Hi Everyone!
This week was great, we saw the Lord's hand in the work and we're starting to see a miracle happening!
This week at church we had over 25 people, including several less-actives we've been working with, our top investigator Omar who came by himself (even without his member girlfriend!), and a friend of another young woman who didn't understand any Spanish but stayed all three meetings! :)
We'd been praying all week that the Lord would bring the people to church He wanted there, because me and my companion gave talks about tithing, offerings, and fasting, with the purpose being to have the branch unite in fasting this fast Sunday for the missionary work, with a focus on the members being able to find people for us to teach.
I prepared 7 pages of a scripted talk to give, and then got up and didn't use any of it! I just spoke as the Lord directed me, and even felt inspired at one point to promise that if we all take our tithes, offerings, and fasting seriously, we'd have double or triple the people here that we had.
I really believe that's true, because this little branch has so much potential and the Lord is just waiting to bless us. Like always though, He waits till we come to him and ask, which is the purpose of this fast next week.
Omar, the guy who came to church by himself this week, is really progressing and is learning really rapidly! He's gaining a testimony and it'll probably be a matter of weeks before he's baptized. He told us he wants to go out with us and experience missionary work, so we'll be taking him tracting with us on Saturday! He's our age, and a really cool kid all around.
It's going to be fun showing him what daily missionary work is like, and I think he'll appreciate the things we teach him a lot more once he sees what we face on a daily basis! (I was tempted to take him to Aspen to tract, but i decided he doesn't need to be traumatized :)
One lady we've been working with for a few months, an inactive who hasn't gone to church for 10 years, finally came to church this week and is dedicated to keep coming! She brought her 6 year old niece who LOVED primary and is begging her aunt to take her next week too!
It's such a great feeling to see people come back into the church, to me it's just as satisfying as seeing someone get baptized and start their progression towards the temple! The Lord is starting to pour out his spirit here and get things mobilized, and he's using us to accomplish his work notwithstanding our weaknesses because we're willing to do and try whatever he asks of us.
I'm amazed at how much of a difference particular lessons have made that I've taught, even when I felt awkward and tired and couldn't communicate clearly, the Lord magnified the effort and taught the people with the spirit!
I'm excited to see what's going to happen in the next bit, we've got some changes coming since we got our new mission president in on Monday, and also the Aspen branch is mobilizing more!
It's the greatest thing to be at the center of a miracle the Lord's working, to be able to see how He works and shapes and changes you in the process! I know that this church is true, that the gospel is the good news that the world needs and we're so blessed to have it! I hope you all have a great week, I know I will here in the Rockies!
Love,
Elder Damon Janis
Posts
How do you justify teaching tithing in the Christian Church? Didn't the tithe end per Hebrews 7:5,12,18? Aren't we under a better covenant with better ways?
ReplyDeleteI though the New Testament teaches generous, sacrificial giving, from the heart, according to our means. For some, $1 might be a sacrifice while for others, even giving 50% of their income might not induce a sacrifice.
I don't understand how anyone can justify tithing in the Christian Church.