How Can We Know The Way?

   Each morning as a missionary I study the scriptures. Today I was lead to read John 14:1-7. Just seven verses. I pondered them over and over trying to see what understanding I could gain from them. I'd like to share them with you. Jesus is speaking:

"1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that were I am, there ye may be also.
4. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."

   Thomas, an Apostle, didn't quite understand Christ or His Gospel! It amazes me to think about that! And Christ's response to Thomas' question- how can we know the way?- is profound. Christ IS the way!
   That applies to each of us as well. When there is a trial in your life or you feel hopeless, like there is no way out: CHRIST IS THE WAY! If we turn to him, if we focus on him and ask for his help, there is always a way to overcome it. We are NEVER hopeless when we are following Christ. He is the way to salvation and eternal life. If we accept him, and his teachings, and follow his commandments, we can overcome anything!

Are Missionaries Weird?

   Do you think missionaries are weird? Maybe intimidating? As a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I get a lot of funny looks. They range from curiosity and confusion, to hoping not to be seen, and even anger. Some people are happy to see us, others yell out their car door.

   I think people see the Book of Mormon in our hands and the name tag and somehow get the impression we aren't normal. I'd like to debunk that theory. I think you'll find missionaries aren't so weird.

      I graduated High School, and during that period of my life most of my friends were NOT members of the LDS church. I played football. I wasn't good at it. I also tried wrestling, and track and field- same story: not good at them. You can probably tell I'm not much of an athlete! I also did ballroom dance. It was a lot of fun! We hung out at the park, mostly- if I did hang out with anyone outside of school. A lot of my high school friends still call me Ron to this day because they nick-named me after Ronald Weasly from the Harry Potter series (one of my friends was a HUGE fan!).

   Everyone's family situations are different. Some of my closest friends came from very different family situations. You and I may come from different types of homes. I had a close family. Some of my fondest memories are spending time with my mom or dad just talking or spending time together watching TV. Before my mission I spent a lot of time babysitting for my nieces and nephews.
   My closest friends and I were piano bums. We would mess around on the piano at each other's houses and play songs off the radio from artists like Taylor Swift, Relient K, The Fray, Axis of Awesome, and a lot of music from movies- especially Disney classics like Mulan. We wrote our own music. It was nowhere near professional, but it was fun.

   My family went on vacations growing up to places like the Grand Canyon, Four corners, and Disney Land.
   I had a crush on the girl down the street. Twice. I was horrible at trying to talk to them. I got WAY too nervous and generally the first thing that came out of my mouth was the dumbest thing I could think of. (can you relate?)
   I have a FaceBook. I had a myspace. I got on them way too much.

   I like to break into song randomly. So do my parents. I don't like to read all that much- but I'm beginning to like it more and more.

   I have broken my left collar bone, my left elbow, and snapped my left Achilles Tendon. It hurt. I was in Seventh Grade and I'm not afraid to say I cried!

   Do I need to continue???

   So do you still think missionaries are weird? Well, maybe I am, but you see, we're regular joes who have had regular childhoods and grew up in loving homes and we're really normal people. Each one of us has a different story, but we each have had our ups and downs, our adventures and embarrassments. We had to learn our ABC's and 1,2,3's just like anyone. We didn't just pop out of nowhere! We have lives. We have feelings. We have cares, concerns, questions, preferences- just like anyone.

   In the end, we're all children of God, and we're all a whole lot more alike than we think. I was just talking to a man from Ghana, who made similar comments about his race. He said he thinks it is okay to have a sense of pride in one's own herritage, but it is not okay to put others down for it. I think that applies to religion as well. I definitely am thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but I don't think lowly of others who are not of the same religion. I would hope people of other faiths would feel the same way toward missionaries like me. We have different beliefs, but we are all children of God and He loves us all equally.
   In the words of a well-known song: "why can't we be friends?"

I Like To Look For Rainbows

   You know, I just love the hymns of our church. No, they aren't all that entertaining, but there's a lot of meaning and beauty in them. I especially love the children's hymns! For example, the children's hymn "I like to look for rainbows" always gives my courage and strength to keep on following God and trying to do good.

"1. I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain
And ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again.

2. I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away,
And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day.

ChorusI want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
I want to be the best I can and live with God again."

   Who couldn't be lifted in a hard time by that? That's why I love children's hymns.

   Feel free to listen to some of the children's hymns on the interactive music player on LDS.org: Interactive Church Music Player .

I'd suggest "I am a child of God" "I'll walk with you" "I lived in Heaven" -just a few of my favorites.

Go to the source- Mormon.org

   I think it's funny how when many people want to know about our church, they ask their preacher or a friend. If I wanted to learn about Catholicism do you think I'd ask a Baptist? It's sounds funny when you put it like that, doesn't it? Why not just go to the source? Wouldn't it make more sense to ask a member of the church? Most members are more than willing to share about their beliefs. Better yet, talk to missionaries like me- that's one of our main purposes is to teach about our church. Or if talking to people would make you too nervous, why not go to mormon.org, the church's official website on the basics of our beliefs.
   On mormon.org you can find profiles of members who have posted a little bit of who they are and their testimonies of why they are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You can find the Church's official stance on many subjects. It's a great way to learn about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And when you think about it, it just makes sense, doesn't it?

http://mormon.org/people/find/eng/

Keep Moving Forward

   Have you ever seen the Disney movie "Meet The Robinsons?" I love it! It's hilarious! I love the Tom Selleck reference (I'm indirectly named after him... long story...) and the imagination used in it! What a great adventure!
   I also love the message it gives to it's viewers- "keep moving forward!" Sometimes life gets hard, or sometimes we get hung up on things that might get us down or hold us back. Perseverance is a key to life. We keep moving forward, we push along, and we keep on living. Remember to love God and just push along despite the opposition. Just stick it out and in the end you'll realize you are stronger than you think!
   "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..." Romans 8:28.

Memories

   Home-baked cookies, a picture, a particular ring tone... there are so many little things that can trigger so many memories. Maybe some of those things bring back memories for you of being home as a child or hanging out with friends, or maybe a particular point in your life.
   Lately I've been having tons of those flashbacks! Thinking of people I haven't seen since I was in elementary school, and stories from my childhood. Some of those memories are very vivid! I remember a scout camp out when I used a plastic spatula to make breakfast and it melted onto the pancakes (we didn't eat them). Jumping on my neighbor's trampoline... I'm sure Elder Waltman's ears have just about fallen off from me sharing so many stories that have come to mind. But those memories can bring us so much happiness. Who doesn't want to remember the best times of their lives? I believe that our memories are a gift from God. J M Barrie once wrote, "God gave us memories that we might have roses in December." We can enjoy them, learn from them, and share them. Think back to the happiest times in your life. I would say mine are when I have been truly selfless and given my all in service for someone else because I care more about them than myself, expecting nothing in return. Especially when I can tell it meant a great deal to them. That's satisfaction. That's something worth remembering.
   What do you remember? When in your life were you happiest? Why do you think that is? Feel free to leave a comment and tell us all about it.

The PRIESTS back home.

   In our church, priests are ordained as young as 16 years old! Listen to what the priests I grew up with have to say about their beliefs and conviction of their Savior. These young men have been examples to me!

   Yes, I've cut my hair since then... enjoy! Leave your thoughts!

Finding Peace

   Some days are hard. Agreed? Missionaries are just like any of you- we have easy days and hard days, happy days and sad days. Sometimes it's hard to find peace in the hard days. It's hard to find happiness in the sad days. Sometimes it's tempting to just sit on the couch with some comfort food (I recommend mint-chocolate chip ice cream) or to take a nap, but as missionaries, our whole effort is for other people and we really don't have much time to sit and mope when we can be out in the world lifting up hands that hang down. So we have to find other ways to cope with the stresses and keep on trucking. Let me give some suggestions on how you can make it through the day and FIND PEACE in a difficult world.
   1) I ALWAYS find peace when I read from the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. Jesus Christ promised to send us the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, and whenever we read from the scriptures the Holy Ghost comes into our lives stronger. And just like His name suggests, he comforts us and gives us strength to keep pushing and to do what is right.
   2) Say a prayer.... alone..... OUT LOUD. You may feel awkward the first time you do it, but God hears you. I know He does. And every time I've done it, it's helped me really work out my problems. You'll find you receive answers to your prayers easier when you pray out loud and "counsel with the Lord in all thy doings..." (Alma 37:37). Talk it out with the all-mighty. He's a perfect therapist!
   3) "Forget yousrelf and go to work." Some counsel Gordon B. Hinckely's father gave him, when he was on his mission in England. When we think of others first, our problems don't seem so bad, we recognize the blessings God has given us, and we are filled with gratitude. We are filled with love and care for others. ( http://lds.org/new-era/1995/05/sweet-is-the-work-gordon-b-hinckley-15th-president-of-the-church?lang=eng&query=forget+yourself+go+work )

   Do you have any suggestions? feel free to leave a comment with some ideas on how to find peace!

Walking

   Missionaries are often tagged by their white shirts, ties, and name tags. You may have seen us walking down the street, or biking across town. That's usually us! In case you were wondering, some missionaries do have cars. Elder Waltman and I have a car. But we try not to use it too much so we can be out talking with God's children: it's kind of hard to have a Gospel conversation with the guy going through a hard time when you pass him at 40 mph going down the road.
   Today is one of those days when we are going to give up the car and walk it. We have people to see and a Gospel to preach, and I can't wait to go! So if you see us out there on the road, say hello! We'd love to talk with you!
   Well, I'm going to go hike around town for a few hours! Hope to see you out there!

"..I do not boast in my own strength.."

   Once a week, Elder Waltman and I get together with some other missionaries and we teach and learn from each other. Today was my turn to teach. I had been asked a couple days ago to prepare a talk on a Christ-like attribute of my choice. I prayed about it and came to the conclusion I should talk about humility.
   "Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished. It includes gratitude for His blessings and acknowledgment of your constant need for His
divine help." -Preach My Gospel pg 120.
   I really like how Ammon showed humility after serving the Lord and helping thousands of people come to a true knowledge of their savior Jesus Christ. Ammon began to talk about the success they had and one of his brethren cautioned him, "...I fear thy joy doth carry thee away unto boasting." (Alma 26:11)
   "But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God." (Alma 26:12)
   "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things..." (Alma 26:13)
   Ammon kept no honor for himself, but gave all the honor and glory to God- where it rightly belonged.
   Each of us has been given talents, ability, senses, knowledge or other gifts from God. Sometimes it is hard to see that everything we have and are, are gifts from God. And any good thing comes from Him. Anytime we have happiness or success, it is because He had His hand in it.
   I for one am grateful for the blessings He has given me. He gave me the ability to see the beauty of nature. He gave me a loving family. He gave me the opportunity to be here in Nashville and meet so many wonderful children of His. This list goes on and on!
   In our church we have a hymn called, "Count Your Many Blessings." I would invite each of you to take a moment to count your many blessings from God and see how He has touched YOUR life! Feel free to comment on my blog and share what you're grateful for!

Pray with all energy of Heart

   If I could get out just one message, or teach someone something that could change their lives I would most definitely teach the significance of PRAYER. Yes, I would love to teach people of God and Jesus Christ, don't get me wrong, but prayer is our connection with God, and is the only true way to gain a witness of their reality or divinity.
   In our church, some young men are the ones who bless the sacrament (or eucharist, or Lord's supper, or communion some faiths might call it). I was one of those young men before I served my mission. As I got older, other young men started to bless the sacrament and would look to me for advice and help on how to do it. My first advice was ALWAYS to remember that the blessing is a prayer, and prayer is a conversation with someone- GOD. When you pray, you are talking to an actual being! You aren't talking to the air, or saying something that only sounds nice to the people who hear the prayer- you are talking with God.
   I remember the times when the young men and I really prayed to God, and not just recited a prayer. The Holy Spirit was SO strong! We KNEW God heard us, because we were sincere and we were talking with Him with full purpose of heart. God's power was evident and we were blessed.
   I know this is the case for all who pray to God, remember He's a person, and talking with him, not preaching a sermon to Him- they will be strengthened and enlightened by His spirit. So, to you readers out there, the next time you pray remember that and you will really talk with God! He will answer your prayers, and it will change your life. You will find you are closer to God than ever.

   "36. Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and withersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
   "37. Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day."
   -Alma 37:32-43
 

In The Beginning...

   "So just what is a day in the life of a mormon missionary like?" you might wonder. Well, for me, it's an adventure. Every day is different and you can never predict what might happen. Such was yesterday: loosing a dear friend, hiding in a Wal Mart during a tornado watch, teaching the Gospel in a power outage...
   I am currently stationed in Nashville, Tennessee, where the trees are green and the people park on their lawns- a practice rarely seen in my hometown in California. For the last two weeks I've been with two other fantastic missionaries- Elder Waltman and Elder Vasquez.
   Elder Vasquez was originally called to serve in Brazil for his mission, but had trouble getting his visa, so he was sent here with us for a while instead. Late last week Elder Vasquez finally received his visa and was told he would leave Monday morning. He was bothe sad to leave, and excited to go, and we felt the same way. We're glad he's finally going to where God wants him to go, but we're sad to see him leave. Monday morning we dropped him off with the other missionaries also leaving for Brazil and said our goodbyes.
   Our trio was down to two. Elder Waltman and I went about our day as planned from that point-- going to email, go shopping, etc. As we pulled into Wal Mart's parking lot and got out we heard a tornado siren and figured we'd be okay in the building. Not a few minutes after we walked in, we, along with every one in the store- customers and employees alike- were asked to go to the center of the store for safety! When the winds got louder and the lights flickered, some people ducked and others joked about what they would do if a tornado actually hit the building. We tried to text and call other missionaries from our cell phone, to let them know what was going on and that we were okay, but there was no reception.We stayed there for around twenty minutes, before it was announced the storm had passed and we were free to shop.
   As we left the Wal Mart and drove down the street, we saw a MacDonald's sign broken from the wind and branches from the trees strewn across the roads.
   We finally received word that all missionaries in our area had been ordered to stay in there apartments, so we did. We knew the storm was bad, so we called as many people as we knew to make sure they were safe and well. Luckily each of them were, and no damage had been done to their properties either.
   When the lock-down finally ended we left to go teach people we knew about the Gospel of Jesus Christ- finally some more common missionary work. We were able to find a lady Elder Waltman knew from a different part of Tennessee who had moved here. She was so excited to see him and get to talk with us. We talked for about an hour and then headed back toward our apartment for another apointment.
   As we got close we noticed all the lights were out for several blocks. Our apointment was in one that area, and when we knocked on the door the husband answered and told us, "I don't think we can read the word tonight- we have no light." We told him to wait as we went to our apartment to grab flash lights for them to borrow.
   Upon our return we read from the scriptures with this family using flash lights in the power outage. It was a very unique and special experience for each of us. After talking for a while and inviting them to read the Book of Mormon and pray about our message, we left the family with our flash lights and with a prayer and hoped the best for them as we went back home to go to sleep.
   That is just a taste of what it is like being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is full of ups and downs, happiness and heartache, great adventure and simple conversations. There's nothing quite like the opportunity to serve the Lord full-time for two years.
   To those of you reading this, I hope I can help you see what being a mormon missionary is like, and moreso I hope that through your reading of this blog you'll be pricked in your hearts to learn more of Jesus Christ and learn of the Book of Mormon, which testifies that He is, and that He lives. I hope you will come closer to your Savior, and to your Father in Heaven. I hope you will feel a deeper conviction of the truth in your hearts. I invite you to learn more about the unique message we- as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints- share. A message which will improve your life and help you come closer to God in immeasurable ways!

Feed My Sheep

   Christ taught, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:17) As a missionary for the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I was "called to serve" not "called to preach." Although preaching and proclaiming the Gospel is the main part of how we perform this service, we also try to serve people in other ways too.
   Just a few days ago, Elder Waltman and I were driving down the road when we saw a group of men with a big moving trailer outside of their house, hauling large and small items, little by little into the house. I looked to Elder Waltman and said, "do you think we should go help them?"
   Elder Waltman replied, "sure."
   So we did. There were probably seven men there already helping out, but we offered our help and they accepted. We helped unload the trailer they already had there, and a truck or two and another trailer. We got to help them lift furniture in their house, and random trinkets and bags. As we helped out we got to know the couple moving in a little bit. They had a young child, and were moving in from across town. They were the nicest people and we had a lot of fun helping them out.
   When all the moving was done, we talked to the man moving in for a brief moment and he told us of the church he goes to, and how they are reaching out to people who may not feel comfortable in regular church buildings. What a wonderful idea. He and his family were such caring, Christ-like people and we enjoyed being around them.
   We then said our goodbyes and began walking back to the car, when this man graciously called out to us and invited us in for some pizza. I wasn't expecting that, but we readily accepted the invitation and enjoyed some pizza and their company for a little while longer. They were so appreciative and thankful- and honestly we hadn't done much in a group of so many people. I felt so honored that they would be so kind to us for such a little thing. Some would call it Southern Hospitality, but I would call it an exalting and Godly attitude.
   From King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon we learn, "...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17)
   I would invite you to look for ways to serve others, and do a good deed here and there. When you do, you are serving God, and you can be at peace. I know in my life I have always been happiest when I have been more concerned with the well being of others before thinking of my own. When you put your all into selfless service you are doing exactly what Christ talked about when He said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Through Small And Simple Things

   The neat thing about God is that He accomplishes great and mighty miracles through small and simple things. Take for example missionaries like me- not that I've worked any mighty miracles, but I sure have seen some. What we do is not extraodinary, but the outcome is. We walk around, help people mow their lawns, pick up trash, teach the Gospel, cry repentance. We make phone calls, and tell stories. We pray. A lot. We invite people to live the teachings of Christ. None of that is terribly difficult or tremendous- definitely not heroic- work, but the outcome and blessings are immeasurable. I've seen people's lives change! I've seen people overcome smoking addictions that for their whole lives they couldn't break. One elderly lady had begun smoking at age 13, but when she finally heard the message of the restored Gospel she gave it up cold turkey. I've seen understanding blossom and faith grow. I've seen families united and love kindled.
   No, what WE do is not all that great or fantastic, but what GOD does THROUGH us, can be paramount. Truly God has done a marvelous work and a wonder through missionaries and good people everywhere. So when you feel like what you do isn't that great or maybe you feel it isn't good enough for the world, remember that God works through small and simple things, and great things are brought to pass. So just keep on trucking and know God can work miracles through you.