Another week and another email coming to y'all from Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia🫡 and wow a crazy eventful week for sure.
First off, I want to say, "Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk. A martyr for his beliefs and views, and it's such a shame that something so horrible could happen like this especially in Utah where a lot of my cousins and aunts and uncles live and so close to a Latter-day saint community, as well in general. Prayers up🙏🏼
This week generally consisted of a lot of mall public contacting and finding, declaring our purpose, getting rejected, only had like one lesson, maybe two, a LOT of bike problems mainly with my bike as well, a LOT of rain as well. We're entering rainy season here, so the rain is just starting to pour which isn't the most fun. Didn't really rain at all last transfer as it was the end of hot season. But now the rain is starting to take its toll. Makes finding a lot harder and getting to and fro around Miri.
"Happiness has little to do with the circumstances of our life and EVERYTHING to do with the focus of our life." That's a quote from a prophet of God right there and it couldn't be more true🙌🏼 That's the quote that Elder Simonsen told me when as we were locking up our bikes to start our finding block one night. It was dumping the South China Sea on us, but that quote absolutely reverberated through me. Felt a fire that went into the start of the finding block and then quickly withered with rejection after rejection. Biked home, threw off my sopping wet clothes, literally chucked my keys into the dark home near my desk, broke my holy oil carrier unfortunately, sat down at my desk and just stared ahead for like 10 minutes. Just sat there questioning everything, why I'm having half the city of Miri being placed on our shoulders out of nowhere, opening up an area and everything. It's tough. But the work moves on regardless. That night I hit another personal study and decided to study James 1-5. Some of my favorite chapters in the New Testament.
It talks a ton about how faith without works is dead, and friends of the world or the natural man is an enemy to God. Also, talks about mastering the tongue to create peace and being able to be spotted as a disciple of Christ through what we say and do. And lastly it talks about waiting on the Lord and how the people who only focus on worldly things and greed are not justified in such.
Quick recap over such amazing chapters of wisdom and doctrine. But these chapters just really spoke and applied to me that night. I have developed a lot more control over my tongue and a lot of patience as well. That's been good and all. I just get really easily discouraged but mainly the message about faith without works really spoke to me.
I am establishing my faith and witness of Jesus through this mission and work.
"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
"Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."
James 5: 8, 11. Me and all missionaries around the world are showing our devotion to the Lord and his church and his children who want the truth but don't know where to find it. Mainly just writing this for myself at this point so I apologize but I want to connect the idea between faith with works is necessary and Doctrine and Covenants 58:1-6
"1. Hearken, O ye elders of my church, and give ear to my word, and learn of me what I will concerning you, and also concerning this land unto which I have sent you. 2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven. 3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. 4. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand. 5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow. 6 Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony of the things which are to come."
Such amazing, amazing such applicable verses right here to missionaries and just for life in general. I have been sent to a very far away land indeed and have been given tribulation after tribulation, but the glory comes AFTER much tribulation, and I can see it in the distance no doubt. It may be far away or it may be close by, but even getting home and being upset is a reward by itself, knowing another foe down, another day of doing my duty and staying in the path of my duty, declaring my purpose and staying OBEDIENT.
Obedience- the first law of heaven. Can I be obedient in Overland Park, Kansas, or Dallas? Or Provo? Yeah, I could. Was I? Maybe not, but can I do it when all odds are stacked against me and my whole life was turned upside down by taking on a responsibility such as this work? I'd say I've grown a ton and that's what this mission is about. Being obedient to the Lord, showing my faith WITH my works and having patience and long-suffering. This mission is tough but it's not impossible. This week ahead just going to keep grinding and who knows what the Lord has in store for me next, area, comp, opportunities, leaders, and many miracles through faith and obedience. I'm eternally grateful for this opportunity to represent the Lord.
"For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" Mosiah 5:13
592 days left, every one WILL count
Elder Barlow⚜️
No comments:
Post a Comment