Of Resolutions and Blessings

Lots of stuff happened this week. We did a lot of service, we had zone meeting, the Traveling Elders came and spent a few hours teaching and helping us (they are two Elders called by our mission president to serve by traveling around the mission and training others in the work, all day, every day! It's a leadership position just like a zone leader or assistant to president)...we had some let-downs this week too, but many blessings and mercies from the Lord to balance it out!

Funny story to start out - we went to fill up our car with gas, and it turns out that our gas card was missing. We turned our apartment and our car inside out trying to find it, but no luck. I was upset because this kind of thing doesn't typically happen to me. I'm pretty organized and responsible...at least, I like to think that I am. We called the mission office to let them know, and they said they would call Salt Lake to get the card cancelled just in case it was stolen. We got a call back about half an hour later from the mission office and they told us that the card had indeed been stolen (it wasn't my fault, HA!) and that they had known because the thief tried to use the card at a Walmart, and it was declined. That credit card says on it, "MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON MISSION - MISSIONARY EXPENSES ONLY" and has been set up to only be able to function when paying for gas at a gas station. The card has been cancelled, and we're getting a new one, but Elder Butters and I got a good laugh out of that one.

The first counselor in our mission presidency, Bro. Clayton Christensen (the former dean of Harvard Business school and a world-renowned businessman), has written a book that has been published through Deseret Book about member missionary work. Each missionary in our mission got a free copy, and it's been added to our approved list of books to read...it's now 5 books instead of 4, haha. It's really great so far, and I'd encourage any of you who have any sort of desire to do missionary work to get a copy and read it! And if you don't have a desire to do missionary work, pray for that desire in your life. You don't have to wear a tag and knock doors to "stand as a witness of God" in all you do. =]

For most people, a new year means new goals and/or resolutions. My goal is to give all of myself to the Lord as I serve Him. I've said this before, but I find myself worrying about becoming the man that my Heavenly Father wants me to be and trying to figure that out, rather than just giving everything over to Him and letting Him take care of it. His hands are much more capable than my own, that's for sure. I know that as I consecrate my time, talents, testimony, and efforts to this great work, that He will take care of the rest. He'll mold me into the man I need to be. I'm grateful for the witness I've recently gained on this subject; the Lord has shown me what I need to do. My resolve to serve Him with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength is renewed, and I'd say things are different. I'm different. It's a new year, and coincidentally, it's just about a year until my mission is over. 2013 is my year to consecrate everything I have and everything I am to my Savior and to follow His will.

Things are actually going well here. Our less-active-young-single-adult contacting project is taking up a lot of our time, but it's an important task that needs to be done as soon as possible (especially since it's an assignement from both the stake president and mission president). We haven't been able to see the fruits from our efforts there just yet, but we have seen potential in other areas! Two different women showed up to sacrament meeting yesterday of their own accord - one in he Lowell ward, one in the Heritage Park ward. Talk about gifts from our Heavenly Father! Not only that, but an active member of the Heritage Park ward has a brother who is not a member, who has truly been prepared, and is ready to receive the gospel. He's our newest investigator, and we had a fantastic first lesson with him this week. We're planning on committing him to a baptismal date in his next lesson. The Lord is richly blessing us, and both of us are honored and humbled by His trust.

Elder Butters is an awesome missionary. He's growing and learning more and more each week. He's really doing well, and he loves Lowell. I'm seeing changes in him already. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to train him and see him come out of his shell and blossom into a powerful servant of the Lord. My love for him, for the work, and for this area continues to grow.

Happy New Year!!!
Micah 7:7-9

Love,
Elder DeLong