Nephi Style

There´s no growth in the comfort zone, I think that´s one of the many things I learned this transfer. As the transfer comes to a close today, I spent most of this morning thinking about the past 6 weeks. Man it´s gone fast! I wish I could write more but we only have about 15 minutes to email today. I was able to print off your letters this morning and read them however. Thank you for your continual support. And mom in California?? Opa! That´s awesome. Trying to get away from the cold winter... I laughed when I heard the Bosler´s ward had been praying for rain and that´s about all you got to see. Another piece of evidence that He hears our prayers! Isn´t He awesome?

So this week I did something I don´t think any missionary has ever done. I recited the first vision while sleeping... Yep. I fell asleep during a lesson this week (I know, not good). We found this lady and her family named Fatima and we were teaching the Restoration. I was trying to hang on (I even stood up in the middle of the lesson and acted like I was ´´stretching´´ so I wouldn´t fall asleep), but I lost it when we were talking about the apostasy. My companion touched me on my leg, indicating ´´it´s time´´ (for the first vision, haha). I lifted my head up, haha, and with my eyes closed I recited the entire first vision. After asking a follow up question to try to help her recognize the Spirit, I gently put my head back down and fell back asleep. I lost all awareness of what was going on around me. I wish I didn't do that but luckily my companion said she didn't think I was asleep. Haha, she probably thinks I close my eyes when I feel the Spirit now...]

Anyway, this transfer´s has been the biggest challenge for me. Not the language, but just the complete change in way of how missionary work is done. It´s been a huge blessing to be apart of two different missions. I know I will look back and be able to benefit from both.

Anyway, I´ve been studying Nephi this transfer and how he accomplished the Lord´s command. Like I said last week, I feel like we´re in the stage right now of failing. Not failing in terms of trying to do what´s right, but getting the `job done´. I´ve tried and tried and tried, and everything keeps coming up a little bit short.

The biggest lesson for me was that I´ve been focusing too much on teaching the gospel. As missionaries, I think everyone focuses too much on teaching the gospel. It finally hit me this week that although I am a missionary right now, my identity as a child of God hasn´t changed. Living the gospel is the only way in this life to lay hold on every good gift. I would get so frustrated because Nephi accomplished the Lord´s command just by ´´following the Spirit.´´ I knew I had to make plans and couldn't just walk to street aimlessly looking for Laban´s body. However, the Spirit hit me to just live the gospel. I´ve been looking too long for the ´´secret recipe´´ of missionary work, when in reality, it´s just following the spirit. And how to we get the spirit? Faith unto repentance, baptism, and then we receive the Spirit. Since I´m baptized, it´s having faith everyday to repent during the day, and then taking the sacrament on Sunday. Ohhhh how much I love the sacrament.

I wish this letter makes more sense but gotta go search and rescue now!

Love,

Elder Welch