We had a lot happen last week. We had a zone conference on Tuesday. After that Elder Garn (one of the Assistants) came with Elder Hardy and I for the evening. We had a lot of stuff come up so we did a split with Brother Bambas. Brother Bambas and I went to teach a couple people while Elder Hardy and Elder Garn went to a stake meeting. I was happy to be out teaching.
At 2115 when we got back together, we got to drive down to Rockingham and then back up to Southern Pines. We got to Southern Pines around 0000. Fun part of this was on the way down we had two cars so I rode with Elder Garn in the truck and Elder Hardy drove solo. Then when we got to Rockingham we took their car so we all had our own car. I got to spend about an hour by myself. It was really weird. I didn't have anyone to talk to for the first time in almost 18 months. CRAZY ain't it!
Then Friday happened. Around 2030 Elder Hardy and I went to an apartment complex. We prayed and asked for the Lord's guidance to find one new investigator. We knocked on a door and we felt like we were at the wrong spot. So we ventured deeper into the complex. We felt like we were in the right place so we knocked 2 more doors and found a couple that was semi-interested so we will go back this week. Then it was 2045 and we were about a 15 min drive from home and we were about to leave. Elder Hardy said, just 1 more, so we tried 1 more. We met a very nice man. While we were talking my mind went completely blank to the point where I forgot everything I was saying so I ended the door approach and we started back to the car, we got about 50 feet away from the door and we saw two young looking brethren walking away from us. We promised to do all we could, so we started following them, as casually as possible of course. They turned around and we started talking to them and shared the Restoration with them. Turns out they are interns at this huge Baptist church called "Mana." They loved talking to us and wanted to learn more so we are going back this week.
And this last bit I felt like sharing. The Spirit has taught me a lot this week. I have felt directionless for awhile and the answer to my prayers finally came, postmarked and everything, it would be so much easier if it worked that way. The theme for the rest of my mission is "yellow lights and little victories." A long time ago I heard an analogy that compared receiving answers to prayers and guidance from the Holy Ghost to a stop light. Red means no. Green means yes. Yellow means use your best judgement or in other words God trusts you to make the right decision. For a long time I have struggled with having self confidence and trusting myself to make the right decision on my own. Getting opinions from others is always good but I am always hesitant to make a firm commitment to something. Little victories, every time I follow a prompting, resist temptation, or take a step toward overcoming my own weaknesses, that is a little victory and a lot of little victories will lead me to the big victories. There is a lot more that goes into it and it is only growing. For example, I learned that by getting so many yellow lights is a good thing, because it means that God has enough trust in me to let me make decisions, which in turn means that I am living worthy of that trust, which has been empowering and humbling at the same time. Over the last while one of my favorite scriptures has become Doctrine and Covenants 58:27-28 "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."
Love y'all!
Love,
Elder Harper
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