[Received 23 March 2015]
Howdy everyone!
I hope everyone had a FANTASTIC week this past week! I
know I did, as well as my two different companions! Elder Ales was a bit
disappointed, I think, to be transferred, but turns out that he's now in Heber
City, and he's also a district leader now! :D Crazy, huh?? As for my new
companion, his name is Elder Kalamafoni, and he's from Portland, Oregon, but
his parents are both from Tonga. :D We also got a new addition to the sisters'
area in the non-elder companionship in our district! Sis. Wagner started training
a new sister, named Sis. Selk, and she's from Canada! :) Fun stuff, right?? :D The
new elder that replaced Elder Terrón is Elder Rodriguez, who is originally from
Mexico, but came onto his mission from the great state of Texas!
Anyways, on other news, I wonder how many people got
pinched this last week on St. Patty's Day.. :D Not me! Blessings of being a
missionary. :) People seem to think they will be struck down by
lightning if they even THINK of hurting a missionary. It's quite funny,
actually. :) But, I hoped everyone had fun making sure they were creative with
how they wore their green for the day! :)
Something I'd like to share from some of my studies this
last week is from the Book of Mormon. In the book of Alma, chapter 46, verses
12 and 13. It's talking about a righteous Nephite military commander, and in
this particular section, he's trying to rally the Nephite people around a
righteous cause to help them defeat the rebels and the not-so-righteous
Lamanite people that are being stirred up in anger against the Nephites. In the
Book of Mormon, those verses read:
12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took
a piece thereof, and wrote upon it --In memory of our God, our religion, and
freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children-- and he fastened it upon
the end of a pole.
13 And he fastened on his headplate, and his breastplate,
and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole,
which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of
liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth and he prayed mightily unto his god
for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should
a band of Christians remain to possess the land--
I really love these verses, because in the timeframe that
Moroni is doing this, he's giving his people hope, he's giving them something
to fight for, he's giving them a reason to want to defend themselves. The same
is true today, and I feel like Moroni's Title of Liberty is something to defend
nowadays as well. Am I willing to defend my God? Am I? Am I willing to defend my religion, even when
(many) others criticize my beliefs? (Sad, but true. At least once or twice a
day, someone makes fun of me because I'm a missionary for The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints...) Am I willing to defend my freedom, such as my
freedom of religion, and my freedom to speak what I know? Are each of us
willing to defend that? Are we willing to defend the peace we may feel in our
lives? This world is in chaos, but yet, we can still feel peace in our homes if
we want it there. Are we willing to defend that peace? Am I willing to defend
not just MY family, but THE family? In a world that increasingly makes it
easier to obtain a divorce, that claims that individual parent's needs are
above that of the collective family, that continuously proclaims things are
"good" that actually drive the family apart, am I willing to defend
the family?? Am I willing to defend my family??
I'd honestly love to hear your thoughts. Please email
them to me at conrad.hamilton@myldsmail.net
and tell me what some of your thoughts are of what I've put out for your
consideration. I love y'all!
Till next week, enjoy the pictures! :D
Love,
Elder Conrad Hamilton
 |
| Me and Elder Ales |
 |
| Transfer day - Elder De Leon and ? with Conrad |
 |
| Elder Kalamafoni |
 |
| Flaming Gorge Reservoir - which is in our area |
No comments:
Post a Comment