I am a tool...in the Lord's hands!

Familia y Amigos,

Buenos dias otra vez! I hope you all have had a great week and are striving to be positive! I found that helpful to me this week and I learned a lot. This week was a crazy one and many unexpected things happened.

First of all, we got a call with like 12 hours notice that we were going to have interviews with the Mission President. And that was exciting. It is always a very uplifting and learning experience when meeting with the Mission President. He mentioned to me the many changes that he feels inspired to make for the mission and his hopes for me, so it's my hope that I can be a tool in God's hands to help him accomplish what he hopes to have accomplished in the mission. One thing that President Weston said to me that I really like is that it doesn't matter how many scriptures you have memorized, but what really matters is how humble you are. If you are humble then the Spirit can work through you. So, I have been thinking a lot about that and I feel that being grateful for what I have is one way that helps me to be more humble!

Then, as for some crazy news...we had planned for J to be baptized on Saturday but unfortunately it didn't happen. Satan has definitely been working on her and her husband and many things have been coming up. It's really sad. But, they actually are moving away from Lexington on Wednesday, although they may actually be back this next weekend. So we really don't know what will end up happening.  Anyway, we just hope that if she isn't baptized this next week that one day she will enter the waters of baptism. It's hard to see someone come so far and then have to move away, but hopefully it all works out for the better.

Later this week, we went to Philipsburg, Kansas to have a meeting with the missionaries there and do exchanges with them. That turned out to be a great experience! When I was on an exchange with Elder Draper, we witnessed a few miracles. For lunch, we went to good old McDonalds, and while we were there, I just kinda looked around at all the people in the restaurant and I was overwhelmed thinking about how these people are living hard lives with no knowledge about the Plan of Salvation. It made me so grateful for the many blessings that I have to be a member of Christ's church. And then right after this, we drove out to a little city to see a few people and we had a member with us who was a recently returned missionary. We walked about a mile to a house and the lady turned us away so we started walking back. But then on our way back, we got a call from her saying that her friend wants to hear our message! Sweet!! haha So we went back super excited and we had an awesome lesson with a girl named K. It was one of the most powerful restoration lessons I have been a part of on my mission and it was an experience that I will never forget. So hopefully [she] will continue to progress in the Gospel. But one thing I learned from this experience is that this was probably one of the days that I have been most humble. And I think because of that, we were able to have a good lesson. So, I am going to strive to continue to be more humble so that I can be a better tool in the Lord's hands.

And then as for another good thing, we are working with a less-active and he has been to church a few times now. But the thing that is so exciting with him is to see him progressing and slowly gaining more respect for Jesus Christ. Each week at church his appearance has gotten better and better and it has been so cool to see. I feel that that is true success...progression! And then a recent convert, W, passed the sacrament on Sunday and also received a calling so that was really exciting to see as well!

But this week has been a humbling one. Spanish is something that helps me to be humble because I'm not the best at it. But one thing I have realized is that you just gotta do your best and strive to be humble because if you're humble, then the Spirit will help you to say what needs to be said. So, I have learned a lot this week and I hope to learn more this next week and be a better tool in the Lord's hands.

I hope you all have a great week and can seek to look for the many blessings that you have! They are there!

Love,

Elder Vawdrey