M.I.B - "Missionaries in Black"

Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 11:26 AM

Email #57 - La Grande, OR

Hello again everyone!

   I am glad to see that you got my mail informing you about our change in pdays! It's actually a very nice change. It is very relaxing to have the new week start off slow, giving us time to really prepare for the rest of the week instead of taking a break in the middle of things.

   Well we did have a better week. We gave a few blessings this week to some of our investigators. With winter on its way it seems like everyone is catching the bug. Elder Reinsch even caught it again on Sunday so we had to spend another day indoors. We gave him a blessing just last night and he is doing much better today.

   Elder Bowen was so good! We first heard a short message from his wife and she talked about how important it is to decide now what we will do in certain situations. She told a story of a friend who was watching TV one night when a picture of a beautiful girl came up on the screen. She learned that the girl had been forced into a car and found dead the next day. Sister Bowen's friend decided then and there that she would not let someone force her into a car. A few days later as she was putting her baby in the car seat at the grocery store a man came up, put a gun in her back and told her to get in the car or he would kill her and her baby. Looking down she saw a small umbrella on the floor of the car. She grabbed it, turned around and began beating the guy over the head with it! The man was so surprised that he dropped his gun. Some people nearby saw what was happening and started running over to help her and the man ran away. He was later found and put in jail. Because Sister Bowen's friend had decided early that she would not be forced into a car, when the moment came she didn't have to think, she just reacted. Sister Bowen then encouraged us to choose now to do our best and be obedient. She said "decide now that tomorrow morning at 6:30 you will get up on time. Then when your alarm goes off you won’t have to decide if you’re going to get up with it. You just will!"

   Elder Bowen's talk was my favorite. He talked to us about the baptism covenant, the Abrahamic covenant, the house of Israel, and the Oath and covenant of the Priesthood and how we learn from them who we truly are and what we are expected to do. He spoke of how because of the covenants we have made "there are certain places you cannot go, certain clicks on a mouse you cannot click." He said "When you make a covenant with God you are placing a portion of your agency on the altar." How powerful that was to me. It's so true. When we covenant with God to obey his will and commandments it really does make us more accountable for what we do. Especially those who hold the priesthood. To us with the priesthood he said "Your priesthood will either exalt you, or damn you."

   So what did I learn from this? I learned that I am not only a child of God, but a child that holds his priesthood, the very power that created the earth. And I have promised him that I will serve him all my life, and if I should break from this covenant he can do with me as he sees fit. I think of when Moroni made the title of liberty, and the people tore their cloths and cast them at Moroni's feet and said, as we have torn our cloths and cast them at your feet even so will God, if we fall into transgression, tear us and cast us at the feet of our enemies. What an Eye opener. lol.

   But the most wonderful thing this new knowledge gives me is an even stronger ability to resist temptation. I realize more fully now the weight that is on my shoulders and how I cannot let myself fall into dark paths. Whenever I feel tempted to do wrong or think evil thoughts I just remind myself of the covenants I have made with God, pray for strength an did feel the spirit within me burn, and I know that I am not alone, and that I can "come off conqueror."

   So you want to know more about my companion! Well Elder Reinsch's nick name is "the candy man!" He got this nick name when he first came out in the mission. at a lesson his trainer turned to him and asked him to pull his scriptures out. Elder Reinsch responded that he didn't have his scriptures. "What? But your back pack is heavy. What’s in there?" They opened it up to find it FULL of candy. lol. We have a lot of fun together, and he no longer fills his bag with candy, at least not worldly candy. Now it's spiritual candy. lol.

   Speaking of candy, we were privileged to go to the ward trunk or treat on Saturday! It was very fun. We found some old headphones, and Nerf guns, so we put one head phone in our ears and took the guns. 

We were the M.I.B. (missionaries in black)  We got a picture with the bishop which is attached to this email. I am also sending you a picture of the necklace I made out of the zipper pull! I thought you might enjoy that as well.

   I haven't checked mail today so I don't know yet if my shoes are here but I ill be sure to let you know when I do get them. Thanks again for sending them!

   Thanks for all you do! I pray for you all every night, I miss you and look forward to hugging you all when I get home. Btw, a thought came to me the other day, when I get home the first thing I want to do is sit down with you all and watch a dick van dyke!! lol. Take care and stay cool!

                                       -Elder Bevell-