Another Great Week in the California Long Beach Mission. We had a pretty busy week did a ton of service, Help someone move out of their house, Taught a lot of people we have not taught for a while and learned a lot!
We have about 10 people that we can teach, but about 2-3 we teach more often (weekly usually),
Jeff - For the last 3 weeks has been in the hospital for a planned surgery and test to be done because he is planning on having 2 anurisms removed from his brain that have been giving his seizures lately. He is such a humble man. He has had a crazy life in the police and Air force having to retire early at 29 years because of the seizures . As we teach him he is not afraid to ask questions and always asks where he can find the topics or doctrines we teaching him in the scriptures so that he can study them on his own. We always feel the spirit there as we teach him because he truly wants to know what to do. He says " I need to know where to go because I am lost". He really is an example of someone who has truly been humbled by his circumstances and wants to know because he takes action and reads what we leave him to for the next time we come back.
Then there is Sally- Who we have been teaching much of the time I have been in this area. She has really shared a lot with us about her life more recently. We were teaching her recently reading 2 Nephi 31 with her and there was a moment where she read verse 14 and said can we go back that really hit me. How true it is that if we turn away from God after making the promise of baptism that we will take upon our selves the name of Christ (Be an Example and live life as Christ did) and then turn away from him it would be better not to have done it at all. She felt the power of the Holy Ghost testify to her that it was true, Only the Power of the Holy Ghost could have done that to let her know that was true, Because she experienced, she felt it. I could not have done that because to know something is true you have to feel it and experience it. Only the Holy Ghost can personally testify in that way. IT was a cool moment and this week we shared with her the importance of Reading the Book of Mormon. As I Talked with her I felt the words i was saying were not mine, They were too well worded for the moment. There are so many times that I will try to say what I want but when I say what is from the heart/ given for me to say from Heavenly Father Through the Holy Ghost it pierces so much deeper then what I could ever have said.
I love the mission!
I have been trying to understand a lot more how to improve my self and I have found it comes through Prayer. Talking with Heavenly Father with what is happening in our life at that time. When I pray I am pretty much having a conversation with God Just like when you talk something out with someone else and then all the sudden it just makes sense. I have the same experience through PRAYER! If you are wanting to figure something out talk with Heavenly Father about you are his son/ daughter. He wants to give you all the help you can.
Someone shared a story this week about his daughter, who is 6, trying to reach a button on trunk door on the back of their suburban. This button, if pressed, would "magically" close the back door. Being shorter and trying all she could she could not reach it, until her dad came over. He RAISED her up allowing her to reach the button. Heavenly Father works this way. He won't deprive his Children the opportunity to "press the button" by doing it himself. He will lift you up :) I thought this was really cool to help me understand Putting all we can and God will help with the rest.
LETS BE the kid jumping to reach the button on the Back of the Suburban door. TO "BE " is a verb so lets JUMP with all our might :).
LOVE YOU ALL!
ELDER VAN KAMMEN
PS. 3 nephi 11:38-39 is really good!
38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gatesof hell shall not prevail against them.
Pictures: service this week Helping someone build some furniture from Wood Pallets used in shipping.
THEN someones front porch! it was a small pond that has little concrete slabs to the front door.
We have about 10 people that we can teach, but about 2-3 we teach more often (weekly usually),
Jeff - For the last 3 weeks has been in the hospital for a planned surgery and test to be done because he is planning on having 2 anurisms removed from his brain that have been giving his seizures lately. He is such a humble man. He has had a crazy life in the police and Air force having to retire early at 29 years because of the seizures . As we teach him he is not afraid to ask questions and always asks where he can find the topics or doctrines we teaching him in the scriptures so that he can study them on his own. We always feel the spirit there as we teach him because he truly wants to know what to do. He says " I need to know where to go because I am lost". He really is an example of someone who has truly been humbled by his circumstances and wants to know because he takes action and reads what we leave him to for the next time we come back.
Then there is Sally- Who we have been teaching much of the time I have been in this area. She has really shared a lot with us about her life more recently. We were teaching her recently reading 2 Nephi 31 with her and there was a moment where she read verse 14 and said can we go back that really hit me. How true it is that if we turn away from God after making the promise of baptism that we will take upon our selves the name of Christ (Be an Example and live life as Christ did) and then turn away from him it would be better not to have done it at all. She felt the power of the Holy Ghost testify to her that it was true, Only the Power of the Holy Ghost could have done that to let her know that was true, Because she experienced, she felt it. I could not have done that because to know something is true you have to feel it and experience it. Only the Holy Ghost can personally testify in that way. IT was a cool moment and this week we shared with her the importance of Reading the Book of Mormon. As I Talked with her I felt the words i was saying were not mine, They were too well worded for the moment. There are so many times that I will try to say what I want but when I say what is from the heart/ given for me to say from Heavenly Father Through the Holy Ghost it pierces so much deeper then what I could ever have said.
I love the mission!
I have been trying to understand a lot more how to improve my self and I have found it comes through Prayer. Talking with Heavenly Father with what is happening in our life at that time. When I pray I am pretty much having a conversation with God Just like when you talk something out with someone else and then all the sudden it just makes sense. I have the same experience through PRAYER! If you are wanting to figure something out talk with Heavenly Father about you are his son/ daughter. He wants to give you all the help you can.
Someone shared a story this week about his daughter, who is 6, trying to reach a button on trunk door on the back of their suburban. This button, if pressed, would "magically" close the back door. Being shorter and trying all she could she could not reach it, until her dad came over. He RAISED her up allowing her to reach the button. Heavenly Father works this way. He won't deprive his Children the opportunity to "press the button" by doing it himself. He will lift you up :) I thought this was really cool to help me understand Putting all we can and God will help with the rest.
LETS BE the kid jumping to reach the button on the Back of the Suburban door. TO "BE " is a verb so lets JUMP with all our might :).
LOVE YOU ALL!
ELDER VAN KAMMEN
PS. 3 nephi 11:38-39 is really good!
38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gatesof hell shall not prevail against them.
Pictures: service this week Helping someone build some furniture from Wood Pallets used in shipping.
THEN someones front porch! it was a small pond that has little concrete slabs to the front door.