Foust in Fort Worth: Wait.. Elder... where's the truck?‏

Monday, April 16, 2012

Wait.. Elder... where's the truck?‏

This week was so crazy and busy and constantly doing something that it flew. I can't believe it's already p-day again. I read the email from my mom talking about how My dad has been released from the hospital and she is describing last week to me, and I forget how long it has been since this all started. The days weren't adding up in my mind correctly at first because it seemed like he was barely going into surgery, but it has been a week and a half since the surgery already. Time just flies when you're busy.

On Tuesday after district meeting and lunch, Elder Fa and I went to a recent convert’s house to do some service. She is a care taker for a man with Cerebral Palsy, and he has a bunch of little dogs. He wanted a way to be able to let them out on his own, and for her to be able to let them out without needing to tie them all up, so we built a kennel out of Goat fence and some big stakes. It took about 2 1/2 hours, but it was a lot of fun, and good hard work. I have never put up any kind of fence before, but it was cool. We used baling wire to hold it to the stakes and the deck. It was a perfect day to do it too, it was like 80 degrees, and I got just a little sun burnt, which has since then become a bit of a tan. We had a good time.

That night we were supposed to teach Mary again, but she was busy and pushed it back to Tuesday.

On Wednesday we had interviews with President Sagers. I had a really good interview, we talked about being consecrated and how the zone is doing. While President is interviewing other missionaries the APs give training. They trained on the Area Book (a big binder we have that has teaching records, potential investigators, and other various forms with useful information to keep us organized, and to let future missionaries know what is going on in the area). The training was really good. After all the interviews were over, we did an exchange with the APs. Like Last transfer, Elder Roberts stayed in Denton with me. It was a lot of fun to work with him again. Elder Fa got to go down to work in "Tonga" (the APs work in the Euless 3rd ward, which is a tongan ward).

On Thursday we had an interesting morning. We parked the truck, started knocking doors, and had a great conversation with a lady. After talking with her for about 20 minutes I looked over towards the truck, and to my horror, it was gone. It had only been about a half hour since we parked it, we were in sight and earshot of the parking spot, and the truck was just gone. We never saw a tow truck or anything. It just disappeared. We quickly finished the contact, and then went to the parking lot where we had parked it. 3 separate parking lots from the one we parked in, but still in the same complex, had "permit parking only" signs, but this one didn't so we thought it was safe. Apparently not. I called the number and sure enough, our silver Colorado was sitting in their lot now. The rest of the afternoon, from 1 til about 4:30, was spent calling people, talking, trying to explain out situation, trying to get some kind of help, and nothing. After I had done all I could the vehicle coordinator for the mission said "I guess you'll just have to pay it." But we got the truck back that day, which is good because the next day it would go up another 70 dollars. What a joke. Fortunately for me, but not for elder Roberts, the policy is we are both responsible even though I was the driver, so we split the bill. I am trying to look at it positively and learn from the experience, and besides, I haven't put hardly any money into bike stuff, whereas most missionaries here spend $400 minimum on bike stuff, so this is not so bad. And I have the cash to pay for my half, so I'm set. I learned about the Atonement through all this though. I did everything I could to redeem myself before paying the price, and there was nothing I could do.

No matter what I did, I could not be saved from paying the fine after the truck got towed. So what if sin was the same way? What if there was nobody to help get me out of the spiritual dangers that I face in my life? What if I had to pay the price? I couldn't. it wouldn't be done, and I would suffer damnation for eternity. But God is eternally merciful, and so unlike the fine with the truck being towed, I do have a mediator when it comes to sin. I don't have to feel stressed and lost and panicked, because I know my Redeemer, I know how to partake of his mercy, and I know how to access the Atonement fully. Maybe that is what I was supposed to learn from this. And maybe there were people we met that day among all the chaos that I would not have met if we weren't in that situation. or maybe I just needed to learn to be more careful. I don't know, but I have learned. Hopefully y'all can learn from my mistake too. Don't get towed. it sucks. "It's just the most expensive valet parking I have ever paid. And they didn't bring my car back." -A member in Killeen talking about being towed (wow that was a year ago)

But guess what, That night, after we got the Truck back, was awesome. We taught the first half of the Plan of Salvation to Mary, and set a baptismal date for April 28th! She is so solid.

Friday was great, we went on exchange with some Spanish elders, and I was in the Spanish area, so I got to see a brand new missionary thrown into the refiner’s fire and not have anyone to back him up. He learned a lot. It was funny at a couple doors though. At one he had been talking about prophets, (I can follow a long a little bit) and how we have a prophet like mosses. But the lady wasn't getting it. But I noticed something; I could understand her, because she was speaking English. So I jumped in and talked about Peter, James and John, and how we have apostles today too. She wanted to learn more and set up an appointment for Saturday. That was the only door I really got to do anything at. It actually kind of bites not getting to participate. At one door this JW was just blabbing off at Elder Espino and he wasn't getting to say anything. I could tell he was frustrated and didn’t know how to end it. I finally cut her off and said "do you speak English?" "No" then she just kept going on and on. After a little bit she started holding up three fingers, than one, than three, than one, and I could tell she was talking about the trinity. The spirit wasn’t there; it seemed like a waste of time, and Elder Espino just looked bored. Finally she asked him a question, basically "So do you see how they are three in one?" and he testified (in Spanish, but I got the jist of it) "No. They are three distinct beings" he said it with a boldness and confidence that I had not seen him use before, and the spirit testified strongly. But she blew it off and went onto something else and finally he said "Sorry, we have to go" and we walked away. I got a kick out of it, and he learned a lot about opposition and not having someone there to back him up.

Saturday was pretty good, just a lot of contacting and trying to find people.

Mary came to church on Sunday! It was awesome. The talks in sacrament were perfect too, and there was an awesome musical number. The RS president invited her to stay for all three hours so she could come to RS, which was great for her to get an invite from a member and not just us. She really liked it. That night we taught her the rest of Lesson 2, and the Word of Wisdom. It was scary when we pulled out the WoW pamphlet, because last time we were there she was smoking, and this time she had a sweet tea in her hand. She laughed when we used the words "Law of Health" and said something about "Oh, you saw me smoking last time so you decided to bring this up? Well I need to quit so that's ok" than she opened it and laughed harder "Ha, and now I'm drinking tea in front of you." But she said she'll pray about it and test it out to see if she gets the blessings. I am excited for her.

Well, that's my week. I don't really have anything to rant about this week, so I guess y'all are off the hook this time ;)

I'll be sure to have a good subject next week. Maybe the trinity/godhead or something like that.

Christ Lives! He speaks to a prophet today!

-- --Elder Braxton C Foust--

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Be of Good Cheer

Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith. My dear brothers and sisters, I express my love to you. I am humbled by the responsibility to address you, and yet I am grateful for the opportunity to do so. Since last we met together in a general conference six months ago, there have been continuing signs that circumstances in the world aren’t necessarily as we would wish. The global economy, which six months ago appeared to be sagging, seems to have taken a nosedive, and for many weeks now the financial outlook has been somewhat grim. In addition, the moral footings of society continue to slip, while those who attempt to safeguard those footings are often ridiculed and, at times, picketed and persecuted. Wars, natural disasters, and personal misfortunes continue to occur. It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future—or even fearful of what might come—if we allowed ourselves to dwell only on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives. Today, however, I’d like us to turn our thoughts and our attitudes away from the troubles around us and to focus instead on our blessings as members of the Church. The Apostle Paul declared, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 1 None of us makes it through this life without problems and challenges—and sometimes tragedies and misfortunes. After all, in large part we are here to learn and grow from such events in our lives. We know that there are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will be saddened. However, we are told, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” 2 How might we have joy in our lives, despite all that we may face? Again from the scriptures: “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.” 3 The history of the Church in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, is replete with the experiences of those who have struggled and yet who have remained steadfast and of good cheer as they have made the gospel of Jesus Christ the center of their lives. This attitude is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. It will not remove our troubles from us but rather will enable us to face our challenges, to meet them head on, and to emerge victorious. Too numerous to mention are the examples of all the individuals who have faced difficult circumstances and yet who have persevered and prevailed because their faith in the gospel and in the Savior has given them the strength they have needed. This morning, however, I’d like to share with you three such examples. First, from my own family, I mention a touching experience that has always been an inspiration to me. My maternal great-grandparents Gibson and Cecelia Sharp Condie lived in Clackmannan, Scotland. Their families were engaged in coal mining. They were at peace with the world, surrounded by relatives and friends, and were housed in fairly comfortable quarters in a land they loved. Then they listened to the message of the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, to the depths of their very souls, were converted. They heard the call to gather to Zion and knew they must answer that call. Sometime around 1848, they sold their possessions and prepared for the hazardous voyage across the mighty Atlantic Ocean. With five small children, they boarded a sailing vessel, all their worldly possessions in one tiny trunk. They traveled 3,000 miles (4,800 km) across the waters—eight long, weary weeks on a treacherous sea, watching and waiting, with poor food, poor water, and no help beyond the length and breadth of that small ship. In the midst of this soul-trying situation, one of their young sons became ill. There were no doctors, no stores at which they might purchase medicine to ease his suffering. They watched, they prayed, they waited, and they wept as day by day his condition deteriorated. When his eyes were at last closed in death, their hearts were torn asunder. To add to their grief, the laws of the sea must be obeyed. Wrapped in a canvas weighed down with iron, the little body was consigned to a watery grave. As they sailed away, only those parents knew the crushing blow dealt to wounded hearts. 4 However, with a faith born of their deep conviction of the truth and their love of the Lord, Gibson and Cecelia held on. They were comforted by the words of the Lord: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” 5 How grateful I am for ancestors who had the faith to leave hearth and home and to journey to Zion, who made sacrifices I can scarcely imagine. I thank my Heavenly Father for the example of faith, of courage, and of determination Gibson and Cecelia Sharp Condie provide for me and for all their posterity. I introduce next a gentle, faith-filled man who epitomized the peace and joy which the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring into one’s life. Late one evening on a Pacific isle, a small boat slipped silently to its berth at the crude pier. Two Polynesian women helped Meli Mulipola from the boat and guided him to the well-worn pathway leading to the village road. The women marveled at the bright stars, which twinkled in the midnight sky. The moonlight guided them along their way. However, Meli Mulipola could not appreciate these delights of nature—the moon, the stars, the sky—for he was blind. Brother Mulipola’s vision had been normal until a fateful day when, while working on a pineapple plantation, light turned suddenly to darkness and day became perpetual night. He was depressed and despondent until he learned the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His life was brought into compliance with the teachings of the Church, and he once again felt hope and joy. Brother Mulipola and his loved ones had made a long voyage, having learned that one who held the priesthood of God was visiting among the islands of the Pacific. He sought a blessing, and it was my privilege, along with another who held the Melchizedek Priesthood, to provide that blessing to him. As we finished, I noted that tears were streaming from his sightless eyes, coursing down his brown cheeks and tumbling finally upon his native dress. He dropped to his knees and prayed: “O God, Thou knowest I am blind. Thy servants have blessed me that my sight might return. Whether in Thy wisdom I see light or whether I see darkness all the days of my life, I will be eternally grateful for the truth of Thy gospel, which I now see and which provides the light of my life.” He rose to his feet and, smiling, thanked us for providing the blessing. He then disappeared into the still of the night. Silently he came; silently he departed. But his presence I shall never forget. I reflected upon the message of the Master: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” 6 My brothers and sisters, each of us has that light in his or her life. We are not left to walk alone, no matter how dark our pathway. I love the words penned by M. Louise Haskins: And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown!” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than [a] light and safer than a known way.” 7 The setting for my final example of one who persevered and ultimately prevailed, despite overwhelmingly difficult circumstances, begins in East Prussia following World War II. In about March 1946, less than a year after the end of the war, Ezra Taft Benson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, accompanied by Frederick W. Babbel, was assigned a special postwar tour of Europe for the express purpose of meeting with the Saints, assessing their needs, and providing assistance to them. Elder Benson and Brother Babbel later recounted, from a testimony they heard, the experience of a Church member who found herself in an area no longer controlled by the government under which she had resided. She and her husband had lived an idyllic life in East Prussia. Then had come the second great world war within their lifetimes. Her beloved young husband was killed during the final days of the frightful battles in their homeland, leaving her alone to care for their four children. The occupying forces determined that the Germans in East Prussia must go to Western Germany to seek a new home. The woman was German, and so it was necessary for her to go. The journey was over a thousand miles (1,600 km), and she had no way to accomplish it but on foot. She was allowed to take only such bare necessities as she could load into her small wooden-wheeled wagon. Besides her children and these meager possessions, she took with her a strong faith in God and in the gospel as revealed to the latter-day prophet Joseph Smith. She and the children began the journey in late summer. Having neither food nor money among her few possessions, she was forced to gather a daily subsistence from the fields and forests along the way. She was constantly faced with dangers from panic-stricken refugees and plundering troops. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks to months, the temperatures dropped below freezing. Each day, she stumbled over the frozen ground, her smallest child—a baby—in her arms. Her three other children struggled along behind her, with the oldest—seven years old—pulling the tiny wooden wagon containing their belongings. Ragged and torn burlap was wrapped around their feet, providing the only protection for them, since their shoes had long since disintegrated. Their thin, tattered jackets covered their thin, tattered clothing, providing their only protection against the cold. Soon the snows came, and the days and nights became a nightmare. In the evenings she and the children would try to find some kind of shelter—a barn or a shed—and would huddle together for warmth, with a few thin blankets from the wagon on top of them. She constantly struggled to force from her mind overwhelming fears that they would perish before reaching their destination. And then one morning the unthinkable happened. As she awakened, she felt a chill in her heart. The tiny form of her three-year-old daughter was cold and still, and she realized that death had claimed the child. Though overwhelmed with grief, she knew that she must take the other children and travel on. First, however, she used the only implement she had—a tablespoon—to dig a grave in the frozen ground for her tiny, precious child. Death, however, was to be her companion again and again on the journey. Her seven-year-old son died, either from starvation or from freezing or both. Again her only shovel was the tablespoon, and again she dug hour after hour to lay his mortal remains gently into the earth. Next, her five-year-old son died, and again she used her tablespoon as a shovel. Her despair was all consuming. She had only her tiny baby daughter left, and the poor thing was failing. Finally, as she was reaching the end of her journey, the baby died in her arms. The spoon was gone now, so hour after hour she dug a grave in the frozen earth with her bare fingers. Her grief became unbearable. How could she possibly be kneeling in the snow at the graveside of her last child? She had lost her husband and all her children. She had given up her earthly goods, her home, and even her homeland. In this moment of overwhelming sorrow and complete bewilderment, she felt her heart would literally break. In despair she contemplated how she might end her own life, as so many of her fellow countrymen were doing. How easy it would be to jump off a nearby bridge, she thought, or to throw herself in front of an oncoming train. And then, as these thoughts assailed her, something within her said, “Get down on your knees and pray.” She ignored the prompting until she could resist it no longer. She knelt and prayed more fervently than she had in her entire life: “Dear Heavenly Father, I do not know how I can go on. I have nothing left—except my faith in Thee. I feel, Father, amidst the desolation of my soul, an overwhelming gratitude for the atoning sacrifice of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. I cannot express adequately my love for Him. I know that because He suffered and died, I shall live again with my family; that because He broke the chains of death, I shall see my children again and will have the joy of raising them. Though I do not at this moment wish to live, I will do so, that we may be reunited as a family and return—together—to Thee.” When she finally reached her destination of Karlsruhe, Germany, she was emaciated. Brother Babbel said that her face was a purple-gray, her eyes red and swollen, her joints protruding. She was literally in the advanced stages of starvation. In a Church meeting shortly thereafter, she bore a glorious testimony, stating that of all the ailing people in her saddened land, she was one of the happiest because she knew that God lived, that Jesus is the Christ, and that He died and was resurrected so that we might live again. She testified that she knew if she continued faithful and true to the end, she would be reunited with those she had lost and would be saved in the celestial kingdom of God. 8 From the holy scriptures we read, “Behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in [Him], they who have endured the crosses of the world, … they shall inherit the kingdom of God, … and their joy shall be full forever.” 9 I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith. I declare that God lives and that He hears and answers our prayers. His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and our Redeemer. Heaven’s blessings await us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Wait.. Elder... where's the truck?‏

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