This past week has gone by SUPER slow. I'm SO GLAD that it's over. 

Highlight of the week! Exchanges with the District Leader Elder Machen, who's awesome! I REALLY learned a lot. He's a great Elder, and really wants to be obedient. During that exchange we had a white out. We couldn't see the road at all, but we didn't die even once. All was well, and we taught a few people. :) 

What I've been thinking about for the past while is Christ, again. He's a pretty awesome guy. ;)

I've been thinking about how contradictory his life was. HE was perfect, but his life was actually kind of awful. For his miracles and perfect love, he was rejected and hated. Men have their way of persecuting goodness.

How does this apply to us? Elder Jeffery R Holland said "When you struggle, when you are rejected... you are standing with the greatest life this world has ever seen." Good people have hard lives. There will be people who reject and strive to destroy your light, and that's ok. That just means your walking in the path of Christ. "Standards are not set for when it's easy." (Jane Eyre) The standards we have as members of the Church are for when we have to stand, when we have to "arise and shine forth." It's my humble prayer that we will be willing to stand, when darkness and hell attack, because it will come, and it will attack. be prepared. 

Honoring God

Elder Decker 

Well, another week, starting my 5th transfer, crazy stuff.

Mind=BLOWN Katelyn Heath in engaged! Not like I had doubts that it'd happen haha, it's just... dang man.

I have a NEW COMPANION :D Elder Viana He's pretty awesome! He's a powerhouse. in the lesson and on the basketball court.

With a new companion comes a new way of... well everything. It can be a bit hard to adjust at first, but we're working on it. I'm working on it.

We had an INCREDIBLE experience this past week. WE HAD ELDER BEDNAR (yes, THE Elder Bednar) come to talk to THE MISSION. We talked with him for 3 hours. It was SWEET. SUPER powerful. WAY spiritual, and CRAZY instructive. It was basically a question answer session. First:he asked questions, then he opened it up for us to ask him question. He talked about being marriage and how we should get married soon after our missions, he talked about the best process of learning, he talked about the saints in Africa and how they're AMAZING, he talked about how in the coming years we can expect a return to what exactly is the most important: The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What IS The Gospel of Jesus Christ? It's SUPER easy, clear, and simple. faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. It's that simple. It's not the programs in the church, it's not the activities, those are fun, but they REALLY don't matter in comparison. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is how we are saved. 

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Well. We got transfer calls and I'M STAYING IN JACKSON! But my comp/trainer/'dad' is leaving. DANG MAN.

I guess that's ok. Transfers happen and they happen for a reason. I'm just stressing a bit about my new companion...

We had a SUPER unsuccessful week. We got dropped by somebody SUPER nice cause of her boyfriend, we had SO MANY appointments fall through, we had the worst week we've had in the 4 1/2 months I've been here. Last week was the 2nd most successful we've had. It's just been a bit hard. There will be weeks like this. I like to call them "pride checkers." It's only through God that we can have many lessons, and sometimes we let our pride take control. 

Now, I'd like to talk a little bit about the relationship between grace and the commandments. Matthew 7:21 says "Not every one that saith into me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." In this verse we learn that NOT EVERYONE who calls upon God will be saved. You have to do what God wants us to do. it takes ACTION. (James 2:17) Though it is true that we are not justified by the law, (Galatians 2:21) we still need to follow the law as we learn from Galatians 3:10-12. 

There's a saying that we've all heard "actions speak louder than words." This is true in God's eyes as well as ours. If somebody states that they have "faith in Christ" then goes and kills someone, does that person REALLY have faith in Christ? obviously not. Those who have faith are willing to "[leave] their nets, and [follow] him." (Matthew 4:20) as Peter and Andrew did. To "leave" and to "follow' are both actions. 

Accepting Christ takes repentance, which is that action of stopping what you were doing before and "follow him." Repentance takes faith, because if you have no faith, you will never accept the change that God wants you to do. Repentance in the relationship between "the law" and "faith." We have faith, we repent, we're doing God's will. It's pretty simple. We aren't saved by "I just happened to be following the commandments and not evening knowing it!" we are saved only by accepting Christ, and his father's will. 

-Good Book of Mormon scripture that applies! :D Mormon 9:28: "be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God."

Do not accept Christ in word and not in action.

Caroline: I hope that answered your question :)

Honoring God

Elder Decker

This week I will complete my 6 month mark. This is madness. PURE madness. I still feel like a greenie. Starting this next transfer, I'll be able to say to the new sisters that I'm going home before them. ;) Take THAT sisters. ;)

This past week I've been thinking A LOT about this.

There can only be ONE correct church. Ephesians 4:5 "One Lord, one faith, one baptism," PLUS if you think logically there can only be 1 anyway.

1- Since Adam until the time of the 12 Apostles running the church, there has only been one true church. There was Judaism until Christ, then there was the Church that Christ established with leaders (the 12 apostles) and other people to serve, teach, and such things. Christ established a church and since he's perfect, he established it right. and if a church is not that same church with the exact same beliefs it is not his.

2- God, being perfect, being the same yesterday, today, and forever, WOULD NOT have different church with different beliefs about him and his gospel. He wouldn't tell one person that there is a need for baptism and the nest that there is no need. He would not tell one person that they should worship the virgin Mary and another that they shouldn't. He WOULD NOT tell one person that he and Christ are the same person, and another that they are different people with individual bodies. There is NO WAY that a perfect God who loves us perfectly would be the father of this confusion as to what is the TRUTH. He is not a God a chaos, he is a God of love and order. 

The only way that God can be the perfect person we believe him to be is if there was ONE truth, ONE church lead by him. It's just logic. 

I know that God is perfect. I know that Christ is my Savior. I KNOW that there can only be one true church. What's your job is to find what's that right one for yourself. 

I encourage you to check out Mormon.org 

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Another week has passed. LOTS has happened, but first some Shout outs:

-Sedalia YW: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CARDS! I really needed them. They helped fix a hard day for me.

-Maggie Beard: HAPPY BIRTHDAY on Sunday! Don't drink and drive

-Madeline (from working in the corn fields): if you were in Jackson Hole yesterday... I saw you... :)

-Courtney Caresia (not spelled right): Thanks for your note! That's super cool how you've got relatives here! Unfortunately, I cannot respond, because Rexburg is in my mission.

Ok...what I want to talk about today is the importance of the Spirit in our lives (not just missionary, but yours' too)

If you want to understand the purpose of the Spirit and how you can recognize it, READ DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 50. It'll blow your mind. The past 2 days we've taught 3 powerful lessons. I don't know how we have changed to be worthy of them, but they've been there. Those lessons were amazing. I think they came from our strict obedience to the mission rule and striving to improve every day. 

This SERIOUSLY applies to you. Your obedience to the commandments is CRUCIAL if you are to be successful in you spiritual endeavors. Spiritual endeavors include, well your whole life if you want God to help you... In order to be successful with the big things, you've got to keep doing the little things. If you want help to resist temptation, you need to read your scriptures EVERY DAY. You need to go to church. You need to pray. It all REALLY DOES matter. If you haven't been going to church, go to church. If you haven't been reading the Book of Mormon, read it. If you haven't been on a mission (men), go. There are infinite blessings from it. Yes, this applies to you, don't think your the exception. It's your duty, do it. 

I sincerely LOVE my mission. There are days that are hard, but the good days are worth the hard. To see the hand of God changing lives is priceless. Moises was baptized a month from tomorrow and he has changed SO much. He is a different person, a better person. To see him how he is is worth ALL the hateful people. He is amazing. He is like my best friend. 

There is nothing better than serving God. 

Honoring God

Elder Decker 

pictures: snow sculptures :)

we made cheesecake and flan... that doesn't look like flan... with Moises

Jan 13, 2014
Madness on the Jackson front!!! Emergency Transfers! AHHHHHH! BUT DON'T WORRY. I'm still in Jackson and so is my companion. The change is that... we've got..... ENGLISH ELDERS AGAIN IN JACKSON HOLE, WY! :DDDDDDDD

That's the news. I can now focus on Spanish! :D

S/O:

Julio (Nolee) Banner: sorry, I forgot that you were my FRENCH texting buddy. So, you didn't understand what I said. That's ok though. ;)

Lauren Shaw: sorry! I forgot to say congrats!

Snow King Ski Resort: I hate you. I hate how tempting you are. You're like a 3 min drive from our house, and we have a snowboard. Not cool man, not cool. 

What I'd like to talk about today is faith. What is faith? We learn from James 2:17-18 that faith requires works. Faith is more than a belief, it's a belief applied. So What I'd like everybody who reads this blog to ask themselves is "Do you have faith?." If so, what are the ACTIONS that you are doing to APPLY your belief in Christ, your belief in the scriptures, or you belief that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that Thomas S. Monson is the current prophet. If you are not applying that belief, your faith is dead. So, how do you apply that belief? You apply your belief in Christ by repentance. You apply your belief in the scriptures by studying them. You apply your belief in this church by serving in it and sharing it. So, question, do you have faith?

Another thing that I'd like to talk about is the Commandments. The commandments DO NOT counter the concept of saved by grace. We are saved by grace as we do the will of our father in heaven. "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord ,Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" Matthew 7:21 This scripture reaffirms that Christ requires actions of us. We need to do the will of God (i.e. live the commandments), or our belief is almost useless. The purpose of belief is to push toward action. 

What are you doing with your belief?

Honoring God

Elder Decker 

Jan 20, 2014

So. another crazy week has passed by. Nothing really interesting...

This past week I have passed my 5 month mark. That is madness. IN THIS TRANSFER I'll hit 6 months and, traditionally, have to burn a tie. I've already got one picked out, I bought it in the MTC, so it's SUPER cheap. I'm ready.

This past week we did a LOT of tracting. We found some super nice people! :) A quote that Elder Sanchez told me "Every day there are miracles if we have eyes to see them." Since he told me that I've really been looking for the miracles. There really are miracles every day. Just look.

That's about all that I have to say...

Honoring God

Elder Decker

New years was awesome! :D 

So, New Years Eve we had a night P-Day where we got together and played with our district and watched Despicable Me 2. New Years Day was an all day P-day! :D We played ultimate frisbee, watched Star Wars: A New Hope, played gatorball, and watched The Crudes. (which is a fantastic movie) Don't worry, all the movies were approved for us to watch that day. :D

some S/O

Lauren Shaw: The first friend of mine to get engaged. This is to weird.

Julio (Nolee) Banner: gracias por los dulces! My district loved them. The only thing I have left is the jerky, which is FREAKING AMAZING. :D

So this past week has been interesting... I've been a bit... tired. well, like 6 times these past 2 weeks I've fallen asleep praying... (see 2 Nephi 32:9) New Years was a lot better than Christmas, probably because the family never does anything special... haha 

we had a fantastic fast and testimony meeting! Moises bore his testimony, the bishop bore a great one, everything was fantastic. :)

I don't really have much to say... just that God is there. always. 

Don't drink and drive

honoring God

Elder Decker