Monday, January 27, 2014

"Good-bye Soy Milk, The Fruits of Laboring 16 months ago, YSA Stripling Warriors, & Missionary Work Doesn't Have to End."

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Hello everybody!!! This is the last time I'll be so pressed for time! I'm sooo sorry :( :( 
(quick stuff)
So I've been drinking soy milk because it's healthy.  However,  I'm going off soy milk! I don't care how healthy it is, it's just not worth the sacrifice to the taste that is sweet above all that that is sweet in a good bowl of cereal!

Haha.  This week we had a good three hour bike ride outside! I kid you not,it is a safe bet to say, that I've never been so cold in my life.... If it wasn't for my membership in the church, being sustained by the warm feelings of the Holy Ghost, I proabably would've gone the way of the earth.... My tabernacle of Clay was just about ready to freeze and crack... Nevertheless, we found some success! Through our trials the Lord was able to make us successful instruments in his hand!  :)

Also, crazy story, I got to go to the first area of my mission on exchange, and see the man's family that I taught about 16 months ago GETTING READY TO BE BAPTIZED!!! It  doesn't get much better than that I'd say!!! Woooooot! CHECK MY FACEBOOK TO SEE THE MIRACLE IT TRULY WAS FOR HIM TO MAKE IT!!  His name is Brother Carlos Rivera. 

Also, We have four baptisms scheduled in our area for next month... Hahahaha!  I love working with the YSA as well!! These kids sacrifice so much to come to church every week! They're kind of like stripling warriors!!!! Seriously they're soo good. Lifelong friends are being made among many of them... everything's screaming success right now!

We also had a fantastic zone conference hosted by our beloved President! After all was said and done, I think the best part was giving him a nice big hug, and just telling him thanks for all he's done for me and for this mission. We talked about how even though we came out together, (we were in the MTC at the same time), he gets to stretch it one more year... We laughed and talked about how we wish we could just do this forever. And as he was walking away he said, "Well, we will in the next life, for a nice long time." Missionary work is the greatest joy we can have!! Sharing the gospel with every single person we see is totally possible. Even in the smallest and most simple of ways! 

Think...... of your favorite truth about the gospel.... then, say a simple prayer to have a simple conversation with someone where you can bring it up, and POW you'll see instant miracles because of your faith :D Soo good!

 I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOO MUCH!! NEXT TIME WILL BE LONGER!!!
Love, Elder Langford

Monday, January 20, 2014

Elder Langford's Spiritual Rewrite in the format of the book, "If you give a Moose a Muffin....."

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Haha!! Out of time....... Sorry!!!! I wrote a ton of letters today so literally I need to go... I love you alll sooo much!  I promise that if you keep reading and keeping your covenants, that you will see miracles!
BECAUSE when you feel the spirit, you feel it's fruits!

When you take of the great fruit of the tree of life, you feel god's love!

When you feel god's love, you remember who you are and why you're here!

When you remember why you're here on this earth, life is so much easier to live!

When life's burdens are lifted, we can't help but lift other's burdens!

As we lift other's burdens, they also partake of the fruit! 

The 'fulness of joy' we can feel in this life, is helping someone else feel the greatest joy that you've been given in this world!

When you do that, you understand God's purpose and why he does it! (Moses1:39)

When you do that, you understand why you had the courage to come down here on this sin laced world, to be able to develop that kind of LOVE.

There  is no greater thing than charity. learn of it, develop it. Moroni 7:48

Keep praying for it!

This is the purpose of the gospel!!

OK!! Love you bye!! :D :D :D

Monday, January 13, 2014

"Magic Pennies, Crazy Chihuahua, and...the humble are most ready to come unto Christ."


Hello everyone! 
 
Wow, miracles this week... I'll try to be a lot more organized in the next blog... 
Sorry for the disorganized thoughts here... Next week things will be a bit more organized!
So to start off, we called a referral, and he requested a blessing last night...  I've never given a blessing that was so straight forward.  The spirit quickly took over my own words and they just flowed.  This man was a spiritual giant.  He told us right afterwards, that he had the gift to discern spirits. He then talked about how the most important thing that we can develop, and the  greatest power on this earth, is the power of unconditional love. He went on to talk about how any scenario can be overcome as we learn to develop that trait. As we walked out, I peered my head back in and told him thanks, because that's exactly what I've been studying, trying to learn and better understand.  Without  missing a beat, he said, "I know. I can discern your spirit."  It's probably one of the most powerful moments on my mission. I promise that Heavenly Father answers prayers, and a lot of the times, he answers prayers for us through others. 
Someone in sacrament meeting talked about how we all have a magic penny, that whenever we give it away, we get more, it multiplies. The hardest things to give, the biggest of our magic pennies, always have the greatest increase. It's a wonderful thing :)
We also saw a small little chiwawa (can't spell it) that bit it's own big bulging eye out... Not exactly as spiritual, but just an interesting thing you don't always see. 

We have an investigator, who literally has 0 money, his written contract with someone who was going to pay the utilities was not honored. He doesn't have a job, and has been diligently searching for weeks. He moved out here with no familiy or nothing, and has had many freezing cold nights with no water, little food, and just about nothing, living off of candles instead of electricity.  He's also been reading, praying, and coming to church... and is the most humble man you'll ever meet. We've pulled his laundry from him, because he was washing it in the sink, and have got him many warm meals in member's homes, a long with a couple jackets and blankets. He's been the most humble and ready to learn investigator that I've ever had. He's done everything, and has fought to give up smoking. He said, "I've tried before, but this time's different... I feel something inside of me, that's pulling me away from them I don't even want to smoke anymore..." He recognizes it's the spirit. (we also went on an exchange with President Bernhisel, and taught a great lesson with him!!) Yesterday, he almost broke down. He said NOTHING is going right.  He laughs so he doesn't cry, and is just ready for something to happen. We smiled and told him that's so great! The Lord has literally put him to the most humble of points, the most that he could deal with, to try his faith, and he continued to read. That same night, our exchange offered to get him showered up, and also got him a bus pass for his potential job interview. The other member that came with us, talked about how he used to work at the same place, and that they'd be able to get him transferred, if he got hired, to the closer location. The next day at ward council, someone who was subbing for the high priest group leader, talked about how he was a convert, and had a delicious coffee substitute for him. He's also coming with us to a member's home for dinner again on Tuesday. He was also walking outside last night on the road that our church is on, and was able to catch the broadcast. At church he also had some of his question's answered in Gospel Principles, and was invited to be baptized by our teacher. Needless to say, He has been guided by the Lord, as he has done the small and the simple things. Reading. praying. Trying to quit, and coming to church. God is a great paradoxical worker, and I believe that part of this is so that we have to live by faith, to understand the sense of what reality really is. Bro Brady's fought against all odds, and just like him, as we all continue to rely upon the Atonement of Jesus Christ, by keeping his small and simple commandments, you too will be able to see how many people God sends your way, to answer the troubled call of your soul. He's a lot closer than you think, and will always invite and entice those you love to do good in your behalf. I Love you all so much, and am grateful for your examples!!  
This was a great week, with about 18 lessons, and 8 new investigators. The work is hastening! Love what you live, so you can live what you love, so that you can love to share how you live, because the way you live, is love. 

Life is to be loved :) 
LOVE YOU!!
Elder Langford

Monday, January 6, 2014

New Year, New Companion, and Defending the President!!

Hello everyone,

Hooo Boy!  What a week it was!   I said farewell to my companion, Elder Mayberry.   As he got in the truck heading towards Raleigh, and soon the airport, I had a feeling for some reason that day, as he was leaving, that this was going to be a really hard day... (a good challenge to have).  Sure enough, there was some crazy opposition that happened.  Until my new companion arrived, I got to teach about 2-3 lessons with the great help of the spirit, but a little on my own. All was well though! it was a privilege.  The opposition was with the person we were on exchange with.  He had some mixed feelings about some things, and is a little quick to start wrestling in the mud when things get dirty, if you get my drift... He started to go off, telling us how President Bernhisel, (my mission President), isn't led by the Lord, and said several other things not in the same category as fantastic.  I knew, that I had to keep up a good sense of Charity for him. I continued to simply bear my testimony that we knew that the President was being led by the Lord, and left him at that.  We had a couple mighty prayers, and told him no matter what he said, that we still loved him.  He had caught onto some super negative spirit... and it almost got us. 
  
We also that day, had a to plan for a huge zone meeting that we hadn't hardly touched for the next day for our great group of 20 companionships.  We had about an hour to prepare.  While being a bit spiritually exhausted and keeping a good ol' smile on our faces.  Well, the meeting came, and it was the most guided meeting we've ever had... Those words I spoke, were not my own, and I've never felt like I've been so carried before by my Father in Heaven. I'm so grateful for a Savior, that has carried our burdens, so that when our backs become heavy laden, he truly does the pushing... It's so great to picture that! Think of him, next to you, seeing you just down trodden, and beat down by the storms of life, and with all of the charity he has, and the strength and knowledge he's gained through experiencing our struggles, gives a huge lunge, making our burdens so much lighter! He's there! and when you start pushing, you better believe he's right next to you, pushing away as well!  He makes it light! He gives us trials, to trust in him more!!  Just keep pushing!!! :D

I got my new companion.  His name is Elder Edman.  He is from Sandy, Utah and also a zone leader.  We got along just like Peanut Butter and Jelly.
 
We went on an exchange, and I asked an experienced, 18 years of working at Subway,  worker to sign her name in my sandwich in chipotle.  I then gave her a card to our church. You can't end  better than that!

Ahh,  I wish I had more time.  Miracles are happening every day!!
-We talked to an investigator family, and they said that the two main differences that they see in our church, are, "The personal relationship that we have with Jesus Christ, and the light that's in our eyes and lives, as we live according to the truths that we've been given." He said that that's the reasons he invited us back to their home.
 
-I had the privilege of baring my testimony twice on Sunday.There was this cute little 6 year old behind me who was going to go up and gettiing ready, I turned to her and said that if she went, I'd go with her! We walked down the isle together, got to the steps, she stopped, and ran/walked back... Haha it was really sad... but good! I was writing down all the things that people were saying they were grateful for during sacrament meeting. I was able to bear a testmony through the spirit of simple gratitude and it's power.   
-Then I played the piano in the YSA branch meeting... the adventure continues!!! I

I love you all so much, and can't wait to write more next week!!!!
Love, Elder Langford