Good morning, my dear friends, family, and acquaintances. Though the storm clouds are handing over Fort Collins this morning, it is still a very good and beautiful day in the world we are living in. It's me again, Elder Z.S.Weber, here reporting to you live from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. This week, I am proud to announce that winter is finally (FINALLY!!!) over, and spring has sprung. And sprung it has, with all of the pollen and rainy weather it can bring with it. I mean, honestly, if I haven't been sneezing nonstop, then I've been listening to my companion sneeze nonstop, all while trying to not get too wet. So, it's definitely another beautiful day in Colorado!
Anyways, I'm certain all of you didn't come here today to listen to me harp about the weather, so let's get on with this past week, starting with Tuesday. After getting done with all of the studies we needed to go through that morning, we once more headed to the stake center for District Leader Council, and then Elder Anderson and I had to head to Windsor and the Mission Office for some quick business. Y'know how I mentioned last week that the other elders had gotten into a situation with our car and a bus? Well, that 'situation' was a small accident that caused the right side of our bumper to concave. That was back at the beginning of the Transfer. In order to still drive around, we had to trade our car out for another so our car could get fixed.
The only problem? The car they gave us needed repairs as well. Nothing too big, just a ding up in the front bumper, about a couple inches long, where the previous elders had ran into a fire hydrant or something. Anyways, last week, we were asked to take our new car to an auto-body and tune-up shop in Windsor to get the ding appraised. The ride was fairly long to get out there, though the appraisal went by fairly quickly. Turns out that whatever the past elders did to the car, they did a real good job, for such a small ding. The way it's positioned, it actually caused damage to another layer of the bumper under the exoskeleton, a layer that can't as easily be mended. So, most likely, in the next few week, we're gonna have to take another ride out to Windsor.
Though Tuesday was mostly marked by that small kerfuffle with the cars, Wednesday was a wonderful day, as once more we had the chance to teach our investigator, Duane. He and Monica had recently moved to a new house of their own across Fort Collins, so instead of meeting where we normally would, we decided to meet up at the Stake Center, that way it would be an even distance for the both of us to travel to. After getting inside and getting past some very amusing topics, including one about Duane's pet tarantula and a mantis it got in a fight with (don't ask me how we got to that, as I have no clear idea myself), we decided to get back down to the spiritual level and share the message we had prepared.
This time, we had felt prompted to share some of the commandments from the, surprise, Commandments section of our Missionary Lessons. We shared a few of our most important, in my opinion, commandments, including reading our scriptures, praying to Heavenly Father, following His prophet that is on the earth today, and keeping the Sabbath Day holy. After each of the different commandments, we invited Duane to follow and live them in his life. For the most part, he seemed willing to make these changes, even when it came to going to church on Sunday, though it seemed like Monica was going to need to help him get going. However, it was wonderful to watch the power of the atonement help to improve him.
Thursday was another great teaching day, as that morning we got a chance to go in and teach Roland once again. Once again, we sat with him in his living room and read the Book of Mormon with him. What was interesting about this lesson, though, was that both Elder Anderson and I felt that Roland was really starting to understand what the Book of Mormon was all about. Rather than us just stopping him and explaining what he had just read, every now and again he would actually stop himself and describe and explain what he understood was going on in what he was reading. And, after the lesson ended, and we were bearing testimony on how he can receive an answer as to whether the Book of Mormon is true or not, he, of his own free will, decided it would be a good idea to start praying before reading each night.
Um, can you say, wow?!
And then came Friday, with another round of service for myself and my fellow missionaries. As spring had indeed sprung, and the weather was clear again, Brother McKenzie, the member housing myself and Elder Anderson, decided to commission us to help him with some of the yard-work. We ended up spending most of the day out in his backyard, raking up pine needles and cleaning out under the trees, while Brother McKenzie got in his riding mower and took care of the lawn. After all that was said and done with, we had just enough time to get dressed into missionary-appropriate clothes and head off to dinner—which, actually, was a chili cook-off during the Taft Canyon Ward Pinewood Derby, which was made even more entertaining by the 'no rules' competition held by the fathers.
Ever seen a CO2 cartridge-propelled Pinewood Derby car? Neither had I, until that night. And, man, do they go fast!
So, that was pretty much how my week went. Which means it's time for the Spiritual Thought. Now, before I go any further, I want to explain that, while most of my thoughts tend to be light and humorous, this one might come across as a little more solemn or somber. If you choose to read ahead, remember, you have been warned.
Because of General Conference last week, this last Sunday (yesterday, in other words) was Fast Sunday. And while there were many moments throughout the day that made my Sabbath Day, as President Nelson has encouraged, 'a delight', there was one moment that really stood out for me. During the Fast and Testimony Meeting that Sacrament Meeting, one of those that decided to get up and bear his testimony was Brother Koenig, who I had known previously when I was serving in the Coal Creek Ward, his previous home Ward. He spoke of how he had just come back from a funeral of a dear friend in that Ward, a young man who had left a very young family behind. After talking with Brother Koenig after the meeting, I found that the man that had passed was Brother Rowberry, my Ward Mission Leader while in Coal Creek.
I don't believe I've mentioned Brother Rowberry very much in these weekly emails. If I did, I don't think I did much justice to the man that he was and is. Brother Jim Rowberry was, to put it in Brother Koenig's words, a spiritual giant. Always upbeat and positive, he was an incredible man, who loved his Father in Heaven and served Him faithfully in whatever calling he was given, whether it be Ward Mission Leader or simply a father to five very rambunctious children—the second-youngest of whom would often attempt to run off during Sacrament Meeting, which was very entertaining to watch every now and again. He was a great teacher in Gospel Principles, teaching powerful messages every week, and on Fast Sunday, he had some of the most powerful messages to share.
When I first heard that it had been him that had passed away, I was completely shocked. When I had last seen him, he had been so lively and upbeat. Yet here I was, six months later, hearing that he had passed from this mortal plane of existence. It took a while for the thought to truly sink in, but when it did, I had this comforting thought enter my mind; 'Well, if any man were to leave the mortal plane at such a young age, at least I can have confidence that the Lord has a special work for him in Heaven.' I have no doubt in my mind that as soon as Brother Rowberry crossed over the veil, he was given a spirit-missionary name-tag, received a new companion, and went to work sharing the gospel with those that never had the chance to accept it in this life. Who knows? Maybe he's even crossed paths with my grandfather up there.
As I've pondered over these thoughts these last couple of days, a certain scripture came into my head. "His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:21) What an incredible statement! Ever since I first read those words, who knows how long ago that was, I knew that was how I wanted my Father in Heaven to welcome me back. I want to know, with absolute surety, that the work I've done for Him in my mortal life has been a work that He is proud of, and that He is proud to call me one of His sons and to welcome me back to His embrace.
This doesn't just apply to my mortal life, either. Right now, I'm in the last four months of my mission, the last stretch. Most missionaries, at this point, would start holding back and getting distracted by going home. But me? I want my mission to be filled with incredible moments, even to the very end. And I want every calling after this to be filled with incredible moments, even to the very end. I want to fully live the callings my Father has given me. That way, when my time to hold them comes to an end, and I must move on to a new calling, either in this life or the life to come, I will hear Him say, in my mind and in my heart, "Well done, my son. You have done the work that I asked of you to do. Because of this, my joy is full."
May we all seek to hear those words, in this life, in the life to come, from our Beloved Heavenly Father, is my prayer, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
—Elder Z.S.Weber
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