What is good in the hood!? I want to start out this letter with a few shout outs!
- First, shout out to Paul Strigham for trying so hard to meet up with me here in Cambodia and sacrificing so much, but being respectful and understanding. He is a great man!
- S/O to my mom for two packages halfway across the world. BEST MOM EVER!
- S/O to Caroline Pinnock and Elizabeth Dale going on missions. DOPE! Put in the work!
- S/O to Ralph and Abby for having a kid soon. Sad that their favorite uncle won't be there (sorry Will)!
- S/O to the Olympus Titans for absolutely dominating everyone. I bleed green and silver baby! Someone go give Rylan Jones a hug for me for almost averaging a triple-double and tell Matt Barnes that he is doing a good thing (also Harry is balling too)! TTTE!
- And finally S/O to Zion Williamson going to Duke. BALLER! Blue Devil Nation Baby!
Okay, now I will actually get into the details of the week! Just a regular missionary week. Elder Chaparro is an awesome example for me of someone who works hard and is obedient. He is an example of the blessings that you can receive when you live your mission right. Tons of stuff happened this week but I can't even remember anything. I ate a lot of rice! That was cool. Hahaha jk
So first thing was Seda's baptism! It was so awesome and Seda is someone who really has been changed by the light and the love of Christ. When we first tried to meet with him and talked to him he was the shyest person I have ever met. He didn't like to open up or talk to people or be in public, however as we started teaching him and introducing him to what the love of the Savior feels like, he started to light up! I literally could see a palpable difference in his actions and his smile from the day I first started teaching him, to Saturday when he got baptized. He is an awesome kid that doesn't have much, only his brother and his mom, but now he has this gospel that brings so much joy in his life. He is still so humble and meek and at the same time so happy. He truly is one of the reasons I know that the Lord called me to Battambang.
A very interesting experience that happened this week. After a few dropped appointments and contacting, Elder Chaparro and I decided to say a prayer to receive direction on what we should do. Literally the second I ended the prayer and opened my eyes, there was this white man on a bike, in the middle of nowhere in Cambodia. My first thought was WOW what an answer to my prayer to be able to talk to this guy and help him out! However, that thought quickly changed as he started belittling us. He said that he believed that Mormonism was a good religious institution, but he told us that it was all fake, a lie and that Joseph Smith was a conman. He then continued his opinions for about 10 minutes, views and calculated thoughts about God, and all that exists in the world. He pretty much defiled everyone's religion and explained how the endocrine system of the human body causes humans to have joy even through hardships. To sum the situation up he was probably one of the most educated people I have ever met and he had obviously studied every religion there was to study. After proclaiming how wrong we were he hoped on his bike and rode off, refusing to let us respond and try to share a few our beliefs.
So let me tell you, it was a very interesting answer to my prayer.
I really have been thinking a lot about why God put that man into my life. I found a few answers.
The first reason was that even though that man was so knowledgeable, and so studied he wasn't happy. I could tell from the way talked and interacted with us. It was all about him. It was such a contrast to the two members that we saw right after that man because we parked our bikes at their house. Sure they might not be the most studied and intelligent, but they were joking with each other, with us and they were genuinely happy. I could see it in their eyes and hear it in their laugh. They hadn't studied the complicated human endocrine system but their lives were not simple either. Yet they found joy in simply having faith in Jesus Christ and finding joy in being good people.
I also read something in a book called "Teachings of the Presidents: Heber J. Grant." One of his most famous quotes is as follows: "No amount of knowledge, of inspiration and testimony as to the divinity of the work of God, will be of benefit to us unless we put that knowledge into actual practice in the daily walks of life. It is not the amount that any individual may know that will benefit him and his fellows, but it is the practical application of that knowledge."
I simplified this into my own quote "Someone who LIVES the scriptures or teaching that they believe, is a lot more effective than someone who knows them but does not live them." Therefore, I would invite all of you to live what you believe. That man I met on his bike, may have been the most studied scholar in the whole country of Cambodia, but yet he treated us like nothing. Therefore all this knowledge that he had seemed to me to be wasted. Please don't be like that man. LIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE. Live how the Savior would live. If you believe in Jesus Christ, then LIVE like him.
The first reason was that even though that man was so knowledgeable, and so studied he wasn't happy. I could tell from the way talked and interacted with us. It was all about him. It was such a contrast to the two members that we saw right after that man because we parked our bikes at their house. Sure they might not be the most studied and intelligent, but they were joking with each other, with us and they were genuinely happy. I could see it in their eyes and hear it in their laugh. They hadn't studied the complicated human endocrine system but their lives were not simple either. Yet they found joy in simply having faith in Jesus Christ and finding joy in being good people.
I also read something in a book called "Teachings of the Presidents: Heber J. Grant." One of his most famous quotes is as follows: "No amount of knowledge, of inspiration and testimony as to the divinity of the work of God, will be of benefit to us unless we put that knowledge into actual practice in the daily walks of life. It is not the amount that any individual may know that will benefit him and his fellows, but it is the practical application of that knowledge."
I simplified this into my own quote "Someone who LIVES the scriptures or teaching that they believe, is a lot more effective than someone who knows them but does not live them." Therefore, I would invite all of you to live what you believe. That man I met on his bike, may have been the most studied scholar in the whole country of Cambodia, but yet he treated us like nothing. Therefore all this knowledge that he had seemed to me to be wasted. Please don't be like that man. LIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE. Live how the Savior would live. If you believe in Jesus Christ, then LIVE like him.
I also was reading the Book of Mormon and I stumbled across Alma 32! What a baller chapter from the truest book on this earth!!!! Please, please go read it. It helped me so much because of the last verses. ALMA 32:34
34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your
knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and
this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and
ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be
enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand
Although I don't know the answer to every single question and I still need to strengthen my faith, I know that I have had so many personal experiences where I have felt the truth of this gospel in my life. My faith can be perfect in those experiences. Although that guy can persecute me and call the Church of Jesus Christ false, he cannot take away the quiet whispering of the spirit I have felt from the Holy Ghost. No one can take that away from me, and therefore my faith is perfect in that thing.
GO READ Alma 32!
In closing, I just want to say that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. We receive joy and purpose when we follow his example and have faith in our perfect Savior. I promise if you have faith in Jesus Christ and live like you believe you will be able to feel His love for you. Simple, but true!
Anyway, that is all I got for this week! I love you all! OOPS!
Elder Gochnour
No comments:
Post a Comment