Jan 17, 2016

O this week was full of opposition and miracles. Actually first, it's 8 degrees outside! cold cold cold!

Well anyway this week was amazing. An elder who left sent president a letter of how his mission has impacted him and how the doctrine of Christ has changed him. It was amazing. It was What I want to be. I want to be a powerful missionary, I want to know how Heavenly Father Speaks to me. I was so intrigued. So as soon as I read the letter I went to pray. This was one of the few times I really turned to Him with a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ that He would answer. And I was willing to stay in that prayer until I got my answer.

I wanted to know how He speaks to me. I got my Answer. It was crystal clear. I heard "I put you in this situation, so you can learn how to talk to me." The situation meaning training right after being trained and then doing it again. I was just wishing I had a senior companion so I could know how to do stuff because the past 6 months have been really hard. But when He said that, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of Love. An undeserved love. What did I do to receive such a blessing?

He let me go through this so I can learn power, not form. The form comes through experience. He let me learn and experience things other missionaries don't for a while. I felt like I didn't deserve His love, but it was truly amazing. I got the prompting to read my patriarchal blessing right after. So I did. And I heard His voice. He walked me through my blessing. He was speaking to me. He re-emphasized a lot. It was amazing. I asked Him questions and He answered. I had to repeatedly ask if this was really true and happening. It was and it did. The spirit bore strong witness that I can never deny. I know His voice. I know how He speaks to me. I realized that this same voice that I heard is the same voice that I have been hearing my whole mission. The same one that I doubted and put aside.

So lately our mission has been facing extreme opposition, especially this last week. It is amazing. The reason being is because of the conferences we just had. President Porter is a man of God. We learned a lot about the 3rd law of obedience and becoming powerful missionaries. It lasted for about 8 hours. It was extremely revelatory. Our mission is on the launch pad for a giant spiritual out-pour. I learned that I am just a tool in Heavenly Fathers hands and that he will change me. I will live the third law and speak what he speaks.

Well during that I got the prompting to go see one of our investigators that dropped us twice. We got back into town at 8:45. So we went, and I bore testimony about Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and that this is His church. And that he knew that. Well with the spirit we found out that he did not want to go on without his family, so by the end he gave all his family as referrals and we are teaching them tonight. It was so cool.

Saturday was full of opposition because Satan thinks he can win. ha.

Sunday no one came, but finally one of our recent converts did. We had a sweet miracle later that day. All our plans fell through and we didn't know what to do, so we were walking around in the chilling cold and this man walks by. We chat, but he walked away. When he was about a block away the spirit told me to go talk to Him. I really didn't want to but we followed. Then we couldn't find him. The spirit told me to look for him but I didn't want to, but we did. Told me to knock on a door, I didn't know what to say so I didn't want to knock, but we did. We found him on the second door. I opened my mouth and he filled it. This man has been prepared by angels to hear this message. It was amazing. The promises are real. There is elect everywhere.

Then later that night we got the prompting to see a family. It was like 8:40 and far, so I didn't want to, but we did. Turns out they really needed the visit. I shared WOM 1:7. and when we were driving there I remembered that the husband had lost his job that day. They didn't know we knew and still don't. We had forgotten, but the spirit didn't.

It's truly amazing to see the change He is making in me. Now I am not boasting of myself in anyway. There is nothing to boast about there. But I am boasting in the Lord, He is amazing and can change anything. His power is real. I know that Heavenly Father lives, loves and speaks to me. I know that Jesus Christ lives and through his restored Gospel we can change and find peace and joy. I know these things because the spirit bore witness to me.
Elder Verdoni