Gethsemane

 Howdy howdy....

This week was blessed. Don't know what we did to deserve it, but the stars aligned it felt like. Started off with 3 lessons that didn't fall through and had a great lesson with a man who we honestly thought was gonna bash us, but we ended up having a lot in common! So that was appreciated cause I don't fancy being bashed too much, haha. 

Then it was pouring rain. LIKE A LOT OF IT. TOO MUCH. BUT IT WAS OKAY. So of course, we did some more street contacting and we met a really cool lady who reads the BoM daily?!?! Like whaaaaat?! Apparently, missionaries talked to her years ago and gave it to her. But she has no record anywhere so she has a busy schedule for a couple weeks, but if she has a testimony of the Book of Mormon, then it's a done deal! So yeah, street contacting in the pouring rain works. 

Had a great lesson with our friend Robert and he committed to come to church! AND THEN HE ACTUALLY CAME!! Haha, which is just plain AWESOME!! He also told us how he felt there was a bad spirit over him that kept telling him to drive away from the church and not go in. But he pushed, and as he walked to the church doors, he felt like something was pulling him away. The moment he stepped over that threshold, the feeling went away and he loved Sacrament meeting. We then also performed an exorcism after church just to cast out any bad spirits. My first one, lol. For those reading, I was embellishing it being an exorcism, we just gave him a regular priesthood blessing. It was way good, though. We identified the Spirit's presence, and he was like wow, I feel so much better. And he said he'd be back next week!!

Elder Wood and I both love to sing as well. And we were singing Gethsemane, and it was just powerful. So we had an idea to text our branch president and ask him if he'd like us to sing it for Easter. And he was like, "That'd be FANTASTIC!!" So on Friday, we now had to configure what we got ourselves into. Then Sunday came....and we sang perfectly! It was just splendid, haha. Robert liked it, and the branch loved it, and it seriously opened doors y'all. One member who doesn't trust Elders, in general, invited us over for an Easter lunch with her extended family. And her extended family is all nonmembers, and Sister Griffin asked us to sing for them, so we did! They all loved that too. There is truly power in music y'all. If y'all just listen very closely, the Spirit will guide. 

Easter is the time to remember Christ. And his suffering in Gethsemane was infinitely important to Christ's mission. That is where he felt the pains of the world. My sins, my aches, my sorrows, my pain, my guilt, my afflictions. He felt them all. And he felt y'alls too! He felt them so he could know how to help us when we hit rock bottom. So he can lift us up! Cause he's been there too. So this year, my invitation is for y'all to give something up for Christ. For that infinite sacrifice. For that gift he gave in Gethsemane. So we could become BETTER. So we could CHANGE. So we could become PERFECTED in Him! Hurrah for Israel, and remember that He lives!!

Elder Higginson