Week 58... They did Pray and Fast Oft!!!

This week was a great week for Elder Anderson and me. We had a lot of awesome experiences this week. Many of spiritual growth, many faith testing experiences, and to finish it all off interviews with President Bluth.

First off, I am going to start off with a funny story. On Thursday, Elder Anderson and I had just decided we would go to the ghetto part of our sector and contact some houses over there. We had been to this area before, and each time we had gone in there we had left just busting a gut at funny things that had happened. In this area there are many drunks and many crazy people. So as we were walking through this area, of course us being two big white guys everyone decides to mess with us. We always hear, “Hey Gringos.....1.....2.......3”! They try and speak English to us.  We usually just joke along with them. But on Thursday we were walking through this neighborhood and a bunch of teenagers start yelling at us, "Hey Gringos... Play..... Soccer."

There was like 15 to 20 little teenagers playing soccer. They wanted us to come play with them. We said why not? Let’s play. We made them a deal: If Elder Anderson and I could make a goal with all of them guarding the goal, than they all had to go to church. They said it was a deal. So the next thing we know is all these little kids line up guarding the goal. There was no room to even fit a little tennis ball. We still made our attempt. I went and kicked the ball.... the ball spun and hit off the foot of one of the kids and almost went in. It was super funny. Elder Anderson and I almost had 15 little kids coming to church with us. That is not all, because they invited us to come back. So this week we are going to practice a little bit of our soccer skills and hopefully this weekend we can get all those little kids to go to church!

This week was a really spiritual week for me. I had been thinking a lot lately about how I can become closer to God. How I can be more receptive to the spirit and listen to the promptings. How I can let God mold me into who He wants me to be. As I talked to President Bluth and fasted this week, my thoughts turned to the Scriptures. I anxiously searched for answers the whole week. I read and prayed, read and prayed. Each and every day I saw and learned something new that helped me get closer and closer to my answer. One thing that really helped me this week was the advice I received from my Mission President. He said to become closer to Christ we must fast. To become closer to Christ, we must fast. Just as Alma and all the missionaries did in the Book of Mormon "AND THEY DID PRAY AND FAST OFT." They were in constant prayer and fast. This is why they were so in tune with the spirit. This is why the spirit literally taught through them. This weekend as I went into my fast, I fasted for the answer. Sunday morning as I was reading in the book of Helaman, I stumbled upon a scripture that answered this question perfectly. 

Helaman 3:35:

35Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility , and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh from Giving your heart to God"

Even though I had been feeling inadequate, or even though I had been down; I know that God loves His Children. I had been on a long quest to find the answer and with this scripture I found it. Life, at times, is one of trials and difficulties. It is not something of ease. But as we give our hearts to God, we will be sanctified by Him. He will mold us like that of potter’s clay. As I read and thought of this scripture, I was turned to think of all the Conference talks about giving our heart to God and we will become who he wants us to be. I know as we give Him our heart we will be perfected and sanctified by the Atonement of Christ. 

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.