Week 72 "This is the time"

Dear family and friends,

thank you for the letters and all of your love and support. The blessings and the opportunities continue to present themselves as we make the constant effort to continually improve. I truly love this work and the joy, trials and eternal magnitude it contains.

 President reminded some missionaries of the profound  joy of this service. "This is not a sacrifice, this time here further surpasses anything back home."  It truly is a privilege to be here serving in this capacity. I am humbled and blessed every time I reflect upon how great the opportunities, and capacities I have been blessed with and as I think of the missionaries we serve; the talents, capacities and attributes they possess. 

Elder Jowers and I are reaping the long awaited blessings of sowing. As we have been blessed this last week with several baptisms we are working closely with the bishop and ward to ensure the progression of the recent converts. We made our suggestions and gave our input as to what callings the recent converts would do well in, he will make the decision this week. 

We are working with many of our recent converts and they are teaching the lessons to investigators for their post 1-5 lesson review. It is truly  magnificent to see the conversion process in others and to see the ward members become ecstatic about missionary work, there is a tangible excitement among all involved in the missionary work.  It is such a marvelous blessing to see the transformation of this ward from 6 months ago and the unity and overall happiness, love and support. So much work to be done and so many recent converts/ future missionaries to be trained, what a blessing. With many more baptisms coming up this week it is a tender mercy, and testimony to me, to see everything coming together at once as the Lord blesses us from last transfer and the previous. 

What a blessing to be with Elder Jowers another transfer. I could stay with him for the rest of my mission. He was a great man at the begging of our time together and has become even better by hard work and giving himself to the Lord. We were talking last night and expressed our gratitude for one another and to the Heavenly Father for all the opportunities, blessings and changes we have experienced together. It is a significant moment in an individual's life when one can recognize "the glory days" as the present, Elder Jowers and I are doing just that!

All is well! I am learning much about my myself that will prepare me for marriage, raising a family, my future vocation, Christ like leadership and more. These things are priceless and I strive to do all I can to magnify all that the Lord has blessed me with. I am enjoying the success of hard work and the progression of those we teach. It definitely is not easy all the time, for whatever the acquisition there is always a price to be paid. I retain recollection of these verses when the creditor comes knocking. 

Luke 18:1 "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;" 

Mosiah 7:33 But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage".

As I read about Abinadi and many other prominent missionaries who never saw the fruits of their labors. I am grateful that the Lord has allowed us to see many miracles unfolding. I am grateful for the convincing power, authority and love that I feel radiating from me as I better connect with the spirit; that physical light you can feel beaming from your eyes and face as the investigator listens intently. I am grateful for this experience for these people and the change they have brought in my life.

 "And this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." (Alma 29:9) What an incredible experience this is, I wish words could suffice. "And surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God." (4 Nephi 16) Love you all! 

Thank you,

Love Elder Lunt