:D

Monday, December 23, 2019 10:34 AM MST

This week we scheduled another baptism for the 4th of January!  We're baptizing Fr. Marc.  A few weeks ago he stopped us in the street and asked us who we were and what we do.  He said he was trying out many churches and looking for the right one.  We happily started teaching him and now he's getting baptized!  He was telling us he's seen some missionaries and people like us before, but he's never stopped them before.  But he told us that day he had a strong feeling to stop us.  I know God has been preparing this man.  We were teaching him the plan of salvation, and he was so happy to know that baptism will help him qualify for eternal life.  The mission is good!

We continue to find good new amis each week too.  I know God is working right along side with them and helping us with His work here.  We had 5 people come to church this Sunday, 3 for the first time and the 2 others are getting baptized.  I'm so happy to keep working with these people and to see them take the steps necessary to deepen their faith in Jesus Christ.  I know the Lord is blessing us and blessing these people.  And with the success we're seeing, it's just making me want to work harder and be more obedient to help more and more people.  It's an exciting time here in Adidigome.

There's a quote from the book The Other Side of Heaven that I really like a lot and has really changed my perspective on certain things.  It says, "I have learned that some of life's sweetest experiences come from doing things that may not seem logical but that by faith you know are right, and then over time watching the justifications and blessings come rolling in."  Sometimes I feel like faith is an abstract thing that can be hard to understand.  But this really simplifies it for me and helps me to use faith in my life.  Sometimes we can rationalize not doing something that we know we're supposed to do because of the circumstances that we're in.  We can rationalize not doing it because it doesn't make sense.  But if it always made sense to keep the commandments, would that require any faith?  

Sometimes it makes zero sense to keep a commandment, but I think that's so cool because it's an opportunity to show our faith.  And even it it makes no sense, everything will turn out alright, but God won't let us fall.  So have faith, even if it makes no sense, because that's the real faith.

I'm having lots of people worried about how I'm doing, being here for Christmas, and I just want to let you know I'm doing good.  I kept waiting for the homesickness to kick in but now Christmas is suddenly in 2 days and I'm still doing well so I think I'll be fine.  So don't anyone worry about me just let loose, enjoy the time with the family, and remember all the awesomeness stuff our Savior did for us.  Love you all and have a Merry Christmas!!

Elder Goddard