Dear Family and Friends,
This year is a year of openings for us. I was called with Elder Guevarra to open up a new zone, Rosales East! Rosales East zone is the smallest zone in the history of the mission with only 10 elders! We are also opening an area, Santa Maria! Along with Santa Maria we are getting things ready to start a new branch! We will be keeping ourselves busy these next coming weeks!
So far opening an area has been challenging because we don't know where anyone is! But as we walk around looking for names we are finding a lot of people who are ready for the gospel. It has been a testament to me that the Lord is helping us every step of the way in our area.
With the new year comes new chances to change. And the thing I have learned on my mission is that we sometimes focus too much on "numbers". By this I don't just mean literal numbers, but when we focus on quantity instead of quality. Numbers mean very little to an infinite God, so instead he focuses on the quality of his children. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say "You must repent ____ times before you return to me" neither does it say "You must have this calling or higher to enter". Simply all that God commands is we become like His son. We cannot "count" the things Jesus did, or measure them on a scale, instead we feel them. His work was successful because he gave his whole to Heavenly Father, not 100%. Its hard to describe, but as we set goals for ourselves, are focused on reaching a number more than helping ourselves be better? For example, Sometimes we hear "I want to lose 40 pounds this year", are we too focused on the "40" than the fact that reaching this goal will help us be healthier? When we set goals, set them to become, rather than to reach. I apologize if this is confusing, something just make more sense in your own head, but I invite each of you to set meaningful goals, goals that take you somewhere better, that have long lasting impact, not just on yourself, but others.
Again, this transfer will be a busy one, but I'm happy an excited for it!
Mahal ko kayo!
Elder Trevor Kent Johnson (The Weirdest Missionary You Know)
This year is a year of openings for us. I was called with Elder Guevarra to open up a new zone, Rosales East! Rosales East zone is the smallest zone in the history of the mission with only 10 elders! We are also opening an area, Santa Maria! Along with Santa Maria we are getting things ready to start a new branch! We will be keeping ourselves busy these next coming weeks!
So far opening an area has been challenging because we don't know where anyone is! But as we walk around looking for names we are finding a lot of people who are ready for the gospel. It has been a testament to me that the Lord is helping us every step of the way in our area.
With the new year comes new chances to change. And the thing I have learned on my mission is that we sometimes focus too much on "numbers". By this I don't just mean literal numbers, but when we focus on quantity instead of quality. Numbers mean very little to an infinite God, so instead he focuses on the quality of his children. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say "You must repent ____ times before you return to me" neither does it say "You must have this calling or higher to enter". Simply all that God commands is we become like His son. We cannot "count" the things Jesus did, or measure them on a scale, instead we feel them. His work was successful because he gave his whole to Heavenly Father, not 100%. Its hard to describe, but as we set goals for ourselves, are focused on reaching a number more than helping ourselves be better? For example, Sometimes we hear "I want to lose 40 pounds this year", are we too focused on the "40" than the fact that reaching this goal will help us be healthier? When we set goals, set them to become, rather than to reach. I apologize if this is confusing, something just make more sense in your own head, but I invite each of you to set meaningful goals, goals that take you somewhere better, that have long lasting impact, not just on yourself, but others.
Again, this transfer will be a busy one, but I'm happy an excited for it!
Mahal ko kayo!
Elder Trevor Kent Johnson (The Weirdest Missionary You Know)