Sorry about the lack of email last week! I thought I had written it cuz I partially wrote one but then forgot and it didn't get done / noticed until too late! But I am alive :)
These last two weeks were good! Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Sorry if I didn't get to respond last week!
My birthday was weird. Like, even at home you get those "man it doesn't even feel like my birthday" kinda stuff, well this one literally had nothing birthday about it haha. We ate at a burger place but otherwise it was another hectic day here in Essen :)
This last week was awesome and we saw a lot of miracles. We've been really trying to up our game and get into the full swing of things, talking to everyone and finding at all times. We've been focusing on our teaching skills this transfer as a mission, which is what we talked about at Zone Conference this last week. We also talked about obedience and Diligence and there were some cool thoughts I'd like to share at the end.
Also this weekend is transfer calls so we'll see what happens. Probably nothing. But we'll find out on Saturday!
Well Johnny came to church on Sunday and loved it. He speaks no German because he moved here from Ghana just 3 months ago, but he said afterwords "You know there is something special about being in the house of the Lord. Even though I can't understand what is being said, I can feel the spirit. And it feels good". He's awesome! We moved up his baptismal date to the 30th of December. We are way excited about him.
So the spiritual thought this week is kinda a funny one, but it's something I really liked from zone conference. It wasn't something said, but something that struck me.
I put a new quote on my wall, and it comes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail haha.
"What, is your quest?"
I laugh every time I see it, but it comes from another quote. (not verbatim)
"when obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, we will be endowed with power from on high"
We talked about the fact that especially as missionaries, but also as members of the church, our as disciples of Christ, we signed up for this. The missionary white handbook, the higher law as taught by Christ, we chose this. And this is what I want. This is what we wanted, or we wouldn't have signed up.
Anyone that knew me at school, or at all frankly, knew that I was always just doing barely enough work to get by. I was / still partially a major procrastinator. I was pretty good at just riding the line for minimum effort required to get whatever it was I was shooting for.
But what is different about obedience is that cutting corners and riding the line doesn't work. Then you are just partially in. Almost making it to the miracles, but not quite. It's like running the football down the field and then dropping it on the 1 yard line because we think he are done.
We need to not see how much we can get away with, but rather see how we can actively be Obedient. Don't look for exceptions, look for opportunities to KEEP the rules. The Commandments are NOT there as a burden. They are there to bless us! We need to be all in and run touchdowns!
So I ask myself every day now, "What is your quest?"
It reminds me that I want this. I love my Savior and want to follow him. I want to contact, I want to be better, I want to have charity and be Obedient to the Commandments. God is good and he helps me every day!
I love you all! Have a great week!
Elder Harps
PS Also it snowed a TON this week but also rained a ton so it's all gone
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