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