Service

Hello family and friends,

Elder Bodine here! This week was all about service. We were able to do things like move a family almost every single day (including one in a hailstorm... see photo [a true Wyoming experience]), help set up a bird farm that even has emus, and most importantly checked tickets for the Toby Keith and Dierks Bentley concerts at Frontier Days. I was very jealous. Yep lots of service. I love serving the people of Cheyenne. 

I have seen so many miracles this week. There are almost too many to even remember. First, a shout out to the Wheatley family for being awesome. This week I just remember feeling this inspiring feeling that I am being prayed for more than I ever have been in my life. That's pretty cool to think about. 

So time to get real, these first 5 weeks I have been in "survival mode". My comp and I have had our disagreements and that is not changing, but I think I have begun to figure it out. I have just been surviving selfishly, not thriving selflessly. My companion called me out for having a loving pride (I have good intentions, but I still am not following the example of Jesus Christ). He reminded me to forget myself and to go to work. Humbled, I recommited to trusting the Lord in faith. 

What is faith? Why is it important? Basic questions we see all the time. I would like to answer them with experience I have had this week:

When your companion decides to fast without telling you and you went for a run in the morning and all you have planned for the day is service, it takes faith. When the time came to go out and work, it was my time to step up to the plate. Be Sam, and carry Frodo. We tracted a whole street, and I was all alone. I talked every time. I stood courageously at every door. We found no success save it be an old widow who just wanted company for a little while. That day, faith meant continuing on. It meant doing the small things like waking up at 6:30, smiling at the people who immediately slam the door, or simply forgiving my companion silently for his weaknesses. Faith meant when our service project that night was taken away from us by another companionship, we kept on working. Faith is important to my mission because it is not possible without it. I do not know why I am in this area. In fact, sometimes I believe we are doing more hurt than good, but slowly and patiently the Lord reminds me that He has a plan. He has a purpose, and that purpose is glorious. He has a plan for all of us. As it says in 2 Nephi 33:6, "I glory in plainess, I glory in truth, I glory in my Jesus for he hath redeemed my would from hell". There is greatness in this work and His plan, be humble and strive to follow it.

Much Love 

Elder Bodine