Convertion

Hey everyone!


I'm here, I'm happy, I'm healthy! Funny thing about that last part is that this week is the first week I seriously planned some nutrition, and bought everything for two weeks with a nutritional plan...and it's working. I'm feeling better after two days of it. What is this?! E. Gubler is evolving!

There's been a few other advances too, mainly in my testimony. This new area has some interesting people that I'm sure God has prepared me to meet, and now he's adding on some of the things I need to learn to best serve them.

I've learned especially about my calling, and about how much I need to put myself into my calling. In the last few months the calling has no longer been something I do...but something I am. I wake up thinking about my district, the wonderful Sisters I've been tasked to take care of, and the investigators that I pray for. I hope so much to find somebody who really is willing to be converted. This last week, I was saddened by the family we were teaching...all of them had a testimony, but for some reason they simply didn't have the willpower to go to Church, to do what they were supposed to. They bore their testimonies to us, stating that they knew the Church was true, but something was missing. What was it?

It was conversion. Conversion is something I've thought about a lot in the last few days. I remember E. Bednar talk about it, and as I connect it to the change occuring in my conversion I'm more and more interested in learning about it. I WANT to help other people understand the truth. I WANT to help others have the precious moments I've had, where I felt an immense love and friendship from the Savior. I've deepened my understanding of how the Savior feels for me, and now I'm reminded of Alma's words in Alma 5...the way I've been teaching has changed. It's less about speaking. It's more about feeling. It's less about leaving what I know - it's about leaving the sweet substance that I've tasted. I'm not sure how to describe how I've felt about...well, mankind these last few weeks. The world has become more beautiful. Hope seems to be in greater abundance. Disappointment I felt was swallowed up as I applied advice that Christ provided for me in Alma 31:26-38. I've...forgotten about myself, until the point that I need to take care of my body and mind's needs. It's been a wonderful experience.

My district is a wonderful experience. I've never led Sisters before, and as I wrote to Mom I believe that the Sisters I've had in my ward are some of the most converted missionaries I've worked with. They're admirable. They'ev got their needs, and I sincerely hope I'll be led to take care of them. I hope I can be an example for them, because they deserve no less.

This ward's rather interesting, because it's composed of almost entirely young single adults. I only half-joked with the counselor (since this ward has lacked a bishop for some time) that perhaps an effective way to baptize would just be to give seminars/workshops on eternal marriage and just reap the horde of non-member girlfriend/boyfriends and send them off on missions. There's a lot of return missionaries here too...so we gotta get using that spiritual momentum for something useful!

My point of view of my calling has changed since I prayed and pondered about John 15:13-15. I realized that...I'm called to be a friend for others. If I'm not seeking to befriend others, I'm not truly being a missionary. The reason I should be trying to lift others up, and helping them be baptized is because I believe it's the best thing I could do...as a friend. I need to love the people I interact with, so they can become better. I read Sis. Elaine S. Dalton's talk about what a true friend is, almost seemingly by coincidence...and I'm sure now that there should be no difference in the way I should treat anybody - members, non-members, companions, leaders, those I lead. I need to feel the same thing for them all; that is, Christ's love, Christ's friendship. I may not be able to count on everyone I come to know to be a Christlike friend, but I can count on Him - and He wants me to do as He did too. I'm...quite happy to have had this personal revelation as I've sought something to help my district and myself. I hope that by writing this I've served to benefit the beloved readers of my blog too - that's why I'm writing this, right?

In any case...my time is up! I hope that the letters I shall be sending soon I shall be able to further strengthen those that have expressed interest in receiving. I love you guys! Don't forget towrite!

And also: in less than 6 months I'm released. o_0 Holy cooooooooooooooooow!



-Erich