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

Week 64

Shout out to:

Gabe- Is the coolest, and was considered to be an amazing Le Fou in "Beauty and the Beast Jr." 

Lanie Beard- Was said to do a very fantastic job in SC Idol!

This week has been fantastic! We've found some more people to teach and have been able to continue helping those whom we have already started teaching. 

Last week we went hiking as a district! It was a lot of fun! We started a fire and roasted how dogs, made s'mores, it was fantastic! It was REALLY cold, but awesome!

Something that I've thought a lot about is remembering. Remembering is a theme of the Book of Mormon, and it is SO important. Heavenly Father often blesses us with experiences that could make a big impact on us, but if we forget to remember that experience is lost. A Book of Mormon prophet wrote

Heleman 5:12

 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

If we can remember where true happiness actually lies, would we ever seek wrong things? No.

Moroni 10:3

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

Remember God's mercy since the world was created. Remember experiences you've had. Remember that His mercy is there for you now and always will be there for you. 

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Pictures: Elder Jones roasting hot dogs very fashionably, our district picture on top of a mountain!

Week 63

Today, I only have 9 months left. THAT'S INSANE! 

My little bro is 14! That's crazier. 

Jerusalem was being bombed! I just learned that like 2 weeks ago!

This past week was crazy. LOADS of ups and downs. It's been wacko. 

We were getting a bit discouraged this past week, trying to find people to teach. We were praying hard and a lot. On Thursday when we were at the gym a guy walked up to us, said that he'd been taught previously and wanted to meet with us again. WE WERE SO EXCITED!  We stopped by his house later that night and the spirit was there SO STRONG. We talked about the Restoration of Christ's church and testified that the Book of Mormon is true. We shared how each of us had come to that knowledge. He said that he felt elevated by the things that we taught. He could feel the Spirit testifying that these things are true. 

I know that these things are true. Christ has, once again, reached out to us. He's, again, given us a prophet, as he always has (see: The Holy Bible), to lead, guide, and direct us; to know his will for us. 

The evidence of these things is The Book of Mormon. read it, you've got nothing to lose, in fact, it will bless your life in ways that you can't imagine. 

Honoring God

Elder Decker

pictures: our adventure last Monday 

Week 62

Happy Birthday to Kid! (My little brother Gabe) One year older, wiser too, but still a kid.  ;)

We've gone through some trials this past week. I've started to loose some long distance vision, so we're setting up an appointment with an eye doctor, I've been waking up with an upset stomach, I've been sleep talking a lot (I think I do that when I'm stressed), We've been trying to find people to teach and been having to hand people over to the English Elders because some people aren't in our area. That's been sad. 

I want to talk a bit about how important the hope that Christ offers is so important. We talked to a young man in high school whose done some bad stuff. He has to go to boy scouts for community service (we don't know what he did), and apparently his girlfriend is currently in jail. He's got it super rough, and we don't know the half of it. We were talking to him about Jesus Christ and his power to heal and cleanse us. We asked him "How would you feel to get rid of all your guilt and wrong decisions and start afresh?" With the look in his eyes and he responded "Amazing." we could see his sincerity. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is really there to help us. He REALLY DOES love us. He's waiting for us to open the door that he knocks on constantly. we just need to open it. 

There are some steps that lead up to opening that door. The first step must be faith. We must believe enough to act on his invitation. We will never accept his healing power unless we believe that there will be results or blessings.

The second step is humility. Being willing to act on what he says. His way is ALWAYS higher than our way. He knows so much more than us. remember, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, he will call on you to sacrifice something to come closer to him.

The third step is prayer. Through prayer we can feel his love. That's how we open the door. The action of prayer, of talking to God and seeking his council, is very special and significant. It is how we receive his council, and his warm hugs. 

Then, last, he asks us to follow him. We need to do what he did. Follow his commandments, be baptized by someone with the authority to do so, receive the gift of the holy ghost, then we must endure to the end.

That's how we destroy our guilt, by receiving that forgiveness, then strive to never get that guilt again. 

2 Nephi 31: 19-20

  19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Don't let anything in the way of following Jesus Christ.

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Pictures: Pokemon District

Strangely grown pumpkin

Week 60

It was an intense week. Packing, saying goodbye to people in Rexburg, packing, getting on the transfer caravan, seeing old friends, shopping in Winco for the first time (It's like Sam's Club, but anyone can go), driving to my area, unpacking, meeting people, teaching Mexican Christian Pastors, meeting people. It was nuts. Super fun though! I like it here in the tiny town of American Falls; Where one feels at one with potatoes and Napoleon Dynamite. It's seriously the same. I feel like I should be watching out for old dudes shooting cows in front of school buses. It's great!

With all the changes that have happened recently I haven't really had the chance to think about what I should share today... So I think I'll talk about change. 

Change can be a stressful thing, but every single time it happens it helps us in one way or the other. Change can help us to strengthen our faith, our ability to persevere, our ability to adapt, and it can help us to realize the blessings that we have and have had. Change is good in many circumstances. We shouldn't do random stupid things in order to change things up, but we DO need to strive to change ourselves to improve. We must continue to change ourselves to grow closer to God. We need to always analyze ourselves to make positive changes.

Honoring God

Elder Decker

Week 61

This week was equally exciting! We went to a pumpkin patch last Monday and took a whole bunch of selfies. It's a great Idahoan pass time.

That night we had a car chase in American Falls trying to get away from a guy who just wanted to talk to us. Conflict resolved!

We, as a Mission, have decided to do something called "Purification." It's an individual sacrifice of little things that keep you, even a little, from being better.

My "Purification Sacrifice" is Mormon swears. I have obtained some since the start of my mission like "fetch." I have a rubber band around my wrist, and every time I use a Mormon swear (fetch, crap, dang, freaking, etc.) I snap it. It hurts, and helps me remember to stop. I know that my mom has been waiting for this moment for years.

Last week I talked about change. Christ always said "Follow thou me." He never told anyone to "just do your thing." Following is an action, a change. So I want to invite you ALL to make a change. Pray and thing a lot about what it should be. It could be to read the scriptures daily, it could be to not waste so much time on videogames, it could be a ton of stuff, but I invite you to make a change. I've seen in myself that consciously making a change helps us become more of what God wants us to become.

Elder Ballard said this about goals:

“I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.”

Set goals that make you change and strive to achieve them! You can do this!

We also are fantastic chefs. The fajitas that my companion and I make are AMAZING! I'm setting a goal to become a good cook! When I get home, for my welcome home, I'm cooking.

Honoring God

Elder Decker