Week Flashed By...

From: Joseph Weiss <joseph.weiss@myldsmail.net>
Date: March 22, 2015 at 7:00:08 PM MDT


Dear Family,

This week flashed by but also seems like it was the longest week ever.
At one point I was so confused that after planning and started reading
my patriarchal blessing just trying to get my head straight.

Saturday we were talking to people in a food court very popular to the
Spanish community. We spoke with some people but it was a little hard
when they were eating lunch. I asked him if he wanted to go to a park
where some Spanish people play soccer or go to the bus station. To my
surprise he said let's go to the bus station.

When we arrived there, a
young bloke about our age was sitting on a bench smoking. He was
wearing a soccer jersey so I knew Elder Mills would like to talk with
him.

He asked us if we were promoting a candidate for the elections
and we told him that we were from our church. He asked which church
and as we began to talk he told us that he would like to become
Christian. He's from a Iraq. He tried to get baptized there but the
priest of the Assyrian churches said they could not. They probably
didn't want him to get killed. But he told us that when he came to
Australia he came alone and he changed his name and tells everyone
he's Christian and even wears a Catholic rosary but he still hasn't
been baptized. He asked if he could get baptized in our Church. We
said yes and that some missionaries would be stopping around to pick
him up for church.

Now some missionaries that have served in the Spanish ward say it's a
waste of time to go finding. Anyone that says that needs to speak to
my new Iraqi friend Oscar. I love this work. I don't do it for the
numbers. I do it because I am so indebted to my Father in Heaven and
want to show him my love and my gratitude.

Like Mother Teresa said, "My work is not a work of statistics, it's a
work of love”.  I love God. It's been a week of ups and downs but "I can do all things
through Christ Jesus that strengthens me."

I know God's plan is perfect. I was supposed to train Elder Mills but
instead I was sent to Canberra. At first I was disappointed but I
would have been missing a lot by not going there. In Elders Quorum
yesterday the President asked us, "Elders, what do you think you can
do to maintain your spirituality when you go home?" I've been thinking
about that a lot.

People say that you go home and instead of serving
others you have to get a job and work and get educated. But the
scripture in Jacob comes to my mind. "But before ye seek for riches,
seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in
Christ ye shall receive riches if ye seek them. But ye will seek them
for the intent to do good.". "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is
he”.

Our spirituality depends on the course we are taking in life. And
our course is guided by our desires or our intentions. Two RM's can go
home both find a job, buy a car, go to school, and be heading in
opposite directions because the intent of their actions are different.
What Jacob says applies not only to wealth but to everything in our
lives. What is the intent or desire behind doing the things we do?
That is what guides our spirituality and is supplemented by the upkeep
of daily spiritual experiences.

Ok verbal vomit over, thanks for reading if you got this far. Dad's
cursed me with the habit of thinking out loud..

Love you all!

Ofa Atu Elder Weiss