July 28, 2013

哈囉!! Hey guys! How's it goin' this week?? I know I say it every week, but man time flies. This is the last p-day of the move-call, and we're very nervous about what's going to be changing this next move call! Wow, I feel like I've grown quite a bit in these last 6 weeks! I've had hundreds of new experiences to add to the pages of my journal, I've been broken down, built up, tossed around and steadied constantly! I feel so grateful for all the experiences I've gained in just these last 6 weeks, and it brings tears to my eyes to think on the blessings I've received in the past year! I love the Gospel and I love this Work!

 Well, this week.... not a whole lot happened in all honesty! We did have a Zone Conference on Wednesday at the Mission HQ and it was super awesome to see all the missionaries! I saw Elder B, Sister W, Elder H, and a lot of others! It's weird for me to remember my first Zone Conference... back then, I didn't know ANY of the other missionaries, but now, I feel like I could name almost each one of them! Super crazy how fast the time has gone by!! We had a great time and learned a lot! President B is super awesome and the way he teaches is incredible! 

We also did a really awesome activity this week with the youth of our ward. Our chapel is absolutely HUGE... it's got 3 floors! So this week, we decided to do a Plan of Salvation simulation... They started on the first floor, and all they were told was: "Go start your life!" They go to the second floor and are contacted by missionaries who then tell them to go find 4 cards with commandments written on them... if they meet with us a second time, we tell them there are 3 other cards with other ordinances written on them. After about 30 minutes, we switch roles and started to tempt them into wasting time... telling jokes, playing guitar, dancing etc. At the end, they receive judgement and are separated into three groups based on how they did. It was a super awesome activity!! It went super well, and the kids all really loved it! After the activity, I taught them how to play capture the flag and we all went crazy for a little while. We had some investigators come as well, and they loved it! I think it really helped our recent converts better understand the Plan of Salvation as well! 

Even though we didn't have a whole lot of exciting news this week, it was so packed full of Spiritual truths that I could fill multiple pages of this email! I'll focus on just one of them. This Saturday, I had a chance to conduct a Baptismal interview with the Sisters investigator. While I did the interview, Elder L was in the other room watching the Testaments. I finished the interview and came in the room just in time for the end. I got to see the whole process of the Atonement, the Crucifixion, and the very end where Christ appears to the Nephites. As Christ appeared to the Nephites, I suddenly thought to myself: "What would my reaction be?" Would it be utter joy? Would it be absolute fear? Would it be a humble happiness in knowing that I was worthy to stand before Him? Or would it be a Guilt-filled torture as I hid from His presence? I think we all know what we want the answer to be. I thought to myself how horrible it would be to be afraid to enter the presence of our beloved Savior. Can you imagine? My eyes filled with tears as I imagined that feeling! I know that the Savior will come again. I testify of His coming with every fiber of my being, and I promise you: if you are not ready for His coming, it will come much swifter than you ever thought. If you are not ready, if you are not preparing... start to do so now. I know that if we are prepared to meet Him, we will be filled with more joy and love than we could ever imagine! I can not wait for that day! I want to run into the outstretched arms of the Lord and tell Him that I did my very best... these thoughts also tell me that I need to do better. I need to be more diligent in all that I do and I need to always remember what my true purpose in life is!

I love you guys! You're all awesome! Have a great week!

Elder Noll