March 29th  Week 25 - By Their Works, Layton Utah Week 15 (T3)

皆さん! 

 

Hope everything is going well! Thank you to those that tuned into the Easter Program yesterday - it means a lot! If you missed it, my dad posted the recording on his Facebook page, so feel free to listen if you'd like!

 

... Also, I'll be performing again in two weeks, this time in the Orchards Ward. It'll be at the same time (8:00am PST/9:00am MST), so feel free to come watch! It'll be a different song and arrangement than the one yesterday, but hopefully you all will still enjoy! 

 

How have you all been? It's been good to hear from a couple of you - it sounds like you all are doing well! Feel free to shoot me an email if you ever want to talk - I can only respond on P-Days (Mondays) but I'll try my best to respond to everyone! 

 

We've had a busy week of service and teaching - and it's been amazing to see the miracles that come as a result. I'll touch on a couple of our favorites:

 

Farmington is in full spring cleaning mode, and with just two weeks until the pickup, everyone has been taking advantage of the weather here. We've seen more people outside and in their gardens than we have ever seen before. And with that comes some opportunities to serve!

 

An Elders Quorum Counselor in one of our ward's MCM's (a weekly meeting discussing the missionary efforts in the ward) suggested that he maybe had some service for us to do with him and his nonmember neighbor. We were more than happy to! 

 

But keep in mind - When we were handing out cookies in late December, we stopped by his house where he looked at us through the crack in the door, took the cookies we had made for him, said "thank you" and promptly shut the door.

 

But as we talked to him to set everything up, it turns out he's quite friendly! We were able to work closely with him, checking in whenever we'd finish a section and talking with him whenever we had a chance. At the end of it all, we had really grown to like him a lot. And so we testified of the restored Gospel, and promised him he would see his departed wife again - and he smiled and said, "I know I will. She's probably sick of waiting for me."

He's of another fairh, but he said he would be more than willing to talk religion with us this upcoming week. He's currently checking his schedule, but he said he'd be more than willing - and so hopefully we'll be able to talk to him and show him what we believe as well! We'll take what he has and make it better. Add onto it. If we believe enough, we know the Spirit can change his heart.

 

We also did service for another nonmember - who was more than willing to have us help. He wasn't interested, and his wife is an inactive member, but we're slowly breaking down those misconceptions that he may have. We're setting up more with them this week as well, hopefully!

 

In addition to that, we were able to do service for an inactive member of one of our wards. After two divorces with not so great members a few years ago, she has held a long distance between both her and the Church, and men in general for the past few years. And yet, when her daughter moved in to live with her, she allowed the elders quorum to help - and even after that, she allowed us and our ward mission leader to help her clear an area to make a raised bed for a gardening space! We got to know her and talk to her a while - and we've really built a much better relationship with her. We're going back soon to help her plant some vegetables!

 

And one of the inactive families we've been teaching has finally made progress! We visited them with a member family, who they really helped to answer this inactive family's questions and bolster their faith. They were previously their ministers, meaning they would check in on them and make sure they're doing okay, but after the changes just recently they're not anymore. But that relationship is still there - and we were able to bolster that relationship. 

And then the next Sunday, one of them was asked to play the piano for the Easter Program - so they came to church! In fact, she was the one that volunteered me to play, haha. It was a beautiful arrangement of Abide With Me / Abide With Me, 'Tis Eventide. And she had arranged it herself! It was amazing. We had a good discussion on how it went, and if they're willing, we're working on getting them the link to conference. Exciting stuff!

 

Oh, and we also received a referral from a member while we were walking back from district council. One of their friends has decided to take the discussions, and so we'll be able to start teaching them next Monday! Miracles never cease.

 

Those have been the highlights of our week! It's amazing how much the Lord is willing to do the more we have faith in Him. As we do, miracles await!

 

Speaking of miracles, I'm honestly so grateful we are able to hear from living prophets and apostles this weekend! They'll be talking about a myriad of topics, all focused on bringing us closer to each other and to Christ. Even if you're not a member of the church, the principles we learn there are applicable to all people - and for Christians of any denomination, the principles we are taught are all centered on Christ's teachings and serve to not only teach us how to best live our lives, but also how to come closer and draw nearer unto Christ!

 

You all are amazing - take care! Hope to talk to you all soon!

 

Elder Decker

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