Favorite Scripture

Favorite Scripture:

“Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.” (Alma 37:37)

Monday, January 26, 2015

The Atonement, Our Source for Hope

Dear Family and Friends,

Hey guys!!! I hope that all of you have had a great week and continue to keep your faith.  This week has really been a fast one!  I am finishing up training as well!  I have probably only 1 more week with Elder Munger and I will probably stay in Dakeng and get a new companion and will get to lead out the area.  That should be really exciting, but at the same time is soooooo scary! haha There is so much Chinese required every day to make sure that things are running smoothly.  I think that it will be another great learning experience for me.  I really look forward to opportunities where I get thrown into to the fire a little bit... I truly feel like those are the opportunities I learn the most.  I feel like I get beat up the most, but it is great because it causes me to rely upon the Lord.  That is something I have learned I just have to do.  Chinese is impossible otherwise.  I am super grateful for Elder Mungers example of hard work and patience over the last 10 weeks or so!  He is a great missionary and a great friend with a great heart.  I will miss him! I got lucky to have him.  He really pushed me to be better and learn lots.  It is something I will take and use the rest of my mission and the rest of my life!  

This week we had the opportunity to help an investigator move.  Her name is J and she loves the gospel but can't get baptized because her mom won't let her.  She is 16 and her mom is making her wait until she is 18.  We have encouraged her to pray about talking to her mom and really testified that if this is the desire of her heart that Heavenly Father will provide a way.  We moved their whole apartment, and her mom was so grateful.  I hope and pray that it had an affect on her mom and that she was able to see the gospel in action.  We are really hoping for her!! 

Also this week at church during Gospel principles D leaned over to me and asked if I would baptize him!! haha I of course said yes!! haha He has a baptismal interview this next Saturday!! I am really excited for that.  He is a great kid, and this gospel can really help his life.  It already has whether he knows it or not!  He has quit drinking, and smoking, and going to the club.  It is super cool.  

This week I had a sore throat... haha and I thought that chinese was hard before... hahaha!!! It was impossible to get the tones. hahaha!!! I remember when I was talking with Elder Lloyd before the mission about tones... they are so tough, especially when you don't have a voice!! I am good now though!

Everything else is going well and I am so grateful for the Lord and all the blessings that he has given me.  I read in D&C 19 this week and it really hit me that the greatest blessing that we have received is the atonement in our lives.  It is the one thing that allows us to keep going.  How sad would be to have no way of moving forward... to have no hope for the future?  There are millions of people right now who have lost hope, who feel like there is no way they can continue.  It is our responsibility to reach out to those in need and give them a reason to hope for something better.  To share with them The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

I love you all!!

Love, 

Elder Redding

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