Read! Read! Read!! (and new address!)

This past week,  in case you don’t know by the title, I read a lot!! My companion had his surgery Monday so we have been inside a lot this last week. As he recovers I decided to get something accomplished.  For some crazy reason I thought I would read the book Jesus The Christ (I never wanted to even touch it before because of how hard of a read it is and because it’s like 800 pages). But, I did anyways and I finished it in 4 days.  I started Monday and finished on Thursday. I read the last 350 pages on Thursday... I couldn’t put it down. I truly have a greater knowledge of Christ and His mortal ministry, which in turn strengthens my testimony so much more!I  I recommend it to all of those who haven’t read it to do so. I also then decided on Friday to read True to the Faith, another book, and finished it on Sunday.  As of now I have finished reading the "missionary library" (all the books we as missionaries can read on our missions) and did it in 5 months. I say this because if any of you know the Justin Taylor from before my mission you know I NEVER read... that I hated to read and now I can’t get enough of it. I never read so much ever before and now I feel closer to Heavenly Father and His plan more than before.

On Saturday we moved apartments ...  just to the  one right next to  me, but still it’s a pain to move. We had like 8 elders here to help and we made it fun! haha Probably made it take like twice as long as it should but it's all good.  The new apartment has actually a nice bathroom and real carpet that’s not stained, and the walls are actually the color they are supposed to be. haha  I told everyone we went from the Telestial Kingdom to the Celestial Kingdom!!

Also at church on Sunday it was a super powerful testimony meeting, like one of the best I've ever been to. It was the sister's investigator first time to church, and he went up last and bore his testimony for like 10 min and it was awesome.  He’s from Jamaica and told his story and how he found the missionaries. Also two members went up and bore their testimony about blessings and how much my companion and I helped them when they needed the blessings. The father said something I’ll never forget... he said in his testimony something along these lines of, "Thank you Elder Taylor for your blessings you gave me, my two daughters and my wife; you were so inspired to ask us and to give us the wonderful blessings. I thank you for deciding to serve a mission and to sacrifice so much to be here for us."

That right there clicked in my head.  I was in awe and wonder, and extremely humbled.  I sat there and had a powerful feeling come over me that right there is why I’m out here. That people need me to be an instrument in God’s hands to bring them closer to Him; that’s why I left everything and came to serve. I later went up and bore my testimony saying thank you but that none of it was me.   I said that literally I'm just a mouth piece and that as a missionary I'm shocked at times because of the miracles and blessings that our Heavenly Father has given to me and others. I’m so imperfect.  I’m just a regular guy but when I serve my God, He makes me into whoever I need to be at that time and I'm grateful for that.

I probably will be getting transferred to a new area on the 23^rd of this month so keep that in mind when sending stuff.  Maybe it will be safe when it gets closer to just send it to the mission office address! Thanks for all the support everyone :)

Yours truly,

Elder Taylor 

NEW ADDRESS:

Elder Justin Taylor

1530 George Dieter Dr. Apt. 12-I   (used to be 12-J)

El Paso, TX

79936-7619