Many times we get lost in the work here in the mission. I am now finally beginning to realize why missionaries say that the mission time passes quickly. This week I hit my year mark and pondered over the change I have had in the last year. Along with that story about the shoes and the experiences they had, I too can add my list of experiences. They are so many that I can´t list them here, however, I am happy to say that I have kept a good journal of my experiences…things I will share for the eternities with my children.
I see the photos of Sean in the temple and oh how I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I had so many desires to serve the Lord but I had no idea what things I was about to experience. Sean, you don’t even know. But you will. Your mission will be personal and no one will be able to understand but you and the Lord. You are in this together, you and Him. Remember, with Him, all things are possible.
I am so grateful for the blessings of the Lord in my life and for all of your blessings too. I realize how much our Father in Heaven has put His hand in our life. Everyone is having success.
In the mission right now we are seeing miracles. Finally we have begun to see the fruits of our hard labors here in Managua. The people here have a lot of time hearing about the church…respectively speaking. The church building is the oldest in Nicaragua and so the old timers frequently talk about when they saw it in its construction and all. I am amazed at how the people are receiving the message right now. They, despite their 50 years of seeing missionaries in their streets still show interest. We had 10 baptisms in the zone last week and three families. It was a great week for Managua. This week we have more planned. I feel humbled by the blessings we receive when we are obedient.
This week we received a new mission rule after talking about sacrifice with the Mission President. We all decided to wake up at 5 am instead of at 6:30 am. That is quite the challenge for a missionary when he is busy all day long and arrives home super tired. But we were committed. So this week everyday we woke up early and left earlier in the morning to find more people to teach.
We found many positive people in the mornings. One day we found this super positive 16 year old boy that is very fluent in the scriptural language. He asked sincere questions and accepted a baptismal goal upon hearing the first lesson. A future missionary for sure. This all happened in the morning in the time that we wouldn´t have found him if we hadn’t been obedient. In the work of the Lord, there isn´t room for buts and whys. We just have to do it.
The Toruño family shared the second half of their little miracle the day the came to church with us for the first time a few months ago. They had left beans on the stove and when they realized in church the first hour what they had done, they knew it was a lost cause. Beans require a lot of work and attention. They dry up and burn if you don´t add water at every few minutes. They expected to return home and find nothing but burnt junk. They had nothing else in the house to eat and so they expect to have to face the hunger but when they opened the pot after more than three hours of neglect, they found savory and moist beans. The tastiest th
ey had ever had they said...a little tender mercy but a tender mercy that changes lives. Sister Toruño said it was impossible. But nothing is impossible for the Lord. Truly, we receive no witness until after the trial of our faith.
We are preparing people to get baptized for this weekend. I am just in awe at the blessings that the Lord pours over me. I live in the best time of life. I wake up and serve the Lord. Early even ha ha. And as I go to bed at night, I have an assurance that I am doing His work and not mine. He is directing us. I have learned by experience in the mission that we are angels carrying out an ministry that has eternal consequences. What a blessing. What a privilege.
Elder Grant Russell
