Monday, July 16, 2012

Well on Wednesday night we got a call from the APs. They asked if we would take on another two weeker! He is also Tongan! In fact he is our last two weeker's cousin! his name is Elder Latu, and he is big. :) I tried to wrestle him, and it did not turn out so well. :) We have a couple of fun weeks ahead of us. I hope he gets something out of his missionary experience. I know I get something out of every two weeks I am out here. In other news we picked up a new investigator yesterday! His name is Jason and he is friends with a young man in the ward. It just so happened that we were planning to teach the restoration to there eight year old nephew Joseph and Jason was able to come to the lesson too! He has agreed to read and pray about The Book of Mormon and we will teach him again this Sunday! He is a well needed addition to our teaching pool. We are definitely in the building stage at the moment. I hope that our building will lead to additional baptisms here in the Big Bear Ward. It is our last two weeks for Elder DeVaney and I. We are not sure who is leaving yet, but we know that one of us will probably go. It has been an eventful three months for us, I hope it continues for both of us no matter what happens. You know missionary work isn't easy. (big surprise huh) I heard a talk from Jeffrey R. Holland this week that changed my perspective on why missionary work is as hard as it is, and that is what I will close with.
"Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?
You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.
Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.
For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul."
Love,
Elder Roos


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