Week 68- United Efforts

This week's miracles have been of the unexpected sort. On Thursday after a new arrivals training meeting, we were heading back home on the train. We were running a bit late and I was pretty sure we weren't going to be making it back to the flat before nine o'clock. It was a little frustrating, so I prayed and asked Heavenly Father to find someway to use us. Well, my prayers have been answered before, and they were answered again. Elder Jordan had a feeling that he needed to talk to a man who was sitting on one of the benches looking a bit out of it. His name was David. They got to talking, and Elder Jordan found out that he was in the middle of an anxiety attack. He didn't think God loved him. He was going to the same train station as us, so we rode with him and tried to help him out. When we got to our destination, we went out of the station and were waiting at the stoplight when he said he needed to lie down. He walked back to the station and laid down on the ground. We weren't really sure what to do, but we knew we had to help him. We decided to try and say a prayer with him. We asked him, but he didn't really respond, he just breathed heavily. It was at this point we realized that he needed medical help as well. A few good Samaritans (some of whom were actually doctors) came by and helped us help him. We also called an ambulance and got him in the hand of the people who would know what to do. By this point, it was nearly 9:30, so we ran home as quickly as we could and collapsed in the flat, but we were happy that the Lord had used us to reach out to someone who needed his help. Preach My Gospel says that no effort is wasted, and I know this experience will be for the good of everyone involved. David, the doctors, the people at the train station, and who knows how many others?

One of my favorite teaching experiences this week was the time we had to meet with our bishop and his family. We shared a spiritual thought about putting off the natural man and stepping out of our comfort zone. Then, we invited them do step out of their comfort zone and pray for opportunities to share the gospel. It was a really good lesson, and I think there are great things to come! As Bishop was giving us a ride home, he was telling us about one of his friends who also happens to know our former bishop. He has lot of family who are members as well. It seems the Lord is putting our new bishop in a position to share the gospel and inspire the ward to do missionary work.

The "My Family" booklet is great. I've filled out the information for my parents and I. Obviously, I'm not done yet, but since I've been using it, I realize that this booklet could hardly contain all of the stories and experiences I value with my family. That's an amazing thing about having family history online. There is nearly infinite space to record the experiences that make us who we are. Using family history as a finding tool is something I'm still working on, but I think that if I have so much desire to record and share the stories of the lives of the people I love, other people might too. Family history is such an inspired program. It turns the hearts of the children to their fathers and connects all of us to what is really important.

Last week, we finished the book of Ether. Again, we can see that as the people succumb to their own pride, they destroy themselves. Humility is so important.

This week, we'll start the last book of The Book of Mormon, Moroni. It seems like a few days ago we were starting this whole thing. We'll read chapters 1-5

Love,

Elder Clark