Service Can Soften the Heart

My former companion, Elder Cunningham is now our Zone Leader!

Elder Harris' Birthday Celebration

Elder Harris downs these burgers like a champ. Keeps the American spirit strong in the companionship.

We went up to Mostyn, which takes a while to get up to, so we took dinner up there and had a little picnic per say and threw the football around.

Bore Da (Welsh phrase for Good Morning)... and Happy 4th of July!

This week has been full of "on the spot" lessons and sunburns. We've had the best weather yet and the town has been flocking with people from all over. 

After District Meeting I went on an exchange with Elder Cunningham! He is now my Zone Leader, and it was blast to be back with him. Right when we stepped out of the gate to go work a kid walked by and I just said "Hey, how's it goin!" We contiuned to QGC (Quality Gospel Conversation) him, and we aught him there right on the beach. It was such a testimony builder to me of exact obedience. If we were out of the flat 20 seconds or a minute late we wouldn't have met him. He lives in Bolton and we have passed on the info...

Throughout the day Elder Cunningham and I talked about the good times we had in Wythenshawe. It has blown my mind that it has been 7 months since then. We also got to talk about the good times we had in Liverpool, with him just coming from there serving as a Zone Leader.

Update on Liam:

This week we only saw him once, because he headed to Liverpool for the week for a family get together. He is doing OK, it's just that he has had a relapse with the alcohol, and his confidence has taken a bit hit. It's sad to see what addiction can do to someone. But we know that it's a battle that he can win, it's just that he will have to involve the Lord.

We tried a new finding activity this weekend by going around tracting in service clothes. We simply asked every person for service, and then if they declined, we talked to them about the Gospel. After we were three houses in we had set up two solid appointments, but no service. Then at the fourth house we met a woman, Leslie. She was thrown for a loop when we asked to garden. She kept saying I can't afford it. We went on and on telling her we wouldnt take any of her money. 

After about 5 minutes of convincing her we "actually" wanted to help her out, she got the mower and some gardening tools and let us do some work. And we did...For an hour we attacked the front lawn until we finished. Her friend told us that her husband had passed away and that the lawn wasn't able to get done. It opened up conversation for the Plan of Salvation. 

We set up an appointment for this week, and she is so solid! It is amazing how service can soften the heart.

This week I also studied the principle of sacrifice. I've come to learn that the Lord asks us to sacrifice for the benefit of our eternal welfare. In the end, we must be willing to give up everything that is of the "natural man." If we are to "become" Christ-like, we must do some "sacrificing." And the only thing that we can put on God's altar that isn't already his, is our will. 

We must submit to do what he would have us do because he is the "potter."  We on the other hand are the "clay." And the only way we can be molded into something greater is by offering a sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit...Or in other words being humble and teachable, and acting upon the direction he gives us. By simply saying "thy will be done" we sacrifice who we are for what we can become through him. 

For myself that isn't easy, but that is what this life is for! To get better and to work towards that goal! 

Love,

Elder Eliason