Cau! I'm glad you had fun in Utah! The weather looks like it behaved while you all were there. Thank you for sending the pictures. Everyone seems to be the same for the most part. It is a slightly different family to look at with a newly added member. I'm glad you all had fun together.
This week i had a really cool experience with my testimony of the Book of Mormon. the story can be a long one but i will try to keep it short. we were talking with a guy out on Namesti Miru. He started out as being very interested in what we believe, but really just wanted to prove to us that his ideas about us not needing a church or anyone for that matter other than God were the true way that God wanted us to live. He was all over the place and very unfocused. He caused a very strong spirit of contention as he was cutting my companion off everytime he tried to teach this man something or testify to him. I felt suddenly very alone and empty as the Holy Ghost left because of the level of contention between this man and my companion. I stood up because i wanted to leave. Once we kindly said goodbye and walked away, i said a prayer in my heart asking the Lord to please send his spirit back and to calm my heart, for it was beating very fast. After having offered up that prayer, I felt an impulse to read the Book of Mormon in Moroni 10:3-5, and continuing to 6 and 7. I read out loud in an effort to bring the spirit back to the both of us. We were waiting down in the metro when i started reading. To explain a little bit, i have never felt that horrible and completely alone in a long time. I have always had trouble recognizing what the spirit feels like, i was always looking for some powerful feeling that would be super noticeable when a person had it, but i came to find out that the spirit is a very simple feeling of calm and quiet comfort. As righteous people we have this feeling always. It is when we offend the spirit that we really notice the difference. So as i read these passages from the prophet Moroni, I felt my heart and chest fill so quickly with love and peace and that quiet comfort that my body didn't know what to do or how to react other than to send tears pouring from my eyes. I cant remember the last time i cried but i dont ever remember crying quite like this, and i could not stop, which was funny because i felt the desire to keep reading but i couldn't read the words for the tears that were filling my eyes. It was a bit embarassing in front my companion, but that experience was so powerful for me. Any doubts that i had ever had about the Book of Mormon being written by God through living prophets were completely washed away with those tears. I know that God exists. I know that he loves me and cares for me. His love was shown to me that night in the Book of Mormon. He does want us to know who He is, He does want us to know what the purpose of this life is, He does, and has made that love for us boldly evident through the revealing of more scripture in addition to the words that he had been revealing with the books of the Bible. The Book of Mormon was compiled and written by those prophets of old for the sole purpose of proving more powerfully to all of mankind here on earth that Jesus is The Christ, the living son of a living God, Our living God; and that we need not be lost our confused anymore about what the gospel of Jesus Christ is and what it isnt. It was a truly great experience for me.
Question time! Your b-day is coming up. Anything you would like? The only thing i can think of would be those scriptures that i wrote about last week, but i would want those to stay there at home with you all.
How's your new comp? He is a good hard working missionary. We've served together already so that makes it easier.
Are you impacted at all by the Swine Flu or these other Flu viruses going around? nope not yet at least
Did you ever get the envelope of the posters that I made? I did, Sister Robbins thought it was way funny, and President got a good kick out of it. We all agreed that someone has too much time on their hands and loves being a missionary mom.
Did you ever get the envelope of the posters that I made? I did, Sister Robbins thought it was way funny, and President got a good kick out of it. We all agreed that someone has too much time on their hands and loves being a missionary mom.
Did you ever use the Bumblebee training idea? not yet but i was looking at it the other day stewing over it a little.
Family, you are the greatest. I love you and am thankful for you.--
With love, Your son, Starsi Morgan Nowland.
