Dear family and friends,
Happy Pioneer Day and also Happy Birthday to Grandpa. I'm been keeping you my prayers Grandpa. I want to say I love you so much and hope that you fast recovery from your surgery.This was a very packed week. I had a minor concussion last Thursday so I took a couple days a little slower. I'm feeling better each day. I got called as the zone leader on Sunday. It is very humbling to be called. I already loved my zone, but I have an increase in love for everyone in these last couple days. Interestingly, the day before, I got the call with my companion, my companion and I both read 1 Corinthians 13 unknowingly to the other. What a perfect passage of scripture to read--charity "seeketh not her own." That is something I'm striving to be able to know and sense ways that I better help people and resolve problems. It takes a little out of my day, but I really enjoy. I already feel closer to everyone. I admit that I was already pretty social before. Haha. I've been thinking a lot about D&C 81:5. Someone said yesterday that people lead by love. That is so true. I'm starting to understand that each day. There are about 50 people in my zone.
I've been starting to enjoy the Mormon Tabernacle more each day. I listen to them while during computer language study. That is a certain power in music that is difficult to explain. It has this tendency to comfort me and build me up. We sang "We as Builders of the Nation" in the devotional yesterday and it was so awesome. I love singing hymns. The person in choir next to kept reminding that was mp, but I guess I just love to sing loud. Haha.
My companion and I are now teaching 5 investigators and then random investigators on Saturdays. We teach a lot of lesson this week. I do think that is the best way that I learn language and also growing in testimony as I study the doctrine. Sarah, what has been helping me learn Vietnamese is flashcards. I think that is the most effective way for me to learn more vocab. I have also come to understand that when I use my hands, the quality of my tone infinitely increases. I guess I look a little strange probably, but no matter. Haha.
In one lesson we taught was about hope. We had our investigator read "The Infinite Power of Hope" by President Uchtdorf. We then shared with her Moroni 7:41. The Spirit was so strong. Both me and my companion bore our testimonies that Christ really lived and that the Atonement is real. We really can repent and really can return to live with God and our families forever. It was such an amazing moment because I felt like everything finally clicked with her. We taught a Vietnamese member on Saturday. I was so happy because I was able to pick up a lot of what she said. I think she was speaking slowly, but it was still in Vietnamese. God is definitely blessing me in learning this language. Without him, I couldn't do it, especially this fast. It's not easy, but I believe that God does not give us callings to fail, but to succeed, even if there are some struggles with believing it can actually happen. Matthew 11:28-30 I love. I feel Christ lifting me up each day. I'm striving to do my best and Christ providing the rest. As it says in 1 Corinthians 4:10, when we are weak, we are strong. I didn't understand this verse for a long time, but I think I understand now. When we are humble, and we are relying on Christ in our lives. We can do so much more. I think being sick helped become more humble. I guess that is way God often humbles me. It is good though.
We watched a wonderful, even spectacular talk on Sunday. It was given by Elder Bednar and is entititled, "The Character of Christ." He began with a quote from Elder Maxwell that he had heard him say, "The Atonement would not have been possible without the character of Christ." This quote prompted Elder Bednar to really study the scriptures and better ascertain and understand what the character of Christ really was. He related the story of when Christ healed t the "superficial wound" after having just bled from every pore and suffering for the sins of the entire world, yet in this moment, Christ was not thinking about himself, He was thinking about the welfare of a Roman soldier that had come to take into custody. Elder Bednar said the character is that "He turns outward when you and I turn inward." I always thought that the crowning characteristic of Christ was love, but it was even more than that, it was selfless love. It was love that thought Himself, but only about others. He said that Christ's moral qualities were "strongly developed, strikingly displayed, and consistently lived." Elder Bednar challenged us to read the scriptures, so we also understand for ourselves what the character of Christ really was. He also said that we must something more than testimonies, we must become converted to the gospel because as it says in Alma 23, that is the way in we will never fall away. He made a challenge to each of us to get a new Book of Mormon and to read the entire Book of Mormon in trying to answer that question. He then said to write a half-page description of what you learned. He promised us that we did this that we would "increase in understanding in knowledge of the character of Jesus Christ, will be able to receive every spiritual gift that we need, and we will never fall away. I have taken this challenge and have started to see things in the Book of Mormon that I have never noticed before. I just love studying the scriptures. I have gained some insights for my life and grown in trust in God.
Dad, thanks for the picture and happy birthday again. I sent a letter to you. It is in st. Louis. Mom, glad that you enjoyed San Diego and Reno so much. Sarah, I think it's really cool you're reading Dracula. I'll read it when I get back. Anna, hope all is well at Quickwater. Hyrum, hope my letter to you worked, love you. Peter, thanks for the quotes, Elias, how did the lemon stand go?
Yours in the gospel of love. Please pray for me as I pray for you. For we all need it.
Elder Jonathan Shumway
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