Feb 18, 2010

Feb 18, 2010
Thanks to all the friends who showed up at the airport - we were so surprised to find out how many have been following the blog for 2 years. You all are great!

Elder Nowland and His Friends

Elder Nowland and His Friends
We've Been waiting for you.

25 January 2010

This saturday was going to be a really exciting day. We were going to travel to two different cities to do some reactivation work with less-actives, and then visit a new investigator that is really beginning to make some great progress. Saturday morning came and an hour before we were supposed to be on our way both individuals cancelled on us. (Here we will see the importance of having back-up plans)...because we didn't have any.

Nevertheless, we prayed and sought counsel from the Lord. We started to make some phone calls in an effort to fill up the recently gained 5 hours. What happened was a miracle. At the end of the day as we walked back into our house fairly exhausted and nearly frozen we had taught a member lesson, two other lessons, a less-active, received 2 referrals, and found 2 new investigators. Every lesson we taught was short, simple, and full of testimony...the key ingredients for really spiritual lessons.

It was so amazing to see that often times when we think we have got everything under control, and we think we know what we are doing; then comes along God and says," my sons i have something else in mind, i have a different plan, a much more effective plan." I have learned that even after we have given ourselves to much thought and planning, that we still need to be willing to let the Lord lead our steps. It is exactly what President Slovacek has asked and said over and over," Who was the senior companion in your companionship today?" We should all be serving in a 3-some" The Lord's plans are so much more effective than ours.

In a call-in session with my Zone Leaders I had a lesson reconfirmed that it doesn't matter what positions of leadership that we have served in, or if the person that is now our leader was once under our stewardship, our leaders receive direct revelation for us. My leader Elder Crane talked about a study that he had recently had about faith. He mentioned that the Savior told us that if we have faith as a grain of mustard seed then we can say unto a mountain,"move!" and it will be moved. He said after reading that verse he read Ether 12:30. There it talks about how the brother of Jared said unto the mountain, (I dont remember the name of the mountain) "Move", and it moved. If we recall that the brother of Jared lived quite some time before Christ was on the earth; therefore, when Christ made the statement that is recorded in Matthew chapter 12ish, Christ was saying it is not because it was simply possible, no, but because it had actually happened. By faith, strong faith i might add, a mountain literally was moved. My Zone Leader was inspiried to study faith because a few days later he would need to use that study to inspire a fellow missionary. I know God calls people to positions of authority for the puporse of inspiring his children to lift themselves up into a better cause. I know the Holy Ghost is real and has a powerful influence. The Work will go forth because God will continue to inspire His leaders who are righteous men and women.

Have faith, I love you family. The Lord is my Shepherd, He will show me where to go and what to do

.-- With love, Your son,Starsi Morgan Nowland

18 Jan 2010

So this week we had the Zone Leaders come into our area and they helped me a lot to regain the extra boost and energy to continue moving forward in the work. I needed the good example of my leaders to show me and remind me of my duty and calling as a missionary. Looking forward into life i can see this principle being so important. It doesn't matter how much we know or think that we know, it doesn't matter how high our calling is or how high our callings were, our leaders always receive strength and revelation from the Lord to know how to best lead us and how to assist us in our weaknesses. The Lord is a wise man with much greater insight than we could ever muster. He knows where we have been and what we have done to serve Him, and He knows how to lead our leaders; whether they be older or younger, wiser or lacking wisdom, quicker or slower. We should always be willing and ready to accept council from those who the Lord has placed in our lives to help us.
I have a bit of random yet exciting news. So two days ago i found out that there is a new senior couple serving in our mission. Their name is the "Heywoods!!" can you believe that!! The Heywoods got their mission call to serve in the Czech Republic. Isn't that just so awesome!!! I haven't actually seen them yet and i might never see them before i leave because they are serving in Brno and have no real reason to come to Ceske Budejovice. They said that they might be able to be in Prague on transfer day. We'll see.
I don't have a lot of time today unfortunately. We spent most of our morning defrosting and cleaning out our fridge.
We are working hard and focusing in on some very specific investigators to move them towards baptism.
Did you understand your flight itinerary that I sent? i did thank you for doing that.
Is it possible to get a better flight schedule?

-- With love, Your son,Starsi Morgan Nowland

11 January 2010

Zdravim vas!
I know it has been a long time and i will apologize but our past few Preparation days have been on saturdays because of the holidays and in this little town everything closes down . So there were no internet places open bohuzel (unfortunately).
I just gave a talk in church this past sunday kind of as a farewell. It was a really powerful experience as i prayed, prepared, and gave the talk. After being completely stumped as to what i should say, it finally hit me that i needed to talk about miracles and told them about two specific miracles that i recently saw on my mission. The First one was about how my companion and I found Petr, and how he was so prepared and told us in our first ever meeting with him that he had been studying the Book of Mormon every night before going to bed for the past two years abd how he knows that it is the word of God just as the Bible is. He then told us that he has done everything he could in his life to get in line with God and His teachings and how the only thing that is missing is Baptism. He was baptized recieved the priesthood of God a few weeks later and baptized another man by that priesthood power. The second miracle was Kennedy and how he had had a dream 10 years before and saw the dream come to life as he came and watched General Conference. He was baptized a month later. I testified about the power of faith in bringing about God's hand in our lives.

There is a God in heaven that has feelings that has a perfected body of flesh and bone. Joseph Smith saw Him and His son Jesus Christ. I know with my heart ,mind, and soul that this is true. For i felt the presence of God that day when i prayed with frustration to my Father in Heaven. He humbled me because He loves me. A Random power or mist or energy does not know how to love, only a real being that has first Himself experienced what love is. God lives.
-- With love, Your son,Starsi Morgan Nowland