Week 96 - Fasting on a Fifth Week

We've had another pretty good week in Eastwood. The new investigator we found last week has a lot of potential to be a great member of the ward. I am very excited to continue working with her. We also had a good lesson with our part-member family. We've made contact with several less-active members, and just generally enjoyed ourselves in the work this week. Also, I think it's worth mentioning here that the Greenwich ward testimony meeting yesterday had quite a few members talking about their recent missionary experiences. It's all been a blessing. The strongest experience I had with God this week was the lesson we had last night with our part-member family. We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The father of the family seems to get it all, but he acknowledges that his concerns are really more social than doctrinal. As the lesson was finishing, Elder Rencher asked if there was anything that the mother of the family would like to add. She talked about how this process of having the missionary discussions could rightfully be considered a matter of his personal spirituality, but that beyond that, the gospel was something that the family as a whole needed. The spirit was so strong, and when they turned to me and asked if there was anything else I wanted to say, I had nothing more to say. The spirit had done all of the talking.

Since the teacher was away at a baby blessing this weekend, Elder Rencher and I taught the ward's sunday school mission preparation class. Since we had spent most of last week's class talking about one of the lessons, we decided to spend this week's class role-playing teaching it. We had time for a couple of role plays and some evaluation between them. They made some great progress from the first one to the second, which shows me that first, evaluating role plays are how we become better at doing them, and second, that if they can make as much progress in two role-plays, we as missionaries should be able to do the same.

If my companion could only have one Christ-like Attribute, it would have to be humility. In my experience, the companions I've gotten along with best, worked hardest with, and seen the most miracles with have been the humblest. Humility seems to bring with it several of the other attributes of a Christ-like character. If someone is humble and teachable, they will gain knowledge. If someone is humble, they will be patient. They will obey all the commandments (including missionary standards). They will be virtuous. They will work diligently and develop faith, hope, and charity. My study of Preach My Gospel chapter 6 has taught me that all Christ-like characteristics are inevitably connected with several others, so really, to grow in one is to grow in several others.

Love,

Elder Clark

This photo is of the sunrise from our flat's balcony

The view of the sunrise from our flat's balcony