Transfer calls happened last night, our district is mostly the same (except two of my better friends from the district are leaving) and Elder Giles are staying together here. Sometimes we have it really rough working with each other, but I've come to learn that the more I go out of my way to serve him and do my utmost best to listen and care about him, then we're both happier. That's been the same thing for all of my companions though.
It kinda reminds me of the Character of Christ talk by Elder Bednar. He talks about how even when Christ was going through hardest parts of his life (tempted by Satan after fasting for 40 days, Garden of Gethsamane, on the cross, etc.), he still did everything he could to ''turn outwards,'' when most of us would turn inwards. So through love and patience, I've learned a lot about forgetting all of my garbage, so that I can be more focused on helping others. Then I get happier and so do the people around me =) It's really hard sometimes, but definitely worth it.
Huge thanks to the youth from the ward for sending me that awesome package!!! Let them know that I love it please! They gave me a bunch of letters with their testimonies on them (Wade's was my favorite, funny guy...), awesome toiletry stuff, and Swedish Fish =D Also, they said something about a sister missionary from our ward??? Is Ashlyn Hansen on a mission? Or who? PS, can you please send me the emails of the other guys in the ward who are on missions? That would be A++.
I've seen a lot of miracles these past couple of weeks, mostly from my prayer and faith. Especially, because faith is a verb that requires action and has to be shown to truly mean anything, so dilligent prayer is one of the best ways to do that! Anyways, I had a few experiences where we would be contacting for a long time and people were just being super rude on these days. So I was getting pretty discouraged and sick of it all, but knew I needed to keep going. Part of me wanted to at least go try working somewhere else or do a different type of contacting, but I stuck with it all of these times and just prayed really hard.
Next thing ya know, somebody would show up that would listen. Every time. I've come to figure out a lot more lately about how much power my faith actually gives me. First off, I gain faith by asking questions about whether things are actually true or real. Anything that is good, I hope would be true or real. So I pray about it and study out my questions. As long as I do that dilligently with faith that I can receive an answer, it always happens. No matter what situation. It's amazing.
It goes along a lot with the covenants we make as well. We get serious power from the covenants we make =) No joke. Baptism promises us already so much, especially with the gift of the Holy Ghost. Our endowments are especially powerful. I wish I could go to the temple more often just to better understand my covenants and shares those blessings with others!! It's so cool. But as I've been more respectful of my covenants and trying to understand them better, I've noticed so much more how the Atonement empowers us through our obedience and faith.
Literal power from God. I don't think it gets much better. Too bad not enough people respect their baptismal covenants even, but the sacrament renews all of our covenants. Thank goodness =)
Anyways, I love the Gospel and I'm glad I can bear my testimony with you guys. I'm praying that all of you guys are happy and successful. Love ya and have a great week!