Hey Mom, Dad and Fam,
Written February 17, 2014
That is amazing that Andy was able to shave an entire second off of
his time. Way to go Andy!! I know the Simplot games are a really big
deal. They are huge. A&B does a dance thing for the games, and we
always had a bunch of people come to it. We have heard a little bit
about the Olympics, but not much. Just mainly people saying that it
has has been warmer in Russia for the Olympics than it has been here
in North Carolina. Crazy! We had a big storm this week. It dropped
about 8inches of snow in two days, and no one was really prepared for
it. Everything pretty much just shuts down, for two days no one was
really on the roads, went to work or school or anything. We were some
of the only people crazy enough to be out haha.
So I may have to you that as a mission we were doing a 40 day
fast in which we give up something temporal that we love for 40 days
to help us come closer to Christ. I chose ice cream for mine. It has
has been going really well. I have learned a couple things already
from it that I think are key for me at this point in my life. One of
the most crucial things that I have learned is that it gets easier. At
first my craving for ice cream only increased as the fast went on. I
wanted it more and more all the time, but around the middle of this
week the craving lessened, and more desire for Ice cream decreased,
and now the desire is not nearly as strong as it was even when I was
partaking of it. So, I learned that with the desires of the natural
man, and possibly all desires, (such as reading your scriptures and
praying) will diminish as we do not partake of them. So, in spiritual
matters we have to keep doing what we need to be doing, or pretty soon
we will have no more desire to do good. In the desires of the natural
man, it's gets easier over time to abstain from partaking of them.
Huntersville is very different from Danville. Sadly, the people
seem to be less humble and harder to share a message with. We have
been working hard, but most of our time is spent knocking on doors,
which is not the most effective thing in the world. I do believe
however, that the work here is on the edge of really taking off. The
members here are great. So much of our efforts are focused on helping
members do missionary work and building trust with the members of the
ward. Almost all of our area is city, and so it is a different aspect
in they respect. Most of the people in the area work for a bank, or
something like that, and so they tend to be more well off in life. It
is good for me to see that contrast though.
Moving to a new area is something different than I have really
ever experienced in my life before my mission. When I first came out
on my mission it was all new. So, it's like if you and dad just up and
moved to Boise in a few days. A completely new ward, stake, neighbors,
you don't know anyone, or where anything is. But, after a few months
you get to know all the people in your ward and your neighbors. You
make new friends, and you have figured out how to get around and where
everything is. Now, imagine If 5 months later you had to move another
2 hours away from there, to say like twin falls. So, now you have to
do that all over again. So you have to do all of that all over again.
That is probably the hardest part about moving to a new area.
All of that being said, it may sound like I'm kinda complaining,
but really I'm not. Believe it or not, in a lot of ways it is a good
thing. I feel it's not so good in the fact that you leave behind those
relationships that you have built/connections that you have made with
people that may help them grow, but at the same time Heavenly Father
knows what those people need in their lives, and what we need in ours.
I think the biggest reason and how this all ties back to feeling like
you are a new missionary all over again when you transfer to somewhere
else, is because of this quote that bishop Mullins of the Danville
ward shared with me. He said, "If your not green, you can't grow".
That thought has really stuck in my mind the past few days. I can't
help but think how true that is, but not only that, how powerful that
principle is. I have certainly found that to be true the past two
weeks as I have moved to this new area. When we are new at something,
or uncomfortable with a situation, that is when we have the
opportunity to grow and learn the most. But, why is that? Why do we
learn so much more when we are in that position of life?
As I was reading from the Book of Mormon in my morning studies, I
came across a scripture that really stood out to me. I loved Alma 32
because of how it talks about faith in the middle and latter versus,
but this time as I read through it I picked up on something different.
I realized that I had completely missed out on how important and
powerful the first part of the chapter was. In Alma 32,13-16 it says.
"And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a
man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance;
and now surely, whosoever repent shall find mercy; and he that
findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.
And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be
humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed
who truly humble themselves because of the word?
Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and
endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed--yea, much more blessed
than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding
poverty.
Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being
compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that
believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of
heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled
to know, before they will believe."
So, I guess to tie all of this together, we have to be humble.
When we are moved to a new area in the mission, in essence we are
"compelled to be humble". So, when we are humble we are able to learn.
We are then able to be taught by the Holy Ghost, and he is the
greatest teacher of all.
So, since valentines day was this past week, one of the women in
the ward had a whole bunch of flowers and she did a little photo shoot
with us for a second. It was pretty fun. The pictures turned out
really good too I think :) so happy valentines day!! :) and I hope
dad's birthday was really good!
Well I love you all very much! Keep doing your part to hasten the
lords work and always read your scriptures every day. If our
investigators can do it, I think we should be able to do it too :) I
love you!! Good luck with all that you have to do this week. Be good
and remember who you are. "When you know who you are, you act
differently."
Love,
Elder Jorgensen
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