Here's our Christmas Card! YAY!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is the best! I literally have no time, but I would like everyone to to give a gift to Christ this Christmas!

I love and Miss you all. I hope you have an amazing Christmas full of family and Jesus!

Remember Who you are.

Don't Drink and Drive.

Make good decisions.

Christ is Christmas.

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Week 68

We've had a decent week. We've been working really hard to help some people get ready for baptism. It's been hard, stressful work, but there's so much joy to be found in it! 

It's incredible to see people more fully discover their Savior Jesus Christ. IT'S AWESOME! The true joy that's apparent is an incredible thing to see as people grow to feel the spirit as they read The Book of Mormon and pray. That book is SO TRUE! It's just awesome. :D

I wanted to talk a bit more about Christmas.

1- I love it! I'm so pumped! it's in 10 days! Check out our tree!

2- It is being destroyed by the world. Advertising, desite for "stuff," and reduced morals are invading every facet of our lives. It can be hard to truly know what's good. 

Our perception of everything is in a house of mirrors. For instance, If you were driving down a road and you were told that there were 2 different cows, one on the left that was purple, and one on the right that was genetically perfect, which do you think that most people would look at?

the purple one. But why?

The world seeks "shocks." But the perfect one is so obviously better! 

I invite you to focus your life on what's pure and perfect, and how do you find it?

Moroni 7:20-22

 20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing?

 21 And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.

 22 For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.

Focus your life (and Christmas) on Christ and you "can lay hold upon every good thing."

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Week 67

This past week was great! We taught some of the awesome people that we've been working with. 

This Christmas I want to invite you all to give a gift to someone. Sounds simple enough, right? I would like to invite everyone who to give a Christmas gift to God.

I want to invite you all to give God the gift of some of your time every day. He created us, everything we have, and time as we know it, so a little time every day is nothing. 

I now invite everyone to give 15 minutes, at least, to God every day by reading The Book of Mormon. Even if you think that you know The Book of Mormon backwards or if reading it is against everything that you've been taught. It is the evidence of his biggest gifts to us. It testifies of Jesus Christ (#1 gift) and it's the evidence that he has restored His gospel and Church on the earth (#2 gift). Please do not misunderstand, we read from, believe in, and love the Holy Bible, but The Book of Mormon has special power. What do you have to lose? 

Christmas time is a time when we all draw closer to Jesus Christ if we will open our hearts and allow him in. 

Let him in, follow him, read The Book of Mormon. If you have any questions about The Book of Mormon, or about our beliefs as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, you may contact your local Mormon, or you may comment on this blog. 

If you'd like a copy of The Book of Mormon, please press on this link to get a free copy!

http://www.mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon

Christ is the first and greatest gift of Christmas! Discover the Gift, Embrace the Gift, #ShareTheGift

Honoring God 

Elder Decker

Week 66

Happy December!

I had a pretty exciting day yesterday to say the least. I woke up at 5, felt like I was going to throw up, then I commenced to throw up... a lot... I had about 8 throw up sessions, each containing 4-5 up-chucks. So, in all, I threw up about 40 times yesterday. It could not be considered fun. 

I wanted to go to the ER, but the nurse got some meds for me. She sent them with her son, because the nurse has the same bug right now. 

My companion and this awesome young man gave me a blessing. I did not throw up a single time after that! YEAH PRIESTHOOD! 

The meds really helped me out as well. I'm still not healthy, but I'm feeling better today. 

I want to introduce you to the coolest Christmas video ever. it's called "He is the Gift." It's the church's effort for this Christmas and holiday season to be more focused on Christ. It's fantastic.

It can be found on Christmas.mormon.org. It's about 3 minutes long and is seriously powerful. Share it with all your friends! ALL OF THEM! #sharethegift 

Christmas is the perfect time to refocus your life on Christ, but the world would have you focus on presents, deals, and other truly meaningless things (if you look at the big picture.)

If you'd like some help in centering your life on our savior Jesus Christ, you may go on christmas.mormon.org and click on "Ask a Question." Mormon Missionaries (like myself) are there to chat with you, to answer any question that you might have. 

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He loves us. He is the Gift from God to us. He provides our opportunity to be perfected. 

Honoring God

Elder Decker

THIS JUST IN: Elder T. Decker cut his hair HIMSELF and it wasn't a disaster! WOOOOOOOO! That's a shocker for us all. He decided that he was no longer going to pay $12 for someone to use a 2 on the sides, a 5 on top, and fade it in with a 3 or a 4, so he bought his one stuff for $30 and will save ALL THE MONEYS! 

Week 65: 

This past week was awesome! an investigator gave us 2 pairs of boxing gloves and will give us a punching bag tonight. We know what we're doing for exercise tomorrow morning! 

We met some incredible people and taught them! We had some fantastic lessons this past week. With evidence of this past week, I'd like to propose some keys to happiness:

1- forgiveness

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=911104787001

For us to overcome the past and to learn to love again, we need forgiveness. We shared this video in a lesson this past week. It was amazing. She's been having some trouble with forgiving others recently and through this video, and the Spirit, she decided to start on the path of forgiveness.

Immediately after she decided to start on the path, she started to look and be much happier. Be happy- forgive.

2- work

 "Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause. Lend your efforts to helping people... Stand higher, lift those with feeble knees, hold up the arms that hang down. Live the gospel of Jesus Christ." -Gordon B. Hinckley

To be happy we must be doing something. O motto in my family concerning objects is "if it doesn't work, it has no reason to exist." When we aren't working we tend to start to feel that way, it's not true, but that's what we feel. 

To be happy we must do things. Most importantly, we must do things for others. We must serve like Jesus Christ served. Go get involved in something good!

3- God

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2176618422001

Through God we can overcome all things. We can overcome all discouragement, we can be forgiven, we can forgive, we can find peace, we can overcome all trials. God will not often eliminate our trials, but he will help us push through them all. 

Through knowing God and following his commandments we will live a happy life. We will endure trials well, we will overcome all things. 

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

Alma 36: 25 "Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors."

Follow God, serve, and forgive. In this lies true and glorious happiness.

I also invite you to talk to the missionaries in your area. They can help you find the happiness that you seek. 

Honoring God

Elder Decker