. Theyresimple,but important.
Love,
Elder Madsen
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