Monday, February 14, 2011

tired, very tired

Hola,

This has been a very wearing week, but mostly in great ways. I wish I could sit here for a couple hours telling all of you about everything but I have even less time then usual today so I will try to do some good highlights.

- A member in our ward asked if we could give a friend of his a blessing because he was going in for surgery. We of course agreed and set up a time at the institute to meet, but he was not sure what the surgery was for. We walked in, a couple minutes late, and met Robin who looked excited to see us and had a much larger smile on his face then I was expecting considering he was getting ready for surgery the next day. As we talked we became instant friends and he told us that he is going in for a major surgery, nine hours long, to remove some type of cancer (I can't remember what kind). According to his surgeon he was going to cut him open like a pig and that it makes open heart surgery look like a walk in the park, also meaning there wasn't extremely high chances of success. He had to have his stomach cut to a much smaller size and permanently moved up into his ribs by his lungs and heart.

Robin told us that he had a friend who is a member of the church who asked him if he would like a blessing before going in, and he gladly accepted. As we talked to him about what the blessing was it became clear that he thought it was simply a strong prayer by 'ministers'. We explained to him that we hold the priesthood and that we would not be simply praying but instead speaking the words of God and commanding the elements according to his faith and the Lord's will. He was open to the idea and we went into a room with his wife and friend to give the blessing. My companion was asked to anoint and then I sealed and proceeded to give him a blessing. The spirit filled the room completely and the few words I can remember speaking still amaze me. After we ended he sat there for a good while while I got his wife something to wipe he free flowing tears and then he stood up saying that he felt light headed and incredible. We explained to him that it was the spirit confirming what had just taken place and they left smiling with a firm belief that the blessing was from God and he would be safe through the surgery.

Elder Yardley and I went to the hospital on Saturday to see how he was doing and his wife told us that was the first time Robin perked up and told jokes since his surgery, and that he had been waiting for us to come. As we talked to him he told us that after the blessing he and his wife knew without a doubt that he would be safe. His surgeon told him that he was extremely impressed with how his body handled such an extensive surgery and Robin told him frankly that it was because of the blessing he had received the night before it happened. We will be going back to the ICU this week to see how he is doing and talk more about the miracle that he has been blessed with.

There is so much more that took place this week that I wish I could talk about but I am already running low on time and I still have to email President. I love where I am serving and the people I have been called to bring closer to Christ!

Love,

Elder Inman

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Brrrr

Note from mom: We received a letter from David's mission president and he has been made Zone Leader...could explain why he's exhausted:-)

 These are mostly just my comp, Elder Yardely, and I having some fun after we got in for the night and we had no power so we lit a bunch of tealight candles.



 The first is Taylor's Baptism with a few of her friends and the second is a goofy pics my comp took of me :-)


Hola,


We ended up having some really cold weather here last week. Probably nothing compared to what most people were, and are, going through but for Las Cruces New Mexico it was out of the ordinary. In fact it has not been as cold as it was last week since before 1962, and we were not well prepared for it. We left our hot water running all day and our pipes still froze leaving us without running water for several days, and then our power was out for extended amounts of time so our apartment was very chilly, and dark, for a while. The first day it really got cold I was on an exchange with another missionary and was in his area for the day. I didn't know the temperature was going to drop so rapidly so I didn't bring any special winter clothing. I also didn't know we would be biking because their car was gone. We ended up having a great time and getting a lot accomplished anyway, and a lot of people got a good laugh watching us ride to and from appointments as snow accumulated all over us.

This week feels like one of the fastest in my mission so far with all we had to fit into it. We had exchanges, training, Zone Correlation, Stake President Coordination, Stake Conference, Taylor's baptism, and of course finding and teaching like every other week. I enjoyed all of it but the crowning event was definitely the baptism, which was amazing. Even with the bad weather we had all of the chairs filled and quite a few people standing in the back because we couldn't fit more chairs. Taylor felt the Spirit so strong that she had tears rolling down her cheeks for the majority of the time and I am sure everyone else present was uplifted as well. It is so incredible to see people in all stages of life chose to accept the Gospel and, without exception, see the joy that accompanies worthily making such a sacred covenant.

I love my mission! There has never been a time in my life that I have been this consistently happy and filled with love. I wake up every morning excited for the day and then lay down exhausted at the end of the day thankful for where I am and the people I am called to serve. I had no idea how amazing it would feel to be dedicated every day, all day, to the Lord's work and am ever more thankful that I was able to come out here as a full time missionary.

Love,

Elder Inman

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Accelerating

Hola,


My mind and body are really tired today so I will probably be sure to keep this entry short. Blessings and miracles are happening here, but only after many hours of difficult labor and right now I really wish I could take some time to just lay down and sleep. The great thing about missionary work is that I know as soon as it is time to go see someone or teach a lesson I will be filled with energy and alertness again, which considering our schedule is a miracle in itself. It is a good feeling to walk up to a door for an appointment with my eyes drooping with fatigue and then suddenly be excited and teaching with enthusiasm just minutes later, not even remembering how tired I had been.

This has been such a great week though! Elder Yardley and I taught one of our most powerful lessons so far with the girl who is getting baptized this Friday. Most of our lessons with her have been strong and filled with the spirit, but this time it was almost tangible and at the end tears filled many eyes and friends were hugging each other because of the joy they felt. After the lesson I couldn't keep tears from filling my own eyes as I walked to our car (van) and pondered on the miracle of conversion and how much joy I see in people who are coming closer to Christ. Through trying to further dedicate myself to the Lord I am growing a deeper love for those I serve, and each day grow more amazed that the Lord is trusting me with so many of his children when I see more and more how I am lacking as his servant. I am just thankful that the Lord is able to work through me regardless of my weakness' and we are being blessed again this weekend by seeing someone make sacred covenants with God.

Another tender mercy we had this week came while teaching, for the first time, a young women who has struggled in the past but wants to come back to church. We had set up an appointment and had a couple YSA from the ward with us to teach but the appointment fell through, so we rescheduled for the next day. Since the people we had with us the first time were in class or at work we asked two other people to come with us and this time the appointment went through. The two we had with us the second time happened to have gone through the same trials this young women is going through and as they bore testimony the Spirit rushed in with force. At the end of the lesson we offered to give her a priesthood blessing, and in the blessing it said that if she continued making correct choices she would help lead her family back to activity as well. Before we left she said she would come to church, which 45 minutes ago was not a possibility according to her. She did come, and she brought her mom and sister with her. When we were talking to them after-wards her mom said they would be back next Sunday and thanked us for teaching her daughter because she has now become their angel to being them back.

Well, much more has happened but I have already written more then expected and my time is running short. Thanks to everyone who is sending prayers our way! The work is continuing to progress and many are being blessed as a result.

Love,

Elder Inman