Time really does go by so quickly here it's weird because days seem to take forever and then at the end of the week you look back and think WHAT its already Sunday again HOLY CATS!! Well let's review the highlights of the week, Dogs, Rice and Chicken every day, and what makes it all worth it (although the rice and chicken are pretty good) a flood of gospel doctrine study. I love the amount of opportunities that we have to learn.
This passed week I had my first companionship exchange with the district leader and the things I had heard about him were not good to say the least from the other missionaries in my district and so I went into the exchange thinking 'Oh boy here the new missionary comes and now I have to teach this missionary with three months left on his mission what's up'.... Well, I would like to advise everyone reading this to never have that attitude. Luckily for me we went straight to a lunch appointment and it was there as I was silently thinking what I was going to say to my leader that a wise saying came to my mind and it saved me. I thought if you look for the bad in a person (or if you are just looking for things to critic) then you will surely find a great many of things, but if you look for the good (and things you can LEARN) then you will also find them. And so I was saved, because the spirit brought to my memory a simple saying I had heard before. And I was determined not to look for things that my leader could improve, but instead to look for things that he did well and that I could do better in. And I stand here (actually sitting at a computer desk) and testify to each of you that I learned more than I could imagine that day. So never go into a situation trying to look for a problem to fix (unless its math) and instead look for what you can learn.
As for what else happened this week, I was reading a general conference talk entitled Knowing That You Know, and it is a really good one and I learned that in order to have a knowledge and in order to know that we have that knowledge much is required. The prophet Alma gained this only after many days of fasting and sincere prayer. So I would like to encourage each one of you, family, friend, teacher, or neighbor to try this. Whether you are a member and have been for 75 years or if you are not a member and just want to know what is true or where to find true and lasting happiness, well, this is the way. We must pray and ask and we must fast and we must study. It has always been this way and must be this way because a knowledge of this gospel is a pearl beyond price and where much is given much is required. So try and test God to see if his promise is true, if a man asks a question will God answer it, but ask in faith.
In other news the Spanish is coming along so much faster than I could have imagined, of course, there is room for improvement, but I can communicate and I can testify what else do I need? (A lot)
This week we had a family Home Evening with a less active family and an active one, for the activity we gave everyone a candle and turned off the lights and asked everyone how do you feel right now?---Scared, unsure, alone---We told them that this was the state of the world before the restoration, that the world was in darkness and it was scary and lonely. Then we lit a match and lit a single candle, just enough light to see a tiny bit. We explained that this light is the light of the everlasting gospel. But although it pierced the darkness, it was small and seemingly insignificant. But then I shared my testimony and we explained that as we share our testimony we share a bit of our light with those around us. I lit my companion's candle from mine then he bore his testimony and lit someone else's candle, this went along until everyone had bore their testimony and passed on the light to the person sitting next to them and by the end there was enough light for each of us to see clearly what was happening around us. We then bore testimony that this is exactly like life. Life is hard and many walk in darkness, but it doesn't have to be that way if we would just share what we know with those around us. We can pass on the light and we can help people to see, if we share our testimony once it gets a little brighter, but as we continually share our testimony with everyone around us, we and they, will be able to see clearer and clearer until the perfect day when the Savior shall come to reign.
I love each of you and want to end with a challenge to make the world a little brighter. Sharing your testimony doesn't just help others see better, but it helps you as well.
I love you so much and am praying for your well-being. Keep up the good work and never forget who you are: a Child of God.
Elder Hutchins
