To me my mission is sacred. I KNOW that every area and every companionship I am in is inspired of God; therefore I look for the small things that testify to me that I'm where I need to be.
This last week we did a "park your car" day... meaning you only use your car to drive to appointments but other than that you need to be walking and talking with people. So, it was about 103 to105 degrees outside (I swear) and we walked about 5 miles that day contacting people that we came across. Someone gave me a drink and I put it in my backpack and it must have had a small hole in it and it leaked and got onto my scriptures so now they look like legit missionary scriptures... all messed up! ha Anyways, we were supposed to meet with the Bishop at 4pm and were walking to his house. Then he texted and said he will be home in 15 more min so we decided to stop by a less-active's house. On our way we came across two ladies and three kids picking plums. One of the ladies was pregnant and is up on the ladder picking the fruit. I told her to get off and I jumped on the ladder and started picking. We were just talking to them about random things and then when I was done we told them we do service for people and if they ever needed help to give us a call! Well, they were grateful and we said we also teach people the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One of them just opened up and said her daughter passed away recently and that it is hard for her. We immediately gave her a pamphlet about the Plan of Salvation and said we will come by again to talk to her about where her daughter is and that they can be together forever! We felt SO guided to her; if our bishop wouldnt' have been late we wouldn't have met her ... someone who REALLY needed us.
The next day was Sunday and that night we taught a famly who had lost a husband/ father about 2 months ago... really sad story, and they are best friends with some members in the ward. They started taking the missionary lessons and we have only taught them like twice before Sunday. We talked about the plan of salvation and how it applies to them. They had a lot of questions, but at the end I was able to bare my testimony on the plan of salvation. I told them that I wanted to share with them something I don't tell a lot of people and that I hold personal and that is the passing of my mother before my mission. I then bore witness of how this plan is so sacred to me... that I LIVE it everyday to help me get through. That I KNOW my mom lives; I've felt her and I know that we will all be together again forever! I said that I feel another reason why I was sent to this area was to bear my witness of this so that you guys will see how this Gospel helps people through losing a loved one. I said that I felt prompted to tell them that I believe that my mother is teaching their father or husband in the spirit world; that she's a part of that process and that we are all working to help them be an eternal family. As i looked into thier eyes I saw tears; not tears of anger or sadness but tears of joy! I told them that the veil thins often; that when we feel this Spirit so strong like we do now that it is God telling us this is true and that we truly are His children and that there is life after death. No one could deny the Spirit of God manifest in that room. I felt the veil thinned. I'm sure that both our loved ones who have passed were there! I know that this family will be baptized someday soon and that they will recieve the comfort and blessings that this church brings.
I testify that HIS hand is in our lives everyday. I know it. We are put in people's paths always for a reason. We can touch people's lives everywhere we go; just open your eyes and look around you. See the hand of God in your life, and you will feel the burning in you saying this is not my home... I'm just mearly preparing myself to go back home to be with my Father in Heaven, my Savior and all those that I love.
May you all this week see His hand in your lives and remember He loves and has a plan for YOU.
Love always,
Elder Taylor
Me and my comp at a member's house
On exchanges with my MTC companion, we taught a lesson to someone at the temple.
hi,, just visit this site,, have a nice day :)
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