May 9, 2011

I can’t even begin to imagine how one “mightily” prays for me in the mission field. How is it possible to pray for me every morning and evening without it becoming a rote recitation? Well however you guys do it, I think it’s working. Don’t let me be an afterthought in your prayers!

Well I guess it was necessary for NDP to (finally) get some support in order for the Liberals to simmer. I commend Harper for his power grab. Now maybe we can get some change going or something. Just kidding I know nothing about politics.

It’s so funny how sheltered I am from the world right now. I guess I now understand the meaning of the phrase “being in the world but not of world” but more to an extreme. I learned Bin Laden had been killed off the MSN homepage that popped up last week on the computer. Yeah so? That’s not gonna stop Al Quaeda. I think I could get used to this unworldly sheltering, it’s kind of nice over here in my bubble.

My companion’s family members all talked to him on the phone, some of them only being there via Skype. I guess I’m just wondering why Gavin and Megan couldn’t have done that. Not that I don’t miss talking to you guys, but it’s disappointing to know that I won’t get to talk to them now for another eight months.

For me, this week has been a hard one. We’ve experienced quite a lot of cancellations on our investigators’ parts, forcing the day to be an inevitable chunk of finding. Though a new technique was introduced to me by a brief third member to our companionship this week, named Elder Carlile. He told me about a denomination of tracting called “chumming” where we don’t knock at all, but leave Plan of Salvation pamphlets on the doors of an inspired street and then the next day we reap the fruit of whoever read and accepted the teachings in them. Apparently the technique is usually more successful, because out of a whole street, one lady asked us to come back. And she didn’t even read the pamphlet. She was interesting because she’s been a Bible scholar all her life, but unsatisfied with the churches she’s attended. In her description of the perfect she basically depicted our Church services and she was extremely interested the Book of Mormon, or maybe the history of it at least.

Recently, the default anthem of my mind has been “I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go,” though I wonder how true to the lyrics of the song I actually am. Because with a discouraging week comes a lack of desire to listen to the Spirit, hindering missionary work. Usually the Lord, in those times, provides a miracle to strengthen my faith, but it hasn’t been so easy this week. A humbling experience was given to me as we visited a less-active brother and suggested to me 1 Corinthians 15:58, which is an unknown comforting ending to a chapter so inspired with modern doctrine. And Paul assures me, along with the Corinthians, that as long as we are “…stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding the work… [we’ll] know that [our] labour is not in vain in the Lord.” I really liked that, and it’s a scripture that I know can get me through some of these discouraging times on my mission.

In other news, I’ve discovered that every Bedford Elder that EVER occupied our derelict apartment bought a package of hot chocolate they never used. Free hot chocolate has never tasted so good as I pass out on an old mattress on the floor at my child-like curfew. I am a happy boy.

Elder Low

P.S. I was wondering if you could send me the weekly forecast for Bedford Pennsylvania in your letters. Despite the basking in my current Amish state, I do miss out on some necessary conveniences of technology. One of them being whether I need my raincoat.

P.P.S. On the topic of music last night, my companion has an album by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir that I wonder if you could send me. It’s called “Love Is Spoken Here” and it includes some well-arranged versions of Primary hymns with a fantastic orchestra accompaniment.

P.P.P.S. I know this really isn’t your concern, but for some reason I feel the need to ask your permission to buy a GPS with my non-mission funds. It would probably be around a hundred and thirty dollars but totally helpful in my coordination around Pennsylvania. I won’t get one yet, but as soon as I get a companion without one, I’ll really need it.