December 3, 2012
Hey everyone (unprofitable servants),
This week has been a way cool week! My personal studies have been crazy awesome and they have really helped me have the spirit with me this week. Elder Zurita and I are trying to branch out and see more and more areas. Seeing as our area is about 5 times the average size of an English mission here we have been blessed with a car. Any way, we went and tried an area we had never been to, called Moncks Corner. We found some very cool places to look for people to teach. The most exciting thing is though we went to a place called fairgrounds and it's just a trailer park, a little run down, but not bad. We started at the 2nd to last trailer (The last trailer is a less active man we saw later that day) and knocked. No answer, next place, "Somos catolico," next one, this guy answers and for whatever reason the spirit directed to simply just ask if we come in, so I told him my name, he said his was Hector and then I asked if we could come in and talk to him for a bit. He said, "Claro que si (Of Course)" and just lets us in....weird.... is all I thought. We started talking to him and then opened with a prayer taught him the Restoration lesson and then asked him to pray. At the end of the prayer, we had invited him to be baptized. He said that he would and that he felt something unexplainable right then. We explained it was the spirit, taught him about the importance of church attendance, and then left. We then continued knocking down the line and door after door let us talk to them after that or had set up an appointment with us for next week! We were so excited!
Then we had scheduled to come back on Saturday. We show up to the less actives house, because he had agreed to come to the appointments with us. He came and we started at Hectors, knocked 4 times and no answer. Called him and he said he forgot and was apologizing and wanted to reschedule for Tuesday. Went to our next appointment. Knocked 3 times. Nothing. The same thing on every appointment we scheduled....Why am I telling you this and why did I put "unprofitable servants" at the heading? Well in Luke 7:7-10 it talks about being an unprofitable servant.
"7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? 10 I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."
That saturday, I felt so inadequate like I was doing things wrong and that I wasn't fulfilling my purpose as a missionary. But why? These were things that were entirely out of my control. I have no power over their agency. Why was this making me feel discouraged. So I turned to the scriptures I read in Mosiah 2:21 and it sparked my interest on what an unprofitable servant was. It wasn't until I read in Luke that I understood, I have done my duty. Even though there is not a reward immediately. I know that I did what I could to help these people be ready for Saturday. And it reminded me of a quote by President Monson "Do your duty that is best, leave unto the Lord the rest." I know that God has purpose for me out here even when I am not teaching a lesson that I scheduled. Or even when I am not doing any good directly for a person. I'm running out of time. But know that each of you have a purpose. Regardless of your feelings of inadequacy. D & C 121:7
Love you all,
Elder Hatch
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