It has been an interesting
week. I am feeling more focused on the work that I think I have ever
felt, but this week has been a consecutive flood of disappointing
experiences. I am still going though. I feel like the Lord is
conditioning me right now, teaching me patience and perseverance.
Zone Conference was great! I love
going to Brasov! It was interesting for us, trying to coordinate the
food when the conference wasn't even our own city, but Elder B
helped out a lot. And the conference was great! It was a lot of the same
things we heard at MLC, but there were some new ideas, lots of great
input from all the missionaries, and I learned a whole lot. We are all
really committed to try harder to be energetic, balanced missionaries,
and there is a powerful feeling of excitement. I really trust President
Ivory, and he is inspiring us all.
We have been trying with all our
might to work with the members, less active members, and investigators
with equal energy, but we haven't seen much visible success yet. The
member list isn't too big in the first place, but we divided it up and
got to work. But Elder C and I went all the way across town to learn
that a less active brother had passed away, got angrily rejected at
another door, and have been unable to find one family at home, for whom
we don't have a working phone number. We have a couple other members
without phone numbers still to find. It is a lot of trouble to cross town
and not find people home, but we have no other option. And the addresses here are incredibly difficult to find. There isn't a lot of sense
in the organization of most of the blocs in this city.
We were able to meet with one
active member, but the other one assigned to us told us he didn't want
us to visit him. And we have been spending all the rest of our time
searching for former investigators, contacting on the way, but without
success. But we are still trying. God is teaching us patience.
Even with all the disappointments,
I feel God's influence very close right now. I am learning how to give
myself entirely to him, and when I do that, it doesn't matter what the
visible results are. I don't care so much about the numbers anymore. I
just want to be a worthy servant, and give the glory to God. It is
incredibly difficult to give up everything, I mean everything, for him,
but it is what I have been asked to do. All my pride, all my desires for
recognition, all my comforts, everything I have, I have to put in His
hands. It is really scary, but I know it is what I need to do right now. So
I am giving myself up, immersing myself in the work, and I have faith
in Christ.
You can trust in Him. Let him take
your burdens, and follow him with all your heart. Just let Him take the
lead, and it will all be worth it in the end. I know this, and I have
hope that one day I will be able to be able to look back on my life and
be satisfied. But for now, I have work to do.
Thanks for reading!
Elder Lybbert
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