Be True

Hi Everyone,

All the best wishes to Scott and his new wife.  Just don't forget to tell him where to find everlasting happiness.  Yes, it's definitely a bummer to hear about Aunt Virginia.  I have been thinking about her and didn't know how she was doing.   It's good to know she isprogressing in the eternal plan of our Father.  She's going to make one great missionary, not only because of the work that she did constantly in the temple her on earth, but because of her willingness to do the work of the Lord.   (Let's just say I am glad a spiritual giant like that is on our side).  It's funny because for the past few weeks I have been feeling very old in the sense of all the people I know are passing on to the other side.  I will count my self lucky that I have had the opportunity to know and be friends with such great people.  I thank my grandma and grandpa for all the extra support I receive from them.  I am so grateful to have such examples in my life and learn from such wisdom.  I don't know if you know this, grandma, but I go through a good portion of your written letters with a highlighter, underlining and marking things that I believe are important and taking note of things to watch out for when I reach your age.  Believe me, it is knowledge well appreciated.  I believe you guys have a unique perspective in life that is only gained through such wisdom.  I hope to honor it by at least taking it into account.  Also a little funny bit... I think I have adopted grandpa's hair style or a version of it!   ha ha  I will send pictures later so you can laugh. 

Today is my old companion's (Elder Oyarzun) last p-day here in Mozambique and I have to say I will be sad to see him go for a number of reasons.  He has to be one of the companions where I have learned the most from.  Although I was not the most willing student, I have learned a lot.  This last past week I believe he has delivered a golden nugget.  So he being our district leader put together a lesson during the meeting and it was one that I have had from him, but one that I understand now.  He taught on being direct with people and how it helps you be true to yourself.  Various times while you're teaching a lesson to investigators you are unsure as to what they will accept.  He said don't worry as to what they will accept, worry about what they know.  Do they know everything that is in the lesson? (what they are required to know and you won't have to pick and choose for them, just be direct).  This helps you be true to what you already know and this week I took the challenge to be as true to what I know as possible.  It's amazing how the Spirit works through you or how it works through you more often when you do this.  It's almost like it has increased trust in you to be the person or the mouth piece for what is necessary and needful in that particular moment because there is trust there.  Every transfer I write stuff on the front of my planner.  Little words to remind me of my purpose of duty. One of them is this:  Be true; it's the acid test of your commitment.  I found out that when you are true to yourself and to the Gospel, a lot of the decisions that would be hard to make are almost all made for you.  The truth is what is required of you and you become self sufficient in the process.  Amazing how it works and I urge everyone to try it if your not all ready!!!  It truly makes you happy because youdon't second guess things and it gives you great confidence. 

This week was fast Sunday and I felt like I needed to fast for opportunities to fulfill this challenge.  Low and behold I had an experience.  It was rather funny.  We were sitting in priesthood and there were not that many members there and the place was almost empty save for a good eight members, the missionaries and two couple missionaries.  The topic was faith and everyone was beginning to weigh in with their great ideas.  The conversation got to the point of how we show our faith and what work is required to do so.  In fact, I like to think of faith as work... if you don't work, you have no faith)  So they said we need to show our faith and bring people next week to church and a thought came to my mind, "Why not now?   Why not here?  We talk of faith, but will anyone demonstrate it?"  Let's have an object lesson that they won't forget.  Let's go and get the sheep, let's bring those people at home in here now or as one of the Savior's parables says: Let's fill this house since those that were invited aren't coming.  Let's go to the highways and the waste places and fill this house for we have the feast of the Lord and they need our word.  Soooo.......... I raised my hand and said "Let's show our faith.  Let's go right now and get some less active members and bring them here for sacrament meeting.  Let's act right now.  Let's leave here and come back!"  Let's just say I received a little help only and some worried looks.  I received some excuses and ideas about better things to do here at the church, but none the less, my companion and I left to go get some people and bring them to church. 

 

Now before I did this, I knew something of that sort was to happen, but I had to be true to what I knew.  It required faith to trust in what I knew was a prompting and like that piece of paper that you sent (thank you, mom) President Monson said, "Never postpone aprompting"  so I didn't.  You could say the decision was made before the idea came.  What I didn't expect was that I might have needed to be a little more "Moroni" with the title of liberty than I thought but it's a lesson none that were there will forget.  As we passed our area on the road, two random ladies came up to us and said, "Are you guys from the Church of Jesus Christ? and we said,  "Why, yes we are!"  They said, "Are you guys having church right now?" and I said, "Why yes, we are!  Are you going there?" and they answered, "We are on our way."  We said we would meet them there.  Just like that... two random ladies came to church just  because we were walking around.  Next, we were headed to an excommunicated member's house, but had to return to church in time for sacrament and didn't have time to advise them of the meeting, but when we got  back to the chapel, they were already there!  Now that's only 4 people at church, but that is 4 more than we had.  I know that I haven't seen the Lord's finger and watch him touch 16 stones or move a mountain, but I think, if I am not mistaken, that is a miracle brought by faith that happened to us. 

I can testify that if we put our trust in the Lord and be true to what we know, we can become an instrument in the lives of others doing the Lord's work.  I know that my prayers and fasting was answered and I had a chance to learn more about how to be true even when it seems like a daunting task of motivating people to use their faith.  If there's an opportunity knocking, our job is to answer the door and not wait for it to go away.  The Lord picks his disciples while they are working, the adversary picks his while they are idle.  To echo one of the sisters in conference a few months ago, "I am a Mormon.  I know it.  I live it.  I love it."  I would ask you to be true to what you know and exercise your faith.  Please don't shrink from an opportunity to do something great.  Let the Lord magnify you (Ether 12:27).  I love you guys and hope you find joy as you draw yourselves closer to the Lord.

Lots of love, 

Elder Proksch