So last week I thought we were just going to drop Elder
Harper off and then Elder Klodnicki and I would come back to Dayton, just the
two of us, but! We got another companion! So we are still the 3 amigos :) Elder
Cody McEachern has now joined the Dayton trio. He's from Utah. He's a swimmer.
He's Irish. He's a Mormon. And we welcome him :)
After Transfer meeting we didn't get too
comfortable because we packed things up and moved apartments on Thursday! We
inherited a former senior couple's apartment that is really nice. Two floors, 1
1/2 bathrooms, washer and dryer. It's the complete package. AND, I am getting a
bed today :) We are having another zone fun day today so I invited the
assistants to come, and to bring a bed while they are at it. So that'll be
nice, especially because the rooms are slightly bigger in the new apartment. So
more elbow room for the three of us.
Last week was a good week. We are doing well
and our zone as a whole is doing well so we are excited for them. The only
issues are that we have a couple sisters in our zone who are "dying"
this transfer so they are a wee bit trunky. But I'm determined not to be and
quite honestly it's not hard to stay focused if you stay busy. And serving the
zone gives you lots a reason to stay busy. There are ALWAYS things we can be
doing. So that's quite nice. We are hoping to get in better contact with J… and
L…, our two main baptismal candidates. They are incredible ladies. Both have
read the entire Book of Mormon. L… is working with her manager to get Sundays
off and J… will just need to quit tea and coffee, which should be no problem
for her. If they remember what they really want and hope for in life, they will
make the sacrifices necessary to reach it. That was a big part of my study on
Friday, or Saturday? I can't remember which day. But anyways, it's a pattern
that we see all throughout the scriptures. We see a commandment, and a
sacrifice and blessing attached to every commandment. A few examples:
Commandment - Law of tithing. Sacrifice - 10 percent of income. Blessing -
Malachi 3:10, and "Subtle but significant blessings" (talk by
elder Bednar). How about another example. Commandment - Law of the Fast.
Sacrifice - 2 meals and a generous fast offering. Blessing- "Nevertheless they
did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in
their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the
filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to
the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which
sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto
God." (Helaman3:35). It's a simple pattern but it's everywhere! What
about Prayer? What is the sacrifice? Maybe time, effort, pride, our will, or
our desires? But what are the blessings? They're all throughout the scriptures!
I find it especially interesting to read what the Bible dictionary has to say
about prayer. It's cool stuff. It changes my perspective about the commandments
and it makes the sacrifices to keep them much easier. Why then does God ask us
to sacrifice? Why can't He just bless us without sacrifice? Because that's the
way we grow. That's the only way we change. Think about the greatest sacrifice
of all time, the atonement of Jesus Christ. He sacrificed His life. What are
the blessings? Faith, hope, repentance, baptism, covenants with God, spirit,
healing, change. Everything! So why then does God give us commandments? Because
He loves us. Every commandment is an opportunity for us to trust in Him and to
change, and that's why we came to this big beautiful blue planet in the first
place. :) The Gospel just makes sense. Anyways, I don't know why I shared that
but it just kind of fell out onto the email. So hopefully it meant something
haha. We could spend a lifetime just studying the fundamentals of the gospel.
The more I learn the more I love and the more I want to share. That's just how
it works.
I'm Grateful for this time of year that we
have to focus on the Savior's birth. I love the spirit that this holiday season
brings as more hearts and minds remember the Savior than ever. I love him and I
know that He lives.
Have a great week!
Elder Kevin Graf
