Growing Up is Hard

Introducing Elder Leal....

My new companion Elder Leal man he is awesome he has a very strong spirit and a great desire to be out here.  I am so grateful he is my companion he is an amazing missionary.  

  He's from the great potato land Idaho :) from a town called Shelly he says its close  to Pocatello have we been there dad?  It sounds familiar anyways he's 6'2 so haha that makes me feel good :) he played baseball and overall is just an awesome guy.  I really love him and I hope I can help him with the things he needs as time goes on because he has helped me.   

Tough Week

Hi Family and friends today I write to you with a full heart and a joyful soul.  This past week has been honestly miserable.  As you know I am the type of person that wants to please everyone.  I try my hardest to care about others but this past week I have come to know that I must care for myself before I care for others.  This past week has been crazy with getting my new companion Elder Leal (who by the way is awesome) being a trainer after 6 weeks and being the one in charge of the area.  So much pressure has built on top of me and it has caused to me drop to the lowest point of my life.  I miss my family I wish I could see them,  I miss my friends and my life back home that I know so well.  I have felt alone and depressed.  Over this past week I have lost my desire to serve the Lord and have been confused and lost.  I have doubted myself in almost everything.  How could I go from the week before having an awesome week to being like this.  So I got on my knees and prayed I have no idea how many times I have prayed this week pouring out my soul to Heavenly Father.  I have asked him for help and strength. 

General Conference

And then Saturday came and my prayers were answered CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!  Everybody talks about how awesome conference is as a missionary and on Saturday was the exact time I needed to hear the messages from the general authorities.  Every talk pierced my soul, every song raised my heart and every prayer brought me to tears.  I have never in my whole life felt so much love, so much support, so much joyous teachings.  I KNOW without a doubt that this general conference was centered towards me.  Every talk that was given I listened intently and felt the spirit.  Every talk raised me out of the depths of despair and they brought me comfort and joy.  I have not seen all of the talks yet I haven't seen the Sunday afternoon session but I think we'll watch it tomorrow.  I could talk about each talk in great detail on how it helped me but I challenge you to pick one talk from conference to watch it again.  Pray to the Lord before with help to receive personal revelation on what you need to learn from that talk and I know that you will learn marvelous things from the one person's talk.  We are so blessed to have all of the general authorities give us personal counsel from the Lord on how to better live our lives.  I want all of you guys to know that I sustain all of the general authorities and that they have been called of God at this exact time.  I know President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and I pray for him constantly for strength to guide us in these latter days.  I know that the three new apostles have been called of God.

Friends!!!!

  I was still struggling Saturday night and I asked myself what else can I do and I felt prompted to fast.  So Sunday I fasted and prayed for strength and help to overcome this trial I am facing.  Once again we watched conference and I felt the power of the spirit so strongly but I still hadn't felt that complete joy and peace.  Sunday night we went to the S___ house and had dinner with them.  The P_____ and R____ were there as well.  After dinner we went around and talked about our past week and if we needed help with anything.  We went around and it came to my turn.  I was planning on telling them about how I had a good week and then move on but I felt prompted by the spirit to open up my heart to them and to ask for help from them.  This is very hard for me because I don't like to ask others for help and I try to focus on others not myself so this was very hard for me.  I told them of what I was feeling and all of them were there for me.  To comfort me to support me and to help me in any way that they can.  I truly felt that complete peace as I sat there and opened up my heart to these people.  I am so grateful for them and there Christ like example they have been to me in trying to help me.  

Wise Words From the Elder
 

We are all given trials that are extremely hard but I KNOW that the Lord does not give us any trial that we cannot overcome.  I have no idea when I will conquer this trial I might never conquer it but I have learned that the Lord is always there for all of us. 

  If we come before the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit which I have done this week then will he truly carry us and help us.  I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and our ability to be forgiven of our sins.  I love all of you guys and I want you to know that no matter what we are going through.  I never thought in a million years I would struggle with the things that I have struggled with this past week but I know that no matter what we are going through the Lord our family our friends even our neighbors will be there for us all we have to do is turn to them for help.  This is my testimony is the name of Jesus Christ Amen

Love Elder Stott

 

Goodbye Elder Johnson, you will be missed!!!!

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