Elder Nathan Stagg: Goejeong: 72 hour kits

Ok well this week I am sorry I am not feeling like writing a ton! There is not a ton to talk about just doing the same old same old! AND LOVING IT!!

On Wednesday we got a call saying grab your 72 hour kits, clothes and passport and come to head quarters as soon as you can. So we packed up and left. When we got there the whole mission was there. It was only a drill ( we are having these drills all the time!) But we ended up doing our mission conference there and after there was cake and ice cream to say good bye to president Barrow! President Barrow leaves this week, so next week we get a new mission president! Its kind of sad! President Barrow is one of the most Christlike people that i know! He has been such an awesome president!

I just want to bare my testimony to end! When Elder Bednar came and spoke to our mission way back in my 1st week he said something that has stuck with me for my whole mission! This can apply to anything! He said "A meaningful prayer starts when you say Amen." I want to talk about 2 things that have to do with this. The first is about receiving personal revelation. Elder Bednar again explains this perfectly in this video called Patterns of light. (https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-012-patterns-of-light-spirit-of-revelation?lang=eng&_r=1) He explains that there are 3 ways of receiving answers. The 1st is like a light switch being turned on, everything just instantly gets illuminated. He said this happens occasionally but not very common. The 2nd is a little more common but still not super common. This is compared to a sunrise, the sun slowly comes over the horizon and it slowly lights up everything. The last one, is the one he says is the most common and is almost always the way he receives revelation. He compares it to a foggy day where there is just enough light to see 2-3 feet ahead of you. You need to trust and use all the light that you have to keep on walking. I love that analogy! We are sent to this earth for a test. And as part of that plan we need faith! Elder Bednar describes faith as action. When we receive a little bit of revelation, we need to follow that and trust in God and we will keep receiving just the amount we need until we reach the end. The problem is lots of people wont do anything until God throws it on there lap, smacks them awake and yells at them to do it, but even then they would probably very reluctantly and slowly do it. The thing is, God very rarely will be that obvious about it because that gets rid of the whole faith part. So when we pray we need to start doing action to find the answer and God will slowly lead us one bread crumb at a time till we find our way back home.

Something I do on the street when people say that they cant see God so he is not real. I take my ring off and ask them if they can see it. Then I put it in my hand and close my hand. I ask them do you believe that the ring is in my hand. They say yes because they saw me put it there. I then tell them that they are lying because they dont believe, they know it is there. I then put my hands behind my back and put it in my hand and ask them again if the believe it is there. This time it requires faith, they can ask my if its there or sometimes they will ask my companion to look in my hand and tell them. My companion is like the holy ghost we can ask through prayer and receive a witness of things but very rarely are we able to see the "ring" instead we need to trust in God and his witnesses.

The second thing that I want to relate this to is member missionary work. This is super important! In a perfect world with perfect people the missionaries should never have to spend time finding people. They should spend all their time teaching people that the members give to them. When we receive referrals it has a 70% more success rate than other people that we find (at least in our mission). I understand you guys are not set apart to do missionary work, you are busy, its honestly scary talking to people about it sometimes! I understand, its not super easy for me to talk to random people about religion. But something my dad told me is to look at everyone through the eyes of christ, they are all my brothers and sisters and they need this message. When I look at people that way the small things of it being awkward or weird are not significant at all! The best way for members to do missionary work in my opinion is first start by getting on your knees and asking heavenly father to give you opportunities! Ok good, most of you probably do that! But this is where lots of people stop, but the next part is the most important part. We need to do what Elder Bednar teaches and ACT!!! After our prayer we need to always be looking for opportunities to serve and spread Christ's light. If you are going to ask God for opportunities then when you see them you better respond and show that you trust him and he can trust you. Then he will slowly start giving you more and more.

My amazing mother is an awesome example of this. Before my mission we would have family goals of praying for missionary or service opportunities and at least for me i would pray about it and then never think about it again. But every night when we would share what we did that day my mother would have these amazing stories about how she fed some homeless person, or someone at Walmart forgot their card and she bought their groceries for them, or right now she is volunteering her time helping refugees get adjusted! She is such an amazing example for me and for everyone else!! I was able to tell that she acted after she said amen! I love my mother's example! I know there are lots of other good examples also!

I just want to testify that as you pray and ask for help, trusting God and using all the light you have, that you will keep getting more until you see miracles! Everyone of you can spread your light of Christ to others! And whether that results in a baptism or just helping someone's day that doesn't matter just do your best and you will see God helping you!!

I love you all so much! I love this work so much! I am always smiling and happy! People are always asking me why I am so happy? Isn't this hard they ask? It's hot why are you smiling? haha but I can just tell them that I get to talk to people about our Savior, and how their lives can be so much better!! Why would I not be happy? How lucky am I? I get to be outside when its hot. I GET to go through hard things for Christ! There is a scripture in the new testament that talks about the apostles, and they just got yelled at and beat up by the pharisees, and it says they rejoiced in being counted worthy for being persecuted in Christ's name! How cool is that?? I want to be yelled at, spit at, hit (all have happened to me) and after be smiling more than ever because how lucky am I to be worthy to be persecuted for Christ??

I love you all!! I am sorry you guys cant be serving missions but you can still do your part at home!! Read the Book of Mormon everyday and pray in time of trials, and with those two tools nothing can stand in your way!

-Elder Stagg