Belfast and The Love of God

At least the horses will talk to me....

Hey Elder!  No kissing on your mission!!  

This week was fun, I'm still sick. I have tonsillitis and have to go to the doctors, pretty fun huh? Well this week I went on exchanges with Elder Reeder From South Africa in Johannesburg. He is funny.  He always says "eat your hair" with a African accent.  It’s hilarious. We tracted the whole day and we chapped into this guy with an English accent who looked and sounded like Shaun Connery, it was funny.  

Countryside near Omagh

Elder Penman, Elder Smiler....biking it!

Elder Penman, Elder Smiler Omagh countryside

Omagh Countryside

Belfast

Belfast

Belfast

In the morning, we rode a bus to Belfast and walked 5 miles to the church for Zone interview training. It was cool to walk down Holywood Road. On Holywood road you can see where the Titanic was built and all of these murals for the Catholic and Protestant rivalry.  It’s crazy stuff. We stayed the night in The Holywood Elders flat for stake conference. During the day, Elder Smiler and I went on exchanges with Rosetta area, Elders Utley and Crittenden. I went with Elder Utley to a park where we GQ'd for a few hours. We found this single mom that loved how families can be together forever so they will be seeing her in a week. We are doubling our prayers in our mission so we decided to thank God for letting us meet her. Later we saw a lady staring at us so we talked to her and she just unloaded her life story and all her concerns on us. We talked about the Book of Mormon and asked if she wanted us to give her one next week. She paused and said "well...nah... That would be fine." It was so amazing to see the Lord soften her heart. We said another prayer and thanked again and asked to meet another person that will receive the gospel. We later ran into an African lady and told her about Joseph Smith and how prophets are on the earth like they were in The Bible. She loved that and wanted to meet on Sunday. We said another prayer of thanks. We later talked to an atheist and helped him understand God a little more and invited him to ask if he was there. He said He would think about it. We thanked God again and then went to stake conference.

Belfast

Belfast

 
Stake conference was amazing. Elder Liamer from the Area Seventy spoke about member missionary work. It was amazing!!! We heard from President Brown and from the Preston Temple president. We also watched a video of Elder Henry B Eyring when he spoke in the Vatican about families. It was amazing. That night we stayed in the Zone leaders Flat. Elder Benesch-who trained me and Elder Nordfores-who trained Elder Longman. The Sunday session was just as good.

Well, I don't have too much to say so I’ll just share some more of my studies in Nephi 11. I love Nephi 11 It is amazing. This week I was able to understand that which is most precious above all things in my life. In Nephi’s vision, He sees the mother of Jesus and then he sees Jesus. In verse 21, the angel asks Nephi if he understands the tree of life. Nephi answers and is very excited. In verse 22, the answer Nephi gives about the tree made the whole room I was in fill with the spirit.

And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

The love of God is Jesus, because God soooo loved the world He gave His Only Begotten Son.  Jesus Christ shed Blood and felt our pains and afflictions and sins, so we could freely be forgiven. He gave that to us because He knows and loves us all so individually   So on the strait (not straight) path we will fall because it is so small. In Lehi’s dream in 1 Nephi 8:10 it talks about fruit and how its desirable, so as a child I wanted to eat this fruit because it was described to make you happy when you eat it. But as I read in Nephi 11,  I realized I can partake of this fruit now and I can do it over and over if I let the Atonement cleanse me and change me. I truly realized how much I took the atonement for granted and all that Jesus did for me and all of us so willingly. It was given freely for me so I can have eternal joy!! There is sooo much more I can and have learned from Nephi 11 that I won’t share because that will take away all your fun of finding these small but amazing things! The most joyous things!  So you should all read it because these words have so much more power when you read it from the Book of Mormon.

I love all of you sooooo much.

Elder Penman