WEEK 73 WAS INCREDIBLE!!!

It was just awesome! 

We found 6 new solid people to teach and taught 17 lessons! We're really pumped. The "Standard of Excellence" is 20 lessons a week, and hopefully, with God's help, we'll finally get it! I've never done it in my whole mission, but we're really feeling guided by the Holy Ghost in our lessons and in finding prepared people.

This all started with a promise given to us by our inspired Mission President: President Brinkerhoff. He promised that as we focus on Elder Pyrah's training (I'm training him), that we'll find more people to teach. We acted on that promise and the blessings came fourth. God's hand really is in this work!

We've had our share of disappointments this week, but it's been enveloped in the spirit of the work and the miracles! Little miracles like feeling that we need to visit someone that's hard to find at home and they're there have happened almost daily. 

Miracles start with faith. We believed in the words of our prophetic leader, we acted, and the promised blessings came fourth. This pattern applies to everything in the gospel!

For example, how many times have we been promised direction in our lives if we will daily read from the Book of Mormon, weekly attend church, weekly hold family home evening, and pray frequently? I'd say we hear that and least 6 times every General Conference and 2 times weekly at church. 

Question: Do you do these things? If not, why not? What excuse are you using to limit your spiritual growth? 

No excuse is worth limiting your communication with God! It's pretty clear... 

We've been emphasizing prayer and fasting recently. 

3 Nephi 27:1-2

1 And it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting.

 2 And Jesus again showed himself unto them

 

As we fast and pray, we open the gates of heaven and give God a greater chance to visit us with the Holy Spirit and for miracles to happen.

This up coming Sunday is fast Sunday. If you could please fast for Missionary work in your wards and for me, that'd be great! Thanks!

Honoring God 

Elder Decker

p.s. We attended a baby shower... so weird. We helped them set it up and they invited us to come back for dinner and we didn't have a dinner, so we went. Half the time we were 2 of 3 men in the room, the other half we were 2 of 2. Awkward, but we found someone to teach!

#AwkwardMissionarySituations

Week 72

We had a decent week. We had a couple disappointments, but we've been working through it. 

I've been having some trouble with my knees, so if you could pray for that that'd be awesome.

Umm this past week taught me how readily we all are to do what's wrong. There have been some people that we've taught who, in the moment, told us that they were feeling "elevated by the Spirit" but later decided to not do at all what the Spirit was testifying to them that they should do. That was so sad.

We need to rely on Christ. Part of that is ACTUALLY DOING things. (See Matt 7:21)

When he gives us direction we need to follow it. I'd like to invite all of you to just do what you've know that you should do for the past while.

God loves us so he sent His Son to be our shepard. We must choose to be his sheep, and we do that by following his commands, not just listening to them.

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Week 71

I've had some awesome experiences this past week as I've tried to put in practice what I talked about last week- meaning change. 

There's a talk that goes around missions called "Purification." It essentially talks about how we can have the Holy Ghost the most in our lives and the work. It's essentially making inspired sacrifices to be more obedient and focused on the work. If anybody might like to read it or send it to a missionary, let me know! 

We had an awesome miracle with one of our investigators. We stopped bye to talk about faith and repentance and the Book of Mormon. We set a reminder on our phone to text them to read the Book of Mormon every day at 9. That night we texted them, then a little late we got a text back.

She had been reading The Book of Mormon, where she left off last, when something (the spirit) told her repeatedly to open to a random page. She finally complied. She opened to Alma 34:30-36 (on page 295) which talks about the purpose of life and about what we need to do in this life to be able to return to God. These verses really stuck out to her. They really answer the question that she had in her heart to know if what we said is true.

The Book of Mormon is true. Through it we can learn God's desires for us. It brings the Spirit into our lives. YOU SHOULD READ IT.

This experience that she had really reminded me of the truthfulness of that book. It's true. I've asked God myself, and he has told me that it's true.

Missions help us see miracles! 

I love being a missionary. 

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Week 70

This past week I've had a lot of time to reflect on improvement. I suppose that's on all of our minds right now because of the New Year. These things should always be on our mind!

God Counselled Joseph Smith saying : "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;" (Doctrine&Covenants 58:27)

We should always think about how we can improve and actually improve!

I heard from an Elder today: "Basically, what repentance is, is this- stop doing what you shouldn't be doing, and start doing what you should be doing." It's that simple! If there's something that you know you should stop, stop. It's a no brainer. You don't have to wait until the New Year to decide that you need to exercise, lose weight, watch what you eat, or get closer to God. There's this thing called agency and repentance (essentially our ability to change) and it doesn't only come around New Years. Waiting for "the right time," is stupid and childish. Make decisions and change right now.

It's baffling to me how this concept is so foreign to some.

We have been given by God the Ability to change through his Son Jesus Christ. If THE SON OF GOD had to suffer and die for us to have this opportunity, I think it might be a slightly important thing for us to do. JUST DO IT.
Make changes now. Lay down your "weapons of rebellion" (Alma 23:7) and come unto Christ. There's no better time than right now to do something that you should have always done. 

Don't be a "sissy". Don't be an object to be acted upon. Don't be weak. Be the Child of God that He created you to be. Choose good, be good, change. That's where happiness lies. That's how we'll become who He wants us to be.

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Week 69 (woah)

We had an awesome Christmas! Christmas Eve our Zone got together and watched "Mobsters and Mormons." It's pretty much the coolest movie ever. (at least from a sheltered missionary's point of view... haha)

I got to skype my family (after many trials of dumb computer.) That was a ton of fun. I had an idea for my little brother that everyone should know about. He needs a flat top. You cut the sides of your head really short and you keep the top long and afro-like. Gabe could pull it off!

Christmas night our district had a nerf war. It was pretty incredible.

I challenge everyone to read 3 Nephi 3-4 and learn how to prevent falling for temptations. (temptation=enemies) 

I love you all and may your New Years resolutions last longer that 3 days!

Honoring God

Elder Decker

ps. last year yesterday Moises and Rashad were baptized! Time flies on your mission.