Some thoughts, some testimony

Well it has been an interesting week full of thoughts and impressions and smiles. Yes it's been a great week. 

This week Elder Pilling goes on exchanges with AP Tanavausa, has interviews, does some video conference training towards district leaders, and has a terrible salad. Like bleu cheese?!?!!! Straight trash right there. Ugh. 

Pancake fail

Hola people. Hello. Hi. Hey. Whatever.  

Last week for district activity we all went to IHOP and got breakfast. It was pretty neat:) 

Then Elder Cleggster and I loaded up and had 2 lessons and 1 other appointment during pday before 5. We taught Mardal the Restoration again. Full of promises and testimony and she went away with the spirit of conversion! It went very well. We then went straight from her to Mathew, a guy we met a week earlier and we had a wonderful visit. He is YSA aged so a pass off will have to happen here soon but I loved it. We went into expectations, promises and a bit of the Restoration. I took the opportunity to share my testimony about the peace and joy the gospel brings and promised him he can have that as well. Matthew then stopped us and said, "You know I was just being nice letting you in and giving you time but you have me very very interested..." He went on to share some things and it was very special to see how someone appreciated the spirit they felt and recognized the void he has in his life. So that was a neat experience. THEN we shredded to Greg's House. He's the youth's pastor for Mountain Brook here in town and we had tacos and s'mores. Had the opportunity to mingle with 8 or 10 of the others and were able to share our work and some experiences. We then left straight from there to Oxnard for our exchange. Went super good. Planning out some sort of gospel discussion sometime soon.  

Yes we then made the beautiful drive along the coast to Oxnard. Had our exchange, were involved in a Zoom conference for a district leader training and Elder Clegg and I played a part. That was neat.

Zoom Conference

The exchange was fun and successful. Really actually bumped my spirits because prior to Tuesday like the Thursday to Monday before I had been a bit down on myself. We go out every day and no one wants to listen to us. All of our lessons fell through. I even got an "aggressive driving" from Tiwi (the monitor in the cars that track us) because I accelerated too quick in the truck... Whoops. But Tuesday was good. Refocused that it's not about me it's about Jesus and things have been back up pumping ever since. 

Life is so interesting, everyone is so quick to forget God. They get caught up in some detail or some program and they forget their intimate relationship with Him. We met Michelle and Joyce the other day, and they go to Grace Church here in town. Grace Church shows anti Mormon movies and has literature and classes on how to deal with missionaries. And that's not a joke, that's confirmed. Anyway this lady started asking the usual questions:

Do You believe you get your own planet and over power God? 

Do you believe Satan and Jesus are brothers? 

Do you believe you are saved by works and not by Jesus's grace?. 

Etc etc. 

Now these are interesting questions, questions we have biblical answers for each, yet the people forget God and how they are taught and they pay no attention to our answers. Really sad because they are trying to follow Him they are just so closed off. They block out anything they either don't understand or they don't want to believe. For me I really like the plan of salvation and eternal progression. It's amazing that God loves us so much he gives us the opportunity to become an heir to Him. It's fascinating because it opens up outer space, how there is no end to it and it's filled with other Heavenly Fathers with their creations and plans. For some they can't reconcile that, they don't see the words "take upon ourselves the name of Christ" or anything else. And in that sense they close off, because they don't understand. It all goes back to Paul, giving the milk before the meat. Anyway I love this plan, I love my Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ and it is through Him that I can receive eternal life. I know He lives and this is His gospel, not Joseph Smith's not anyone's but His and that is a powerful truth. The rejection over my mission has strengthened me loads. Every area I've served there have been churches which share anti and false info about us, not to mention it's all over the Internet and some things have really gotten me thinking. But of course, if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God and I've been able to overcome some doubt and fear with that promise and through the Book Of Mormon and other scripture. I love what I know, I love learning about this Gospel and after our discussion with Michelle I bore my testimony and I know without a doubt she felt the spirit because the spirit works through His disciples and I certainly felt it. 

A whole lot else happened, but it doesn't really matter. This is the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints and it is all about Him. 

Love you people. Look daily to strengthen your testimony and I will close this email, because its basically a long testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, 

Amen

2375 Johnson Ave 

San Luis Obispo CA 

93401