Good Morning America! (Does this still count as the morning? Well, whatever, I'm just gonna roll with it) 'Tis I, the great and noble Elder Z.S.Weber, reporting in to you live from the Mariana Butte Ward in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. This week, I've got quite some stories to tell, as a lot gas happened in the last few days since I last emailed y'all. First of all, just to get it out of the way, I got my new companion, Elder NeVille on Tuesday last week. Elder NeVille is actually an Elder that came you the same time as me, and was actually the missionary that replaced me when I left Nebraska for Boulder several months back. He's a great elder, fun-loving yet serious about the work, so I'm very eager to start working with him. And start working we did.
Tuesday, I'll be honest, not much happened besides getting Elder NeVille. By the time he got down from Casper, Wyoming, most of the day was done. We pretty much spent our day getting him moved into the Andersen's house and then showing him around the area. Wednesday was pretty much the same. We spent the bulk of the day going around and getting our groceries done, as neither of us had any food for the week ahead. Once we were done with that, we decided to head over to the library so that we could work on some of our family history and get our media hour for the week in—which, again, we had both missed due to transfers. However, despite the slow start to our week, we took off strong with the work.
Elder NeVille and I crammed as much finding time into our week as possible. When we weren't knocking doors, hitting the pavement, and doing the serious tracting, then we were looking over the member lists for our area, looking people up, and trying to work with the part-member families. We stay out until nine in the evenings, doing real serious work, the kind of work that I'm ashamed to say hasn't been done in a long time. We're working hard with potential investigators in our area, people that are welcoming and willing to listen to us, and we're working our tails off to get more lessons in every evening. It's hard, working like this, but it feels great, too.
On Friday, Elder NeVille and I had our District Meeting. This was our first glance at our new District. We'd lost a lot of missionaries in the last Transfer, so it was interesting to see who was coming in. Apparently we now have both sets of Boyd Lake sisters in our District—English and Spanish speaking sets. So, the meeting was mainly spent with getting to know all of our new members, and then setting realistic goals that we can achieve for this next month. It was really shocking, as we all set goals that were almost double the needed average for each individual District in our Zone. If we actually achieve all of the goals set, we'll have an incredible month for December. Then, after the goals were set, each companionship was divided up and interviewed by the Zone Leaders, just as a way to see how we're all doing with the new Transfer.
The week came to an end on Saturday, when we were invited to come join the Ward in their special Christmas Party. It was a wonderful evening, not just because of the wonderful food served and the fun time spent, but because it was a chance to meet some potential investigators and progressing investigators of ours. We were actually able to talk for a long while with one of these investigators, a young girl named Billie, and were able to set her with a baptismal date of January the 9th. So, here's hoping we can make it through to then! At the end of the evening, the Ward choir stood in the stage and performed a very cool Christmas play called 'Teach the Children', a story where Santa Claus tells a father to teach his children about the true meaning of Christmas—Christ's birth. It was a wonderful performance, and I'm glad to have witnessed it.
And that also happens to leave me with my Spiritual Thought for the week. I've been putting this off for a while now, because I've had other Spiritual Thoughts that I felt were more pressing at the moment, but this week I've got nothing but this.
For the past couple of years, the Church's social media group has come out with some really amazing and inspiring videos on Easter and Christmas, geared towards the Savior and his mission. There has been Because of Him, He is the Gift, and Because He Lives. This Christmas season, they've brought out another amazing video, A Savior Is Born, a message about the Messiah's coming to Jerusalem all those thousands of years ago. But though the message is many thousands of years old, it still rings true for us today. May I share with you the words of the ancient prophet Isaiah, who I believe shares one if the best accounts of Christ's coming.
"Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel...For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever." (2 Nephi 17:14; 2 Nephi 19: 6-7)
How great a declaration that is for us today! We live in a world of chaos and confusion. Truth is taken for lie, wickedness is taken for good, and evil reigns supreme in the hearts of men. In this world, people who seek to do good are few in number, and could easily be discouraged by the endless throngs that surround them. But there is no need to feel such discouragement! Why? Because two-thousand years ago, a child was born—a child that would change the world forever. With his birth came the promise that we need never stand alone against the forces of the world. Just as Elisha said in the ancient days, "they that be with us are more than they that be with them." (2 Kings 6:16)
Today, I share my testimony of this message of truth. I know, without a doubt, that Jesus Christ truly was born to save us. He came, and because he came, our weaknesses can become our strengths, our simplicities can make us the great and mighty, and we can be saved from our own imperfections and be raised up into perfection. I bear solemn witness that he did come, and shall soon come again—he that is called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Rejoice greatly, for unto you a Savior us Born! I say this in his holy name, the name if the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
—Elder Z.S.Weber
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