Dearest Friends and Family,
I hope that you all are
having a wonderful end of your school year. Transfer calls are in
and........I'm staying!!!! At the end of this transfer I will have been
in this area for 10 months. I am pumped though because we will probably
be baptizing 2 for sure and 2 possibles but basically for sure. We are
excited to see the results of our hard work and obedience. A personal
victory this week is I can now confidently say I can understand all of
Sranan Tango (Suriname Dialect). Speaking it is a whole other story but I
can now understand it fully and it's fun to be able to do that. Dutch
is also becoming stronger and stronger daily. Elder Hunt is doing
fantastic. I have really enjoyed serving with him and we are working
hard. This area that we are in is just exploding. We have two baptismal
dates one of the 30th for a man named Kalof and one of the 14 of May
for Christopher (who came to church for the first time yesterday) and
then we also have this really awesome investigator named Anna who is so
sincerely investigating the church. She said the other day how she is
hungering for the truth and on another occasion she said how she knows
she's not an angel or perfect but if she can at least be a servant of
God that it will be enough for her. That's faith. We were able to
testify to her about how we will all become perfect someday through
Christ.
The spiritual thought this week is about 3 Nephi 7:1-5 1 Now behold, I will show unto you that they did not establish a king over the land; but in this same year, yea, the thirtieth year, they did destroy upon the judgment-seat, yea, did murder the chief judge of the land.
2 And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land.
3 And every tribe did appoint a chief or a leader over them; and thus they became tribes and leaders of tribes.
4 Now behold, there was no man among them save he had much family and many kindreds and friends; therefore their tribes became exceedingly great.
5 Now all this was done, and there were no wars as yet among them; and all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan.
I want to point out the slippery slope of Sin. The Nephites fall into it often. But all this happened because they yielded themselves to Satan. I want you all the picture a yield sign and a stop sign and ponder about the difference. Now also ask yourself the question, How many times have I rolled through a stop sign? Everyone at least once. God gives us spiritual stop signs whether is be council from the prophets or commandments but these are there for a reason. And the moment we do a "California stop" and yield to that warning, we run the risk of being side swiped by the powerful effects of the adversary. But maybe we get through that intersection just fine by coasting, maybe every time but after awhile, through this numbing of our consciences, all stop signs turn into yield signs and before we know it we have been T-boned and are upside-down. I promise that the only way to blessings and spiritual protection is through obedience. If we stop all the way and never yield to the temptations of Satan we will save ourselves the grief, hurt and spiritual separation that comes from sin. But I also do know that if we do fall it is never too late. The Atonement in it's infinite reach and scope can bring light to even the darkest of tunnels. I know that it's healing, enabling and strengthening power is available to all those who need it and are willing to walk to Gethsemane and back. I love you all so much and thank you for the love you all show me! Have a good week everyone!
Lobi, Elder Lewis
2 And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land.
3 And every tribe did appoint a chief or a leader over them; and thus they became tribes and leaders of tribes.
4 Now behold, there was no man among them save he had much family and many kindreds and friends; therefore their tribes became exceedingly great.
5 Now all this was done, and there were no wars as yet among them; and all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan.
I want to point out the slippery slope of Sin. The Nephites fall into it often. But all this happened because they yielded themselves to Satan. I want you all the picture a yield sign and a stop sign and ponder about the difference. Now also ask yourself the question, How many times have I rolled through a stop sign? Everyone at least once. God gives us spiritual stop signs whether is be council from the prophets or commandments but these are there for a reason. And the moment we do a "California stop" and yield to that warning, we run the risk of being side swiped by the powerful effects of the adversary. But maybe we get through that intersection just fine by coasting, maybe every time but after awhile, through this numbing of our consciences, all stop signs turn into yield signs and before we know it we have been T-boned and are upside-down. I promise that the only way to blessings and spiritual protection is through obedience. If we stop all the way and never yield to the temptations of Satan we will save ourselves the grief, hurt and spiritual separation that comes from sin. But I also do know that if we do fall it is never too late. The Atonement in it's infinite reach and scope can bring light to even the darkest of tunnels. I know that it's healing, enabling and strengthening power is available to all those who need it and are willing to walk to Gethsemane and back. I love you all so much and thank you for the love you all show me! Have a good week everyone!
Lobi, Elder Lewis
