January 9, 2012

So I'm not sure if I've told you this before, but preperation days are awesome. Today was only slightly lest awesome. It rained this morning, which I wouldnt really care if it was any other day because Elder Loftin and I play tennis with someone named Brother Crenshaw on monday mornings. ( and I've heard that when you do missionary work in the rain, your future wife gets hotter ;) ) he is pretty good, and he is teaching me how to play better. Hopefully I can keep this hobby on my mission so when I get back I can waste dad. ;)

Ya so actually I live in the up stairs of some members, and they have a ton of horses. They also have like 4-5 dogs. And I had to learn the hard way that if you leave your bike helmet out, the next day it would be all chewed up.

So this week we went on a blitz with our zone leaders. A blitz in mission terms is when 2 companionships serve in the same area and the companionships are switched for the day. So I was with Elder Pace, and Elder Loftin was with Elder Whitman. (Elder Whitman was one of the Elders from Rexburg ID. I was on the basketball team with him in jr. high. His dad works up at the college.) I learned alot from Elder Pace. He was so considerate and understood my situation so well and could relate to me. He actually reminds me of Jamin a lot. He grew up on a ranch and fixed farm equipment and rode horses and herded cattle and moved pipe growing up. But he helped me be a better missionary by showing me how I can improve and loving me. He is amazing. Anyway, he helped me talk to everyone about the gospel. Like really everyone. Elder Loftin and I got in the rut of going from one appointment to another and not noticing the people on the side of the raod as much. But Elder Pace would help me by encouragement and by example to talk with everyone. As we started to talk with everyone I met up with, I got shut down more and more. Near the end of the blitz, I secretly thought to myself, why can't I talk with the spirit? Why do I always think of what I should say next instead of listening to the spirit? What am i doing wrong that is causing me to get shut down so much by people and on the inside as well. But as we were going to our last place that we were planning on going to, I ended up talking to a man named Otto. At first, I though he was a little slow because when i was explaining the restoration, he just accepted everything we told him. But Elder Pace offered to give him a Book of Mormon, and he showed that he wasn't slow by declining in an intelegent way. Elder Pace then asked him, "what are you feeling right now?" He then said, "warmth and saftey" Elder Pace then taught him that the feelings that he was experiencing were feelings caused by the spirit touching his soul. We then set a return appointment. I took away from that experience that again, it is after, that trial of our faith that we recieve a witness form our Heavenly father. Sometimes we go through things so that we can have a great prize. But when we have faith in our Heavenly Father and in his son Jesus Christ, we are able to obtain that prize. I am very greatful for this blesing in my life. It may seem small to others, but it was from my Heavenly Father and it is important to me.
I'm so grateful for being able to be raised by goodly parents. I often forget how truely blessed I am. Thank you for supporting me and helping me be the person I am today.

love- Elder Masulonis