Going the Distance

I'm sure trying to keep enduring. It's hard not always seeing the

results we want to, but we have to remember that the Lord's will

should be above ours. I feel like I'm always planting, but hardly even

collecting. It gets frustrating at times because I want to badly to see more results. It's

hard to do everything within your reach, and just not have anyone

respond. We worked our tails off Sunday to get people to church. We

called, we passed by in houses, we arranged members to take them, but

everything fell through. People didn't want to, members forgot, and

some others' parents told us we were wasting our time with the person

and told us not to come back. It was sad. The only person who came was

a little, old lady who always comes, and just can't be baptized

because her husband still doesn't accept it. I want so badly to see

people doing the right thing, but I can't feel the difference I make

sometimes. But I know that God does. He's proud of me and trusts me

and wants me to keep going, so I am. It's super hard sometimes, but I

try to just keep moving. Sometimes I lose hope and get fed up with

only worrying about everyone else's lives, but I try my best to keep

reaching out to others. My companion helps me a ton as well, and I

know that God works through him to help me. I have so much to be

grateful for! Many times we have to just keep pushing forward. I'm

truly trying to go the distance, which is often hard. We want to give

up or take a rest. However, we need to keep moving forward. We watched

a video the other day with President Farnes. During our Leadership

Council, we watched clips of Conference talks by President Eyring and

Elder Holland. Missionary work isn't easy because salvation isn't

easy. Christ's life wasn't easy and what we feel here doesn't even

come close to that. We also can't stop. Even the three days that

Christ was dead, He wasn't resting, but teaching in the Spirit World.

We need to constantly push forward. There is always something more to

do. If anyone wants to watch the video, please look up "The Atonement

and Missionary Work". I think that's the title. I hope that everyone

is doing well. I have absolute certaintly of Christ's divine mission,

as well as my own. This is Christ's only true church. Everyone needs

to learn and know this for themselves. Our eternities rest on this,

not just our lives here. We are merely passing through, and it goes

fast, so we need to make good use of all our time. Yes, it's hard.

Yes, we'll make mistakes. But we are here to learn. I testify that

Christ lives and loves us. He rules and reigns and shows us His will

through Prophets, ancient and modern, and by His Holy Spirit. I know

this to be true. Christ lives and loves us!

Elder Ashford

"The good works that really matter require the help of heaven. And the

help of heaven requires working past the point of fatigue so far that

only the meek and lowly will keep going long enough. The Lord doesn't

put us through this test just to give us a grade; he does it because

the process will change us."

     -Elder Henry B. Eyring