"Killer sunset in Bridgeton"
Happy Thanksgiving...these are literally in our backyard!
Hmmmm...tempted....
Well another week has come and gone here in Bridgeton. I realized
something this week. We as missionaries will only be in a place for a
couple of months, and so we may be super disappointed if exactly what we
want to happen doesn't happen during our short time there. The people
that live here don't see time like that. Even if we work hard, we may
not see the immediate fruits of our labor. But when we work hard with
love, the fruits of our labor will stick around forever reflected in the
lives of people. I knew that before, but it took on another meaning for
me.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE!!! It was delightful. The gloves
keep my hands super warm and I will be able to use them on my iPad as
well. That is awesome. Mom, don't worry. We don't even ride our bikes
that much during the winter so it's ok.
We are making the Bridgeton Branch the best branch in the church.
We realized that if someone only has ONE impression of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we would want them to have it in the
converted bank building on Laurel and Washington Street here in
Bridgeton, New Jersey. We want people to be overwhelmed with the Spirit
when they walk through the doors. We 4 missionaries in the branch can
make a huge difference. So we decided that we need to live by example.
This past Sunday, we only whispered in the chapel, we did our best to
show people how reverent we should be when we are in a sacrament meeting
that is dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. People saw our example, and
mimicked us. There was a huge difference. It was also different because
a member of the Stake Presidency, Vai Sikahema, (he played at BYU and
on the Eagles. He now is a sports analyst in Philly and people in the
area LOVE him. He was key in getting the temple site in downtown Philly.
Literally, they weren't about to sell the site to the church, but he
bore his testimony to the city officials, and they ended up selling the
site to the church. Neat stuff.) was present. Super cool guy. But the
fact that we have few members doesn't mean that we need to have a
shortage of the Spirit. Christ said that even if only two or three are
gathered in His name, that He will be there in the midst of them.
Had a lesson with some people who tried to convert us. Good times.
That is what is a little different about what we try to do. We don't try
to convert anyone. We share our message, and INVITE the person to try
it out for themselves. If they do, they learn by their own experiences
that it is true. I wouldn't force this knowledge upon anyone, even if it
was within my power. But we do invite people to learn more, experiment
upon the word, and let their faith grow. It is the best job in the
world. Just like Elder Anderson said, "This isn't missionary work. This
is missionary fun!." Super cheesy yet super true. Sorry for the little
letter today but I want y'all to know that I know that these things are
true. God lives and He guides His missionaries.
-Elder Dial
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