I was trying to figure out what the area needed last week. It seemed like we were just missing a few pieces of the puzzle that we needed to really put this area to work. With a lot of prayer and patience, I was able to find at least one piece that I didn't fully understand before. In sacrament meeting, I was thinking about it when I realized that the one of the less-active members from our area that came to church was first contacted when we were working with a member of the ward. I made the connection that if we can get the active members of the ward in charge of the re-activation efforts, we should be able to have greater success in our work with our less-active members. I'm thankful for the inspiration that led me to that conclusion. I know that God answers prayers.
Earlier in the week, we met with a part-member family we've been trying to help. When we visited them again on Friday, we were talking about some of the questions that the husband, a less-active member, had been having. He wondered why God allowed bad things to happen and what the point of those things was. He's been reading the scriptures pretty intensively lately, and so we were able to share a few scriptures that show what the purpose of trials are. I'm thankful that we have the scriptures there to help us when we need it. They become so much more valuable once you realize that they're not just the words of God to a prophet, they're words of God to you.
The greatest difficulty I experienced this week was less of a problem that I had to face, but rather the realization of something that I will need to face in the future. Last week, we were trying to visit a less-active sister who we've had difficulty contacting. We were finally able to meet her in person, and we learned about her situation. She's been through, and is still going through, a pretty tough life. What's worse is that no one from the church has contacted her in over a year and as a result, no one there knows what's happening with her. When we met with her, she seemed half happy to see us, half wishing that we'd never come. It was a humbling experience and it makes me once again realize that the Home-Teaching program is so much more than just visiting someone every month. It's keeping people connected to the gospel of Jesus Christ and keeping the gospel of Jesus Christ connected to them. I've come to learn that if everyone did their home teaching, most of the problems church members face could be dealt with in a much more effective and efficient way. I decided very early on in my time as a missionary that home teaching was going to be something I did after my mission, and my experience this week reaffirmed my desire to do so.
Earlier in the week, we met with a part-member family we've been trying to help. When we visited them again on Friday, we were talking about some of the questions that the husband, a less-active member, had been having. He wondered why God allowed bad things to happen and what the point of those things was. He's been reading the scriptures pretty intensively lately, and so we were able to share a few scriptures that show what the purpose of trials are. I'm thankful that we have the scriptures there to help us when we need it. They become so much more valuable once you realize that they're not just the words of God to a prophet, they're words of God to you.
The greatest difficulty I experienced this week was less of a problem that I had to face, but rather the realization of something that I will need to face in the future. Last week, we were trying to visit a less-active sister who we've had difficulty contacting. We were finally able to meet her in person, and we learned about her situation. She's been through, and is still going through, a pretty tough life. What's worse is that no one from the church has contacted her in over a year and as a result, no one there knows what's happening with her. When we met with her, she seemed half happy to see us, half wishing that we'd never come. It was a humbling experience and it makes me once again realize that the Home-Teaching program is so much more than just visiting someone every month. It's keeping people connected to the gospel of Jesus Christ and keeping the gospel of Jesus Christ connected to them. I've come to learn that if everyone did their home teaching, most of the problems church members face could be dealt with in a much more effective and efficient way. I decided very early on in my time as a missionary that home teaching was going to be something I did after my mission, and my experience this week reaffirmed my desire to do so.
Last week, we read in Alma 11-15. Once again, we can see in influence of Nehor's teachings. We can also see the power of the Holy Ghost in the teachings Alma and Amulek.
This week, we'll keep going with Alma 16-20. Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Clark
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