Monday, December 15, 2014

By the Spirit...

This week...SUPER HARD CORE-- WORK HARD, PLAY HARD, PRAY HARDER. That is all. 
We have been working to find anyone and everyone that will listen (like always, but a little bit smarter this week) and we have been focusing on families.
We wanted to "teach when we find, and find when we teach" and seriously, the Lord blesses us SO MUCH.  We have been finding families, and the thing I realized, is that it all had to do with the Spirit.
I have learned something super important, it is something little and I want to share it with you.  It is this... When I started the mission, I was excited, I talked with lots of people, and sometimes I thought my "young" mind wasted a little bit of time were I shouldn't have... decisions of "good, better, and best" right?  But now, we have been trying to find people and there are two ways to do it.  I can find people by my own work and what I think works best, or I can find them by the Spirit.  They are very different.  So I planned to find people by working by the Spirit and this is what I have found.
“When conversion takes place, it is through the power of the Spirit. In order to succeed in missionary work, these three things must occur:  We must feel what an investigator must feel in order to receive conversion. We must understand how missionary must feel in order to teach with the converting power of the Spirit. And then we must understand how member must feel to succeed in participating in the conversion experience” (mission presidents’conference, 3 Apr. 1985).
I, Elder Goodman, no matter who I am, or how great or bad I am, it doesn't help me or make it possible for ME to convert anyone.  I CAN'T DO IT.  The Spirit converts, and without the Spirit my time will be a waste of time.
I started the week trying to find a little by myself.  I know....sometimes I have a hard head....but I was trying and we were hitting some roadblocks.  Then, we changed our tactic. We had to do what we were doing by the Spirit.  We found, talked, and acted by the Spirit. Some of the best days of my life...being guided and teaching so strongly by that Spirit that really knows everything I should and can do. 
AND IT WAS SO EXCITING, WE SAW SO MANY MIRACLES-- people that NEEDED the Gospel in the time frame that we found them.  But it wasn't just 1 or 2 or 3 of them.....It was SO MANY MORE.   That was the blessing, to see how many things can happen if we trust in the Lord's time, working by the Spirit.   Seriously!  We ended up working hard this week, and we ended with many blessings.  It is hard to explain, but this much I can say.
When I am here and writing, I can't decribe it perfectly but I will try.  To be led by the Spirit is something I have had to work on, but it is something I have loved.  It makes you excited, it makes you have energy, and I love being able to feel that peace and help when I am teaching others. What happens is this... I think of all things and I have realized, it doesn't have to just be on the mission, but in ALL I DO forever --The Lord wants me to go a certain way, and if I focus on Him and have a good relationship with Him, I will understand His will so much more.  I will change my will to be in line with His will, and in turn, be more like Christ.  I love it.  And I hope everyone that I get to meet will understand that, that they have a chance.  It is through the Spirit that we know how to change, to become like the Master.  And that is what our Heavenly Father wants.  I love it. 
I hope you have a great week! Love you!!!!!
Love,
Elder Goodman!


Nice Ties!!

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