I am so thankful that I get to send a message that all of you get to read each week. I want to thank my sister for taking her time to make a blog for me that each of you get to read. This mission is the greatest experience that anyone can desire to have to grow themselves spiritually and mentally. I have learned so much and I feel so great. I feel the Spirit witness to me everyday as I teach in peoples homes that what I am teaching them is true and it feels so good feeling Gods love for me and for these people here in New York. I know that what I am doing now is the absolute right thing that God needs and wants me to be doing. I am so thankful to be here at this point in my life sharing the gospel with other of Gods children. I love this gospel.
This past week I was talking to my companion Elder Neilsen, and we were talking about how weird it would be if we saw someone that we knew here in New York City in the midst of all these 9 million people that live here. So on Tuesday we jumped on the train after we finished up with our companionship study. I saw someone jump on the train and he was standing right by me and he had his headphones on and he looked familiar I thought it was someone that I knew from High School. In my head I was thinking there is no way there is too many people here in New York that it couldn’t possibly be who I was thinking. Then sure enough he took his headphones out of his ears and said “ I KNOW YOU! IT’S JD RIGHT?” I was like no way, it really was who I was thinking. So we started talking he is good friends with one of my old football buddies Spencer Gore. His name is Jeff, but I cant remember his last name. It was a shock to see someone that I actually knew especially that we were talking about it two days before then.
Some people here are seriously so crazy. This past week there was a guy that took gasoline and dumped it all over his girlfriend and his own kid which is her kid too and lit it on fire. He burned his little kid and girlfriend I am pretty sure that the little boy died, but the girl I am not for sure about. It was so sad to hear about that, it happened in the projects that I work at all the time. It just makes you realize that there are those kind of people in the world.
This week I was a little sick so I wasn’t able to be at my full potential as I was out talking to people on the streets. I wasn’t feeling very well on Wednesday night I had a fever and I just wanted to tough it out and continue working hard. Then on Thursday I felt a little bit better than I did the night before, but it gradually got worse. So on Thursday night I was way sick when the day was over. So I was told to stay home and rest on Friday from the mission doctor. He got me an antibiotic from the pharmacy. So now I am feeling great and ready to get back to work.
Yesterday we had a serious talk with some of our investigators. We went out with more boldness. It felt great to see where they were at and if they truly had desires to make the proper changes in there life to grow closer to our Father in Heaven. There are two key things that people need to do in order to find out if the church is true those two things are reading from the Book of Mormon and praying to know if it is true or if what we are teaching them is true. Those are two simple easy steps that all of us should do daily is read that communicate to God that we care about the wonderful blessing of the scriptures, then to pray which that is how we communicate with God and tell him our deep feelings. I know God loves us and he wants to help us, but we must always be praying so that his spirit can be with us. When people aren’t willing to do those things then sometimes you just have to let them go, and not spend as much time with them. That is when the work gets hard is when you spend a lot of your time and effort with an individual that you really care a lot about and they aren’t willing to commit themselves to reading and praying. When that happens you have nothing but to let them know of the importance of those two simple basic steps that bring so much happiness and guidance into peoples lives. I am so thankful that I can honestly testify of those two simple things of reading and praying daily and how much it will really bless anybody’s life that will sincerely do those two things. It takes desire in ones heart to grow closer to God, that desire must lead to action by simply praying and reading. You don’t have to read a lot each day. Even if you can only find 5 min to read a few verses that still shows our Father in Heaven that you care and you will be blessed because of it. I love you all I know I didn’t have much to talk about this week but sorry I was a little under the weather. I love you all. Thanks for all of the love and support that each of you have shown me!