First and foremost, I'd like to appologize to everyone for having to put up with my emails for the past couple weeks. I realize the error of my ways and I have repented of them. No more will I seek to do what should not be done. When I came out on my mission, there were a lot of things that I felt... wrong about. It is my conclusion that there is a lot of Pride or The Silent Sin out here. We HAD the privalege(sp?) of the highest baptizing english mission in the world but now we CLAIM the title of third highest coming in behind Provo and Ogden. Now we (as a mission) seek to reclaim the title of number one.
WHO CARES!?
I was asked not to disclose any information that wasn't uplifting or fun-fun happy times. I think lying would be the greater sin. I'm telling everyone this so as not to get caught up in what I had for my first transfer. I was weak. I was new. I was a fool. Numbers mean nothing. Baptizing means nothing except as a means of coming closer to Christ. (Forgive me anyone if I say something false.) If a man is baptized and he falls away from the church, it would have been better if he had not been baptized at all. It even says in the first paragraph in Preach My Gospel, "Our purpose as a missionary is to INVITE OTHERS TO COME UNTO CHRIST by helping them receive the restored gospel THROUGH faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. "Our purpose as a missionary isn't to bring people to the waters of baptism AND THEN help them come unto Christ. That's all we focus on is baptism, baptism, baptism. Aren't the lost souls JUST as important as those who've never known? Why don't we focus on Less Actives just as much?Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16 talks about the worth of souls. "How great shall be your joy in my Father's kingdom if you bring many souls unto me!" Souls! Not baptisms! Numbers, numbers, numbers! I'm sorry if I rant. If you understand what I mean then good. If I'm not very clear then maybe someone else could explain it better than I.
As far as the week went, I got over the flu. I was transferred yesterday to the Parley Zone and I have a new companion named Elder Dyer. I don't want to talk bad about him so I won't.
The mission life is hard. Tracting, street contacting, teaching, the schedule, all that is easy. It's doing what you're told and following the Spirit that's hard. It seems like I'm being pulled by opposite ends. When following the Spirit is the same as what I'm told then everything is all fine and dandy. But otherwise, the screaming voices in my head never seem to cease.
I hope this email finds everyone well and congrats to my youngest brother Tyler for becoming an Elder. I just hope that he as well as everyone else who has accepted the authority knows of the oaths and covenants that they've made. Don't take them lightly. The Lord will not be mocked.
Anyways, hope to hear from everyone. If you don't have my address, get it and use it. Later!
Elder Garcia
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment