Temple lessons

Hello Family,

Well this week has been a very busy week for us. Like usual we really struggled to get time to teach as many people as we would have liked. It has been great, on the other hand, to teach those who we had time to meet. In the last few weeks much emphasis has been placed on teaching recent converts and less actives and providing additional spiritual experience for them as they grow in the gospel. As we met with our awesome Branch Mission Leader named Brother Smith! Haha we discussed the idea of having a temple trip for the recent converts and those who are coming back into activity. He works in the temple on Saturdays so he also thought it would be a great idea. So this week we made it an effort to teach those recent converts more about the temple and going to do baptisms for the dead. It was really such an awesome experience. Even though our goal was to give them the desire to go to the temple these lessons actually also led to many referrals. As we taught Josephine for example she was really excited. We taught her more about the temple and you could just tell that she was more than excited to have the opportunity to go there. Then just in the middle of the lesson she is like, so I have been talking with one of my friends and he is really interested to know more about the church so can we go and see him right now? Of course we were excited and we met Emmanuel. He is really awesome. When we met him he first explained how lately he has really been thinking about which church to join and be baptized in, this was a perfect opportunity for him to meet us. We've had some great lessons with him and we’re hoping that he will gain the answer that he needs to join the true church. We also taught Prince, Richard, and Joshua about the baptisms for the dead and also gave each of them triple combinations and the liahona that just talks about the temple. They were all so happy to learn more about the temple and to see what they are like. Even Joshua bore his testimony in church on Sunday about how happy he is to go into the temple, and to be closer to God. It was an awesome sight to see. I just love that kid, by far one of my favorite converts, if I’m allowed to have such things. Brother Prince also bore his testimony about his conversion on Sunday and it was really awesome. I just love being a missionary. It’s really just awesome. Many people wonder why we do it but President Judd gave us a great quote today.

"Why have these great missionaries and others like them been willing to sacrifice the comforts of home, family, loved ones, and sweethearts to answer the call to serve? It's because they have a testimony of Jesus Christ. And when they know Him there is no bed too short or too hard, no climate too hot or too cold, no food too different or language so strange that they are unwilling to serve Him. No sacrifice is too great to serve the Master, who sacrificed His all to provide the way for His brothers and sisters to return home to their Heavenly Father. And because they are faithful to their callings, thousands will revere their names throughout the eternities." (Elder Harold G. Hillam, "Sacrifice in the Service", Ensign, November 1995, p. 41)

It’s so true. Our missionaries are great. We each have our weaknesses but we are trying to be the best that we can. Truly there is no sacrifice too great to Serve the Lord.
Love,
Elder Smith