Hello Hello!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Another week has passed. Hello again my family! I honestly have no idea what I am going to write about today but hopefully if I keep writing this sentence out for an extended period of time something will eventually come to my mind and everything will work out and I will remember stuff that happened throughout the week. Hmm. Nope.
Ookay, so this week we had some really cool things happen. One thing that I want to highlight is the strength that members have in our church.
Remember how a few weeks ago I was telling you that we never have opportunities to visit members and teach them, because no one signs up for dinner appointments, and we only had one member in our area? Well things are starting to change! We have been here for a transfer (1.5 months) and have slowing been growing on all the members I think(; it also helps that the Lord blessed us with the baptisms of Sergio and Elena Garcia. So now we have 3 active members in our area! (carpentersville) Woot woot!
Anyways anyways, this Sunday we had a really passionate member stand up during testimony meeting and share his conversion story. It was super powerful. He testified of the importance of member-missionary work. He has been a member for 10 years but has already had a daughter serve a mission and he himself has served a term as a branch president. He talked about how in his branch they had a baptism every weekend. Basically he just straight threw down on how the only way we will every see success in building the kingdom of God is working as members of this church to be missionaries. Then right after he spoke, his wife and two of his daughters got up and shared the impact that this Gospel has had on their lives.
So now guess what? The impact of one member being committed to missionary work is spreading like wild fire. We had like 4 little Mexican ladies come up to me and my companion after the meeting and say, "you will never go hungry again!" Hahahaha. Although we were stoked about the food ha ha, we are more excited about the vigor for missionary work and the new support we are getting. All of this influence happened with one family, and it can happen with you.
One thing I failed to realize before my mission is the purpose behind sharing the gospel.
Here are some common misconceptions about sharing the Gospel:
-we don't do it to bash people with their own bibles (however tempting it is...jk)
-we don't do it because we are brainwashed by our church leaders (some people have suggested that haha)
-we don't do it to prove we are better than someone
-we don't do it to show people how much we know
-we don't do it to win some contrived competition of having a large congregation attend our Sacrament meetings
I share the Gospel of Jesus Christ because I know, with everything that I am, that the Gospel is the only way families can be forever.
God loves his children.
ARE WE DENYING PEOPLE ETERNAL FAMILIES AND ETERNAL JOY BECAUSE WE WONT OPEN OUR MOUTHS?
I hope not my friends(: never let an opportunity slip to spread feelings of love and hope with others.
I love you all, keep being the best
Elder Stewart-Chester
1319 Butterfield Rd Suite 522
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Another week has passed. Hello again my family! I honestly have no idea what I am going to write about today but hopefully if I keep writing this sentence out for an extended period of time something will eventually come to my mind and everything will work out and I will remember stuff that happened throughout the week. Hmm. Nope.
Ookay, so this week we had some really cool things happen. One thing that I want to highlight is the strength that members have in our church.
Remember how a few weeks ago I was telling you that we never have opportunities to visit members and teach them, because no one signs up for dinner appointments, and we only had one member in our area? Well things are starting to change! We have been here for a transfer (1.5 months) and have slowing been growing on all the members I think(; it also helps that the Lord blessed us with the baptisms of Sergio and Elena Garcia. So now we have 3 active members in our area! (carpentersville) Woot woot!
Anyways anyways, this Sunday we had a really passionate member stand up during testimony meeting and share his conversion story. It was super powerful. He testified of the importance of member-missionary work. He has been a member for 10 years but has already had a daughter serve a mission and he himself has served a term as a branch president. He talked about how in his branch they had a baptism every weekend. Basically he just straight threw down on how the only way we will every see success in building the kingdom of God is working as members of this church to be missionaries. Then right after he spoke, his wife and two of his daughters got up and shared the impact that this Gospel has had on their lives.
So now guess what? The impact of one member being committed to missionary work is spreading like wild fire. We had like 4 little Mexican ladies come up to me and my companion after the meeting and say, "you will never go hungry again!" Hahahaha. Although we were stoked about the food ha ha, we are more excited about the vigor for missionary work and the new support we are getting. All of this influence happened with one family, and it can happen with you.
One thing I failed to realize before my mission is the purpose behind sharing the gospel.
Here are some common misconceptions about sharing the Gospel:
-we don't do it to bash people with their own bibles (however tempting it is...jk)
-we don't do it because we are brainwashed by our church leaders (some people have suggested that haha)
-we don't do it to prove we are better than someone
-we don't do it to show people how much we know
-we don't do it to win some contrived competition of having a large congregation attend our Sacrament meetings
I share the Gospel of Jesus Christ because I know, with everything that I am, that the Gospel is the only way families can be forever.
God loves his children.
ARE WE DENYING PEOPLE ETERNAL FAMILIES AND ETERNAL JOY BECAUSE WE WONT OPEN OUR MOUTHS?
I hope not my friends(: never let an opportunity slip to spread feelings of love and hope with others.
I love you all, keep being the best
Elder Stewart-Chester
1319 Butterfield Rd Suite 522
Downers Grove, IL 60515