We were able to have some pretty good lessons last night. One with
V, (just him), and one with this younger girl named K. With
V, he had a LOT of questions. Questions about the resurrection, the
difference between revelation and prophecy, hell, the punishment for
sin, the second coming, the priesthood, etc. Our lesson went for about 1
hour 40 minutes or so. My brain hurt after that lesson, because I had
to answer most of the questions seeing as Elder M couldn't quite
follow the questions. V was using some not typical vocabulary, and
Elder M was trying hard to understand. It was a pretty big
lesson, and we left him with some scripture to read and pray about. With
K, we shared mostly about what we do as missionaries. We shared
our reasons for serving, the way we gained our testimonies, some basic
differences between us and the rest of the world, and the Book of
Mormon. She was actually quite interested, and asked several good,
well-thought out questions.
For the last couple of days, I've been kind of nervous
about leaving Ramona. With my last three companions, I had each of them
for one transfer or less each. I mean, I've only been here for 4 1/2
months, (not quite six, Mom.) ;) I would really like to stick with Elder
M for another transfer. I've grown to really love the people
here in Ramona, especially the members. They've become my friends, and
I'll miss them a lot if I get transferred. But, if the Lord calls, I'll
answer.
Yesterday was actually my last Zone Conference with
President C. I'm really going to miss him. The way he talks and
teaches reminds me a bit of Dad, really. And Sister C has a few
mannerisms that are quite close to Mom's. President C has been a
fantastic mission president. Throughout my mission, he has handled
problem after problem, and has done so with prayer and fasting. He truly
handled the mission the way the Lord would have wanted. I'm sad to see
him go, but I'm ready to receive President S. I know he'll be
different, but I know that he'll have the same prophetic calling as
President C did. I'm really going to miss him.
As far as my ear goes, I've been taking the steroid ear
drops, and have been noticing a good change in my ear. I can hear a lot
better out of it, so I guess the 'roids are killing off the bacterial
infection. However, I've noticed a change in my mood. My anger and
irritation has been a lot stronger lately, and it started when I started
taking the drops, so I'm guessing that the steroids are affecting my
mood. But don't worry. I only have to take them for another week, and
then I go back to the doctor on Monday. Elder N is going home, so
Elder M and I will have Elder W around for a day.
Something that I noticed while I was thinking about the
atonement. We all know about how Christ suffered the weight of sin and
suffering in Gethsemane. We all know about how the pain was so great
that He bled from every pore. But I noticed that something we really
don't think about. As a perfect Being, He had the capacity to love
perfectly. He loved all of us perfectly. In reality, there were two
individual pains that He suffered, both incomprehensible to us imperfect
people. The first was the pain from paying the price of sin. The other
was His own. By seeing and feeling all of the pains, sorrows, sins, and
sufferings of His people, He must have felt an inexplicable anguish of
soul for all of us. By seeing our errors, our pains, our mistakes, our
worries, our sorrows, and our sins, He must have been filled with an
extremely personal kind of sorrow, a kind probably not known to hardly
any on earth. And our Heavenly Parents and the hosts of heaven must have
suffered just as much to watch Him be sacrificed for the world's sake.
This week is probably going to be a bit rough for me
for some reason or another, but I hope that it'll go okay. I would love
to stay in Ramona, but if the Lord says otherwise, I guess I'll go.
Thank you for the letters and packages that you've sent to me. They've
really done a lot to boost my spirits and enthusiasm.
I love you, Mom. I love you, Dad. Thank you both for
all that you've taught me, and done for me. I'm proud to be called your
son. Let my sisters and only brother know how much I love them, and care
for them. Give the nieces and nephew a squeeze and occasional tickle
for me. I love you.
-Love, Elder Crook
No comments:
Post a Comment