Week 85

It's been a good week. 

I'd like to talk about music today. It can lift us up or bring us down. If you'd like some awesome, uplifting, free, music you can go on the Church's Youth Playlist of FREE music! Everything in 2015 mutual theme is super good. They've really upped their game since I was youthful. haha

D&C 25:12

12 For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.

What is the song of your heart? Would is sound like "Come thou Fount of Every Blessing," or would is sound more like "Party Rock Anthem" or "Gangnam Style?" (Sorry, I'm behind the modern music) 

Jesus Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21) I had a very interesting experience with this idea in my second year of EFY. I opened my scriptures to a random place. I sought for spiritual answers and for what I needed to change to be closer to God. I opened to this scripture and realized that I had my heart in the world (namely in sports cars.) 

Do you spend an excessive amount of time researching cool new things that'll be outdated in 6 months? Is that what you most care about? You'd probably say no, but if time devotion defined priorities I think that would reveal a lot about all of us. Pay attention to your time. There's probably something better that you could do rather than spend 2 hours on Facebook and Pinterest. (I was very guilty of this before my mission.)

I'd just like to invite all of you to make a conscious change of mind and actions. Make your time devotion in accordance with your true priorities (Family, God, learning.)

I love you all! I miss all of you and look forward to your hugs and high fives. Please pray for me!

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Pictures: The hulk riding his equally epic trusty steed, Godzilla.

Elder Andersen's first time seeing snow up close, ever.

First short sleeve day of the year! (in the same week and the snow #IDAHO)

Week 84

This was a fantastic week! It was full of stress, but it was also full of success. 

This is my Son! He's good at entertaining the kids with silly faces. He's from Florida and spent his first month in Argentina. He got sick and sent home to get better and he got sent here for the rest! We're happy to get him!

We've had some incredible experiences together this week.

EXAMPLE: On his first day here we were driving around a famously large trailer court here in town. I suddenly had the feeling to stop. I looked around and saw a some Hispanic kids by the trailer to our right, so we knocked on the door. There was an absolutely awesome person who hadn't ever talked to missionaries and was super nice and open to talk. She's talking to us now and hopefully she's reading the Book of Mormon! God's hand is in this work! 

ANOTHER EXAMPLE: Someone brought a friend to church who's interested in talking with us! I LOVE it when that happens!

ANOTHER EXAMPLE: On his first day we had a lesson where the mom and I were crying, and the dad was almost crying. It was an incredible spiritual experience as we testified of Christ's power to help us through all challenges.

I'm the new district leader in this district. We've been really trying to see God's hand helping us  every day. As we've done that we all have seen more miracles. As we pay attention to His hand, we'll see it more.

I LOVED GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!

I especially loved Elder Holland's talk. His are always the best.

The power of the Spirit is beyond our ability to fathom. If we will open our hearts it can fill us. Open up. 

Honoring God

Elder Decker

The other picture is a stupid one with Elder Pinkston

Week 83

My companion is getting transferred! D: That makes me sad. BUT, I'm having another kid! (Meaning that I'll be training another missionary... again!)

It's my third mission son and I'm excited! But the posterity is growing even more because... *drum roll*

I'm getting a grandkid!!! (Meaning that someone that I trained is training someone!)

Is this what parenting feels like? I like it! I think I'll give it a shot someday! 

Tomorrow My trainer Elder Sanchez is returning home having finished his mission. I'm so thankful for his loving help in some very trying times of my mission. He will always be dear to me. I will continue on his legacy! 

I'm not ok with this whole "mission ending" thing. I've been telling people that I've been out for "a little over a year" for the past long while. They're going to have to wrestle me onto the plane. 

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!! :D

I LOVED conference! I feel like my batteries are recharged. I can do this whole mission thing! I especially loved Elder Holland's talk. He spoke about the atonement of Jesus Christ. Without Him we are completely and utterly alone, but because he lives we never have to be. He provides hope for the world. People CAN change. I can change. It's all and only through our resurrected Savior. I'd like to invite everyone to watch Elder Holland's talk. It changed me.

1 Nephi 19:9

9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

D&C 76:22

22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

He suffered and died for us, AND HE LIVES.

I know that he lives and loves us. Take his outstretched hand in good times and bad. This is my prayer.

Honoring God 

Elder Decker

Week 82 

It's almost April, and it still feels like October. I left Rexburg in October, So I know that I'm not there anymore... I feel like I'm losing my mind... again. The first time was when I was born, I never recovered fully.

There's a new Easter video that's only 2;30 minutes long and it's fantastic! It's all about Jesus Christ and how what he did can affect us in our lives. It's called Because He Lives. <-- There's a link right there for your convenience! I just figured out how to do that!

I love the peace that the gospel brings to us. It picks us up out to heartache and despair. It pulls back the blinds of life that truly blind us from the hope of God's infinite light. When we finally feel the warmth of the savior's light it changes us. It helps us to see the good, for all good comes from Christ. (Moroni 7:24) 

When we feel that warmth, when we see the good, we need to share it. This video can give you some ideas.

Embark

General Conference is this weekend! I'm so pumped! How amazing is our opportunity to hear from the Prophet and the 12 apostles?!? For missionaries it's like an new Harry Potter movie. I CAN'T WAIT! 

This past week I've been studying real intent. It's really the key to everything. It's really being fully invested into something. Randall Ridd gave a fantastic talk recently about real intent and he said something really cool:

"Our challenge is that when we see a wonderful family or a financially successful person or a spiritual giant, we don’t see all the small and simple acts that produce them. We watch Olympic athletes, but we don’t see the years of daily training that made them champions. We go to the store and buy fresh fruit, but we don’t see the planting of the seed and the careful cultivating and harvesting. We look at President Monson and other General Authorities, and we sense their spiritual strength and goodness, but what we don’t see are the simple, daily disciplines repeated over and over again. These things are easy to do, but they are also easy not to do—especially because the results are not instantaneous."

The most important things to do are really easy to do, but they're also really easy not to do! How true is that?!? When we watch General Conference with real intent, it can change us. It WILL change us. We just have to focus and desire direction and change. 

The Movie "Meet the Mormons" will be out on DVD and Bluray this week as well! All the things are awesome!

Live with real intent and you'll be happy. It makes the all the difference. Please read Randall Ridd's talk. It's changed me.

Honoring God

Elder Decker

p.s. we had some fun face mask adventures and we saw something ironic at Kiwi Loco (a fro-yo shop)