I Don't Know If I Have Ever Felt So Much Love For A Complete Stranger

 That's right everybody. I finally get to go to the temple this week after like a 9 month absence. I am pumpeddd!!!!! But even better is that this week, I am not going for the usual but get to witness the sealing of a family that Elder Moss and I have been teaching for the past 4 months. They were less active and all of a sudden in just 4 short months, the father became the 2nd counselor in the branch, the wife is in primary, and their daughter was baptized. They are probably one of the favorite families on my whole mission and I can't wait for this Saturday. Also T is the dad's brother and he is returning to activity and is preparing for the melchezidek priesthood in a few months and J our recent convert just got called to be the Secratary in young womens which is awesome. So to wrap it up, things are pretty much as sweet as the Utes crushing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

     This past week Elder Moss and I saw many miracles and one in particular built my testimony of fasting a lot. The Spanish Elders that live near us were struggling to find people to teach and were having a hard time so I decided to do a fast with them that things would begin to improve. Elder Moss was out on exchanges at the time and one of the Karen missionaries was with me. But anyways during the exchange we ended up finding a young man named Jose on the street and set up an appointment the next day and at the time I didn't really think anything about it. But then the next day when we went back we met the coolest Spanish family who is so prepared to hear the gospel. The mom was raised Catholic and it was the first time she had prayed without reciting words and the Spirit was so strong even though she was speaking in Spanish and I had no idea what she said in her prayer, I know the Lord answered her. The Spanish missionaries are now teaching them. God really does answer when we fast.

      This second miracle was a little bit of a sadder note but still really cool. A family in our branch has a father that has cancer and they called us over to give him a priesthood blessing. Before the blessing we asked them to share some of their favorite memories about their dad. The oldest daughter shared a story that I will never forget. She said, " I remember when I was around 11 years old living in Laos and we were running away from the soldiers and guards who were trying to kill us. There was about 100 of us in the group and my dad was the leader. Many of the younger people in the group would often go hungry and my dad would give them his food and go days without eating. I remember watching him eat the grass that would grow because he was so hungry and there was nothing left to eat. My dad led us through the hardest things anyone could imagine and he never complained once. If that's not a true father, then I don't know what is." Her father was never a member of the church and still hasn't accepted the gospel, but before I said the prayer for them, I looked over at the man, who was skinny to the bone and looked frailer than anyone I've ever seen, I felt in my heart that he was one of the most Christlike people I had ever met. I learned a really good lesson that day.        

        Yes, this is the true church, and yes you do need the ordinances performed by the priesthood, but the more important thing is that we are Christlike. I don't know if I have ever felt so much love for a complete stranger but I will be grateful forever the example that he set for me that day.

       Hope we all strive to do something a little more Christlike today.

                                           

 

                                                                   Elder Muaj Zoo