Hey
Guys!
Well, my change is
pretty interesting- I'm a Zone leader again with a kid named elder Lott, from
Wood's Cross, Utah. I've known him since the beginning of the mission, so it's
been pretty neat to catch up.
I got sent to the
capital! And its SUPER COLD!!! I'm literally dying. After living in a tropical
paradise, being back in the city is a weird transition. I really miss the waves
and the crabs and the fishing and everything, but the people here are nice, and
we have a LOT to do.
The area is really big.
It covers slums to nice residential, and there are members scattered everywhere
throughout. Here you can meet practically
whatever kind of person you want- rich, poor, black, white, whoever. There are even many who speak
English,
The ward has been affected
by lazy missionaries. There are even members who invite us to see movies. Part
of my work is to cut out that Spirit. I have to disassociate the missionaries
from those members, or at least help the to see how they should treat
missionaries. I think that this is the hardest part of the work here. Also,
inspiring the missionaries and showing them what they really can do, and how to
do it better. President has got interviews with us this week, and I'm going to
express to him some of these thoughts.
I want to share with
you a special event that happened this week. Ronald A. Rasband came to visit
our mission, and President chose me to play the piano. So I played the prelude
with Elder Alvarado, a friend of mine from Chile who plays the violin. Craig C.
Christensen came, and so did many other General Authorities. When Elder Rasband
entered, everyone stood up. He passed by the piano, and stopped to say,
"Hello, Elder! How are you?" and shook my hand. He then said the same
thing to Elder Alvarado. That was a special moment. Then he gave his talk,
during the which he called President Crapo up to him, and he asked him,
"President Crapo, is there anything you want me to testify of to your
missionaries?" President responded, "I want them to know, more than anything
else, how much their Heavenly Father loves them." A very powerful Spirit
filled the room. I have never felt more powerful love from the Savior then
that: where an apostle and our mission president, through their actions and
words, testify together of the love that God has for us.
After the meeting was
over, Elder Rasband took the time to shake the hands of every single missionary
there. I played prelude as they were leaving. Every single one of the General
Authorities said, "Thank you" to me as I played, and as the last of
the elders were filing out, Elder Christensen, of the Seventy, came up to me,
grabbed my shoulder, and said, "Elder, have you gotten the chance yet to
shake Elder Rasband's hand?" I told him I had, when he entered, and Elder Christensen
responded, "I think he wants to shake your hand now." So he grabbed
me and took me to Elder Rasband, and said, "Elder Rasband, this is the
elder who gave us the prelude and the hymns." Elder Rasband looked at me,
smiled, and said, "Thank you, elder, for your service." Then he shook
my hand.
I don't know if I can
forget that. I felt almost embarrassed at first, but then the warmest feeling
of gratitude came over me.
--
Elder Jeffrey Reed
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