This week, I would say it was pretty average. The investigators we
have are still looking promising. They came to church, and are
keeping their commitments, but we are still going around every day
talking to everyone and their mother.... Literally trying to find some
more.
To be honest, I've had maybe a little bit too much time to think about
my mission and what I've done here. Spain has been incredible. Ive
learned so much here and met so many incredible people, but recently
I've been kinda getting a little down on myself for not being able to
help more people so far....
Reading in the Book of Mormon has helped me a ton though. I've
learned a valuable lesson from King Benjamin's speech to his people
and reflecting on some words from Elder Bednar. In Mosiah 2 it says
the following...
15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast,
neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I
tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear
conscience before God this day.
16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had
spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have
only been in the service of God.
17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that
ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye
are only in the service of your God.
18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your
king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one
another?
19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his
days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit
any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!
20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the
thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that
God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has
caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in
peace one with another--
21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from
the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you
breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will,
and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye
should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be
unprofitable servants.
22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his
commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his
commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary
from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his
commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.
23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto
you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.
24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath
commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and
therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and
are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to
boast?
25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay.
Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet
ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to
him who created you.
Really, I think that my heart may not have been in the right place
before I read this and I was complaining about not having success on a
mission. I'm not here so that I can talk about baptizing tons of
people in my farewell talk when I go home, and boast about how I
brought about a huge change in the hearts of many here in Spain. I'm
here to serve the Lord. He has commanded me to share my testimony
with other people and to do HIS work. I can not do anything here
without him. I'm merely an instrument in his hands. I invite other
people to do things, but as people come unto Him, He helps them change
their hearts and live a better life. I'm here to serve my maker. I
will never be able to repay my Heavenly Father for all he has given
me, nor for the blessing of repentence through Christ's Atonement.
But I can show Him how grateful I am by giving it my very all to serve
Him.
Like Elder Bednar once said, I was kinda being like the Cookie
Monster. "I want cookie now" or in other words "I want success as a
missionary now". I'm here to do whatever the Lord wants me to do
here, and to aid HIM in any way that I can so that He can help his
children come to know Him better.
I testify that GOD is our loving Heavenly Father and that He loves us
all. I'm so grateful for the Atonement in my life and for the way that
the Gospel has changed my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Elder Baron
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