January 4th Week 13 "Dawning Hope" Layton Utah Wk3

皆さん！

Happy New Year's! Did you all get to light off any fireworks? Don't be lawbreakers... but if you can, go have a blast! It's always been such a fun holiday for me just to see all the fireworks being lit off in celebration of the new year - and perhaps this year, more than ever, we have cause to celebrate the dawning of a new year!

We've all faced some incredible challenges this year - challenges that have brought the whole world to its knees. We've seen people struggle through all sorts of diverse issues - social, political, economic. And worst of all, with the pandemic, many lives have been inalterably altered - and a staggering amount of people have lost their lives. 

And yet, though I haven't quite lived as long as others, I've found that there have been very few times where I've seen the whole world come together quite like we have in 2020. Though there is a lot to grieve, there is a lot to be grateful for. We have grown closer as communities - we have grown closer as families. We have worked together to stop the spread of this pandemic - and protect those that are truly at risk.

So though there has been a lot of struggle and heartache...  There is still hope brimming on the horizon. There's still happiness to be found - light, even amongst the darkness! During my studies, I've really come to gravitate towards this idea of light - the idea that we can find peace and joy in the Gospel. 

I love the words of Nephi - "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the words of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." I love this idea of going forward with faith and love of all. I really believe that is how we will move forward - by banding together, helping one another, and allowing others to feel that hope. I'm grateful for each and every one of you - stay safe!

As far as this week goes for us, it's been good here in Farmington! Utah's steadily getting colder, and we're usually out in below freezing temperatures... but it's okay! We're doing pretty good, and we're staying warm. A lot of what we've been doing have been going with different members of the church and meeting new people. We've managed to talk to quite a few people - a surprising amount of which are willing to hear what we have to say! At the moment, we don't have any lessons planned, but we have quite a few phone numbers we've been given, so we're excited to begin teaching them!

We're working closely with a family here that has been inactive for quite a few years. They're some of the nicest people we've had the pleasure of meeting - even amongst the people of Utah! We're working with them to find and strengthen the foundation of their testimonies. There are some deep set questions that they're a little hesitant to share - so we're working with them to try and help them resolve those. Hopefully we'll be able to help them through whatever heartache they may have!

But for now, the name of the game is getting to know the people here. It's hard remembering every single face and family, but I'm trying my best! We cover five wards of about 90-100 members each, so it's a lot of getting to know people and getting them excited about serving others!

Other than that, it's been a good week. Can't complain in the slightest! Everyone is really nice and cares for each other... it's a really tight knit community here!

You all are amazing - thank you for the emails! Keep them coming - it's great to be able to hear from all of you!

Take care!

Elder Decker

デッカー長老