Hey everyone! :)
What can I say? What a week it has been! Well. Actually it was not outstanding in any way. Very few new great spiritual insights. But I guess that comes with growing up in the Gospel (you know how I mean it...). Brother Simon from Institute shared a while ago how that works: When you`re 14 and start Seminary, you`ll just learn so many new things at once that it overwhelms you and that you walk out of class with a smoking head each day. When you get older, the new things you learn become less and less and all you are really adding are perspectives and repetition. This is where we need to work on our personal progression the most. I feel like, though I`m far from knowing everything in the Gospel (and anything, for that matter), this is where I`m at right now. It`s been a long time since someone shared an eye-opening principle with me. BUT I can still learn something each day when I read the scriptures, go to Institute or to Church, or talk about those principles to someone else. :)
Anyways, last night was great and probably the highlight of the week. We got a group together to read the scriptures. I just LOVE doing things like that because I`m so used to studying alone. But in a group, you just multiply what you learn. It`s amazing and there was certainly a great Spirit in our group :) We studied in the Lorenzo Snow manual and talked about unity. But it ended up being a lot more about service in the end. Which, I feel like, is the true essence of unity. If we stand united, it automatically means that we care for each other and that means that we are willing to serve. Makes sense, huh? :)
The greatest insight though is what I got at the end of the night. Our friend Mary, who also happened to be a part of the group, mentioned in a conversation about dating how...well. How it`s not the time for me to date right now. IT IS MY TIME TO SERVE THE LORD. While I knew this was coming somewhere down the road in the near future, I was surprised to really hear that from someone right now. But: How right my friend was! There is usually a lot of talking going on about locking your heart and throwing the key away for two years, and I actually feel like this might be the time for me to do it. And since most girls say no anyways when I ask them on dates, I feel like there won`t be much loss. Oh, and I won`t be one of those Missionaries who build a shrine for their girlfriend either. So that`s good :) Mary also says that I`ll be married within three weeks of coming home. Weird! But I`m definitely accepting applications from the time I`m stepping off that plane in two years haha :)
In other news...I`m meeting my Stake President Wednesday night and he *should* be able to submit my papers. We`ll see! :) I`m so excited :) And I`ll let you know in a timely manner how my interview went. But really, I`m not concerned :)
I know the Church is true! <- That`s my testimony for today haha :) It`s short. But I`m not struggling. Don`t worry haha :)
Tons of love! :)
-- Pascal
Montag, 19. August 2013
Freitag, 9. August 2013
A whole new pillar of reality
Howdy y`all! :)
Though about a day late, I congratulate you all for surviving the "cliff hanger" from last time! I really hope none of the two people who actually follow my blog regularly have died of tension. Even a 50% readership loss would be bad. You know...the whole "worth of souls" thing is getting a new meaning haha :)
However, I will not release the tension all at once. That would be just as bad for you! Therefore, here is a little teaser story:
Last Sunday afternoon, after Church, I traveled down to Roy to visit my host family. Those times are always exciting! I love them so much! :) Not only for the many great things they`ve done for me, but altogether. But this time coming into Roy, I was honestly a little scared. Here is what happened: Two week before, I had also been in Roy, intending to share my Mission plans with the family (which doesn`t have a very positive outlook on organized religion [anymore]). I had them almost set up all the way. I had talked to them for a while, then helped my host dad with the payroll for his daycare, and when we got done I was almost getting ready to invite them out for dinner. Well, I`m not even sure how it happened, but all of a sudden my host dad was talking about the Church and about homosexuality and intolerance and race relations, and though not blindly bashing the Church as less classy people might have done, the Spirit had withdrawn from the room within the fraction of a millisecond. Aaaargh! I could have banged my head against the wall. So I skipped my confession and postponed it for another while.
Then, before the camping trip to Paradise, I e-mailed him if I was allowed to borrow his sleeping bag (which I had done before, and he said I always could. But I still felt like asking). In the same e-mail, I also mentioned that I would love to come back to Roy on the upcoming Sunday to talk about some things. Like, some big things. Which might be a shock for them right now but which would probably benefit them as well in the long run. I didn`t mention my Mission but I figured that they would get the hint...and either accept it or kick me right back out. I knew they usually would never to the latter to anyone but still...there was a subtle fear within me to say the least.
When I got there, my host mom was still upstairs fixing this week`s payroll, and my host dad was downstairs watching golf. He was very happy to see me, greeted me with enthusiasm and said, "Well, so I thought you would be here to tell me about your Mission plans? So, where are you going?" He wasn`t mad or disappointed at all. As I explained the layout for my plan, he just got up and gave me his longest hug ever! :) I was SOOO happy and this was such a relief :) He also told me how happy he was for me, how much he admired my dedication and how excited he was for the adventure ahead of me. :) Oh, and he says that it would be funny if I got called to Hong Kong, because I always emphasized how much I disliked listening to the Cantonese language while sharing my host family with another exchange student from Hong Kong. Haha...well, Heavenly Father would certainly be very humorous if that happened. And I feel like it could. This might be something I need to be taught haha ;)
So, after this wonderful exciting story, let`s get to what you`ve all been waiting for (unless you follow my facebook posts, in which case you already know): Bishop`s interview! Yay! :) The second-to-last step to submitting my papers. And it went great! :) In fact, by the time we had scheduled it to begin we were already done. My ward clerk called me in about 40 minutes early, which I really appreciated. There is not a lot that I feel like sharing from the interview itself because it was actually really technical, although you could cut the Spirit with a knife. We just talked a little bit about how special my role as a convert Missionary would be, how great of an impact I could have on investigators with my background. Then we had the actual worthiness interview, which lasted for about two minutes and then we went over the call process again. In the end, Bishop said that he would recommend me for service, and that he would create my portal account by Sunday. Yay!! :) I should also get my interview with my Stake President scheduled no later than Sunday. I`ll keep you posted! :)
Anyways, going on a Mission has just gotten so much more real to me! I definitely know now with more certainty than ever that it is going to happen, and that it is going to happen SOON :) And I love this feeling :)
Have a wonderful weekend! I gotta take off because I will soon be kicked out of this computer lab. Anyhow, the Church is true! I know it :)
Love :D
-- Pascal
Though about a day late, I congratulate you all for surviving the "cliff hanger" from last time! I really hope none of the two people who actually follow my blog regularly have died of tension. Even a 50% readership loss would be bad. You know...the whole "worth of souls" thing is getting a new meaning haha :)
However, I will not release the tension all at once. That would be just as bad for you! Therefore, here is a little teaser story:
Last Sunday afternoon, after Church, I traveled down to Roy to visit my host family. Those times are always exciting! I love them so much! :) Not only for the many great things they`ve done for me, but altogether. But this time coming into Roy, I was honestly a little scared. Here is what happened: Two week before, I had also been in Roy, intending to share my Mission plans with the family (which doesn`t have a very positive outlook on organized religion [anymore]). I had them almost set up all the way. I had talked to them for a while, then helped my host dad with the payroll for his daycare, and when we got done I was almost getting ready to invite them out for dinner. Well, I`m not even sure how it happened, but all of a sudden my host dad was talking about the Church and about homosexuality and intolerance and race relations, and though not blindly bashing the Church as less classy people might have done, the Spirit had withdrawn from the room within the fraction of a millisecond. Aaaargh! I could have banged my head against the wall. So I skipped my confession and postponed it for another while.
Then, before the camping trip to Paradise, I e-mailed him if I was allowed to borrow his sleeping bag (which I had done before, and he said I always could. But I still felt like asking). In the same e-mail, I also mentioned that I would love to come back to Roy on the upcoming Sunday to talk about some things. Like, some big things. Which might be a shock for them right now but which would probably benefit them as well in the long run. I didn`t mention my Mission but I figured that they would get the hint...and either accept it or kick me right back out. I knew they usually would never to the latter to anyone but still...there was a subtle fear within me to say the least.
When I got there, my host mom was still upstairs fixing this week`s payroll, and my host dad was downstairs watching golf. He was very happy to see me, greeted me with enthusiasm and said, "Well, so I thought you would be here to tell me about your Mission plans? So, where are you going?" He wasn`t mad or disappointed at all. As I explained the layout for my plan, he just got up and gave me his longest hug ever! :) I was SOOO happy and this was such a relief :) He also told me how happy he was for me, how much he admired my dedication and how excited he was for the adventure ahead of me. :) Oh, and he says that it would be funny if I got called to Hong Kong, because I always emphasized how much I disliked listening to the Cantonese language while sharing my host family with another exchange student from Hong Kong. Haha...well, Heavenly Father would certainly be very humorous if that happened. And I feel like it could. This might be something I need to be taught haha ;)
So, after this wonderful exciting story, let`s get to what you`ve all been waiting for (unless you follow my facebook posts, in which case you already know): Bishop`s interview! Yay! :) The second-to-last step to submitting my papers. And it went great! :) In fact, by the time we had scheduled it to begin we were already done. My ward clerk called me in about 40 minutes early, which I really appreciated. There is not a lot that I feel like sharing from the interview itself because it was actually really technical, although you could cut the Spirit with a knife. We just talked a little bit about how special my role as a convert Missionary would be, how great of an impact I could have on investigators with my background. Then we had the actual worthiness interview, which lasted for about two minutes and then we went over the call process again. In the end, Bishop said that he would recommend me for service, and that he would create my portal account by Sunday. Yay!! :) I should also get my interview with my Stake President scheduled no later than Sunday. I`ll keep you posted! :)
Anyways, going on a Mission has just gotten so much more real to me! I definitely know now with more certainty than ever that it is going to happen, and that it is going to happen SOON :) And I love this feeling :)
Have a wonderful weekend! I gotta take off because I will soon be kicked out of this computer lab. Anyhow, the Church is true! I know it :)
Love :D
-- Pascal
Dienstag, 6. August 2013
A week of miracles!
Hey everyone! :)
I would LOVE to write you 104 blog posts titled like this from my Mission and I promise in some ways I will! I`m a little sorry about being late with this, but this past week has not only been miraculous but also really busy.
Guess what? School is almost out! And miracle number 1 here, I`m probably gonna make it without having to pull all-nighters. I wasn`t sure that this was gonna happen but it looks like it! Also, I can see three A`s and one A- approaching. I need exactly full credit for a straight A in my Mass Communication class and I have a paper and an exam left. If I get full credit for both, it will be an A. If not, an A-...so, 3.93 is my most likely GPA, which is AMAZING for me not being really focused while still in Germany. Except I probably won`t get an A in the only class I really need for my major, but that`s ok. :P
Second, now entering the real stuff: I have my Bishop`s interview tomorrow night! So I will be expected to get my clearance to schedule my Stake President`s interview very soon (granted it all works out - It should, but still, prayers would be nice!). I`m two steps away from turning my papers in :) And I can actually see the pre-drawn footsteps in front of me now, so that`s awesome! And very helpful haha :) I love shrinking to-do lists. But actually, the real miracle is the Bishop who will be conducting the interview. It is...Bishop...*tension is rising*...STROMBERG! Yes! I`m getting to stay in the 18th ward with an exception rule! Bishop Stromberg talked to the Stake Presidency about my case and they`re good with me staying. Tender mercy right here! I know the Lord needs me in this ward for one more semester and I`m glad that His anointed servants actually agree with me on that one.
However, as of now my records are still in Germany because they have never been pulled over. In order to remind my clerk in the Bonn ward of the urgency of this transfer (because my interview is tomorrow), I decided to e-mail him. I was really sure it would still be my good friend, Brother W______, but to my surprise, he was released since I moved. The new ward clerk is Brother O_____! There is a really, really neat story about me and the O_____ family because there is an unlikely connection between us. I don`t think I`ve ever told anyone about it so here it comes: A little over a month ago when I was still in Germany, a new family from America moved into my ward. As usually everyone does, I greeted them and asked them where exactly they came from. They told me they were from Georgia, and I was like "Hey! I have a really good Sister Missionary friend serving there right now! Do you by chance know Sister S_____?" I told them that she was very spiritual and had a character sweeter than cotton candy (You gotta know, she was still in her first area, and there are about 800 Missionaries in Georgia right now - Chances for them to know her were SLIM). To my surprise, they said yes! In fact, Sister S_____ had just been at their house for dinner and had even helped them move! :) I was really amazed! The week after, being my last week in my home ward, they took a picture of all of us and sent it to her. I gotta ask sometime if she ever replied to this or if she was just...stunned? haha I`m not sure what I would be! ;) So, that`s me and the O_____s.
Ok, so as I am writing this post, I`m really going back and forth. This is NOT organized, but I`m writing blessings and miracles down as they come to mind. So...remember how I told you a couple weeks ago that I would die and go to Paradise for a couple days? Well, I didn`t quite die, but I still made it to Paradise :) We combined two wards and went there for a camp out. To Paradise in Cache Valley, that is. But it could have totally been the real thing. It was a wonderful feeling to just get away for a couple days :) We had two service projects and a natural waterslide that led straight into a pond we cleaned for one of the projects. So when we were done, we grabbed some tubes and went down the slide, again and again! I probably went like 70 or 80 times. No kidding. By the end of the day I wished there had been a gondola going back to the top :) It was SO much fun :) So much, I forgot something very essential: Putting on sunscreen. At an altitude as high as the Alps or Snowbasin, on a cloudless 95-degree afternoon, for about five hours. That was FATAL. When I went back to the campsite, everyone was looking at me and asked me if I was hurting. I actually realized earlier that I had made a mistake but didn`t quite make up for it because it didn`t hurt immediately. It was maybe five in the afternoon, so I put my clothes back on, played some Apples-to-Apples, ate dinner, played some football, attended a great fireside by a real bonfire with our Bishop`s brother, played some truth-or-truth (truth-or-dare with only the truth option) with some great people I met who turned out to be new in my ward, made some s`mores and went to bed. It was all good, to the surprise of everyone I talked to. Actually, I was spending the night all by myself in a huge tent intended for eight (!) people. William, with whom I had shared this tent the night before, had to go home in the afternoon and my two other friends, Stuart and Kurt, decided it would be a good idea to sleep outside underneath the stars. So I was alone. I`m not sure if this was the worst thing though. It was probably what saved everyone else. About 10 or 15 minutes into the night, I started to feel really warm and at the same time I started getting chills, worse than I`ve ever had them before. I was literally bouncing on and off the ground and had a hard time staying in my sleeping bag. My skin felt like it was on fire but I feel like this cooled off all my internal organs. That`s my theory behind the chills at least. This was going on for maybe half an hour and I felt like I was gonna die, seriously. I was just in total apathy and started hearing voices and having visions (of the bad kind). It was horrible. All of a sudden, I felt a prompting to get out of my tent and walk over to the restroom, in the middle of the night. I tried to put my shoes on but I was shaking so bad that I couldn`t keep them in my hands, so I stayed barefoot. It was also pretty cold by then and I wasn`t sure how I should feel about it. But I went and did. Somehow, I made it all the way there and locked me in for what felt like half an hour, at least. Good thing that no one had to use the restroom...anyhow. I just went there and prayed for a miracle, that someone would find me and help or that those chills would just go away. From one second to the other, and maybe five seconds after the prayer, I was just normal. No more chills, and my skin felt somewhat normal. I couldn`t believe it! I gingerly walked back to my tent and went to sleep, from which I didn`t wake up until the next morning. My feet and shoulder still hurt the next day and my shoulder still does (a little bit when I touch it) but I`ve generally been fine ever since. :) I just know that Heavenly Father is aware of us. We can hurt ourselves through DUMB decisions but when we see our mistake and turn to Him, He will deliver us at His own timing! I`m glad this timing came very soon for me! :) I learned a lot of Gospel lessons that night. I think I`d love to use them all in a talk sometime (Bishop? Are you reading? :) ).
I have a lot more to tell and another really cool Mission-related story to share, but I`ll make it a cliff hanger. I`ll write about it later this week, along with a little note on how the interview went :) I just want to close out with my testimony that I know that Christ lives. There is a God! And He is not just there existing in endless passivity, but He is our Father! We are His children. He loves each of us stronger than we could ever imagine, no matter how far away we are from Him. And He helps us and He wishes for nothing more than to bless us when we keep His commandments. So go and do that and you`ll see! :) His commandments are there to help us. And even if we mess up, we can always turn to Him and He will embrace us again. I know it, because it has happened to me, SO many times before. I cannot wait to bring this message to those who may have never heard about it before, because I know that it can change lives to the better and that this is the way to true and eternal happiness! :)
LOVE you all! :)
-- Pascal
I would LOVE to write you 104 blog posts titled like this from my Mission and I promise in some ways I will! I`m a little sorry about being late with this, but this past week has not only been miraculous but also really busy.
Guess what? School is almost out! And miracle number 1 here, I`m probably gonna make it without having to pull all-nighters. I wasn`t sure that this was gonna happen but it looks like it! Also, I can see three A`s and one A- approaching. I need exactly full credit for a straight A in my Mass Communication class and I have a paper and an exam left. If I get full credit for both, it will be an A. If not, an A-...so, 3.93 is my most likely GPA, which is AMAZING for me not being really focused while still in Germany. Except I probably won`t get an A in the only class I really need for my major, but that`s ok. :P
Second, now entering the real stuff: I have my Bishop`s interview tomorrow night! So I will be expected to get my clearance to schedule my Stake President`s interview very soon (granted it all works out - It should, but still, prayers would be nice!). I`m two steps away from turning my papers in :) And I can actually see the pre-drawn footsteps in front of me now, so that`s awesome! And very helpful haha :) I love shrinking to-do lists. But actually, the real miracle is the Bishop who will be conducting the interview. It is...Bishop...*tension is rising*...STROMBERG! Yes! I`m getting to stay in the 18th ward with an exception rule! Bishop Stromberg talked to the Stake Presidency about my case and they`re good with me staying. Tender mercy right here! I know the Lord needs me in this ward for one more semester and I`m glad that His anointed servants actually agree with me on that one.
However, as of now my records are still in Germany because they have never been pulled over. In order to remind my clerk in the Bonn ward of the urgency of this transfer (because my interview is tomorrow), I decided to e-mail him. I was really sure it would still be my good friend, Brother W______, but to my surprise, he was released since I moved. The new ward clerk is Brother O_____! There is a really, really neat story about me and the O_____ family because there is an unlikely connection between us. I don`t think I`ve ever told anyone about it so here it comes: A little over a month ago when I was still in Germany, a new family from America moved into my ward. As usually everyone does, I greeted them and asked them where exactly they came from. They told me they were from Georgia, and I was like "Hey! I have a really good Sister Missionary friend serving there right now! Do you by chance know Sister S_____?" I told them that she was very spiritual and had a character sweeter than cotton candy (You gotta know, she was still in her first area, and there are about 800 Missionaries in Georgia right now - Chances for them to know her were SLIM). To my surprise, they said yes! In fact, Sister S_____ had just been at their house for dinner and had even helped them move! :) I was really amazed! The week after, being my last week in my home ward, they took a picture of all of us and sent it to her. I gotta ask sometime if she ever replied to this or if she was just...stunned? haha I`m not sure what I would be! ;) So, that`s me and the O_____s.
Ok, so as I am writing this post, I`m really going back and forth. This is NOT organized, but I`m writing blessings and miracles down as they come to mind. So...remember how I told you a couple weeks ago that I would die and go to Paradise for a couple days? Well, I didn`t quite die, but I still made it to Paradise :) We combined two wards and went there for a camp out. To Paradise in Cache Valley, that is. But it could have totally been the real thing. It was a wonderful feeling to just get away for a couple days :) We had two service projects and a natural waterslide that led straight into a pond we cleaned for one of the projects. So when we were done, we grabbed some tubes and went down the slide, again and again! I probably went like 70 or 80 times. No kidding. By the end of the day I wished there had been a gondola going back to the top :) It was SO much fun :) So much, I forgot something very essential: Putting on sunscreen. At an altitude as high as the Alps or Snowbasin, on a cloudless 95-degree afternoon, for about five hours. That was FATAL. When I went back to the campsite, everyone was looking at me and asked me if I was hurting. I actually realized earlier that I had made a mistake but didn`t quite make up for it because it didn`t hurt immediately. It was maybe five in the afternoon, so I put my clothes back on, played some Apples-to-Apples, ate dinner, played some football, attended a great fireside by a real bonfire with our Bishop`s brother, played some truth-or-truth (truth-or-dare with only the truth option) with some great people I met who turned out to be new in my ward, made some s`mores and went to bed. It was all good, to the surprise of everyone I talked to. Actually, I was spending the night all by myself in a huge tent intended for eight (!) people. William, with whom I had shared this tent the night before, had to go home in the afternoon and my two other friends, Stuart and Kurt, decided it would be a good idea to sleep outside underneath the stars. So I was alone. I`m not sure if this was the worst thing though. It was probably what saved everyone else. About 10 or 15 minutes into the night, I started to feel really warm and at the same time I started getting chills, worse than I`ve ever had them before. I was literally bouncing on and off the ground and had a hard time staying in my sleeping bag. My skin felt like it was on fire but I feel like this cooled off all my internal organs. That`s my theory behind the chills at least. This was going on for maybe half an hour and I felt like I was gonna die, seriously. I was just in total apathy and started hearing voices and having visions (of the bad kind). It was horrible. All of a sudden, I felt a prompting to get out of my tent and walk over to the restroom, in the middle of the night. I tried to put my shoes on but I was shaking so bad that I couldn`t keep them in my hands, so I stayed barefoot. It was also pretty cold by then and I wasn`t sure how I should feel about it. But I went and did. Somehow, I made it all the way there and locked me in for what felt like half an hour, at least. Good thing that no one had to use the restroom...anyhow. I just went there and prayed for a miracle, that someone would find me and help or that those chills would just go away. From one second to the other, and maybe five seconds after the prayer, I was just normal. No more chills, and my skin felt somewhat normal. I couldn`t believe it! I gingerly walked back to my tent and went to sleep, from which I didn`t wake up until the next morning. My feet and shoulder still hurt the next day and my shoulder still does (a little bit when I touch it) but I`ve generally been fine ever since. :) I just know that Heavenly Father is aware of us. We can hurt ourselves through DUMB decisions but when we see our mistake and turn to Him, He will deliver us at His own timing! I`m glad this timing came very soon for me! :) I learned a lot of Gospel lessons that night. I think I`d love to use them all in a talk sometime (Bishop? Are you reading? :) ).
I have a lot more to tell and another really cool Mission-related story to share, but I`ll make it a cliff hanger. I`ll write about it later this week, along with a little note on how the interview went :) I just want to close out with my testimony that I know that Christ lives. There is a God! And He is not just there existing in endless passivity, but He is our Father! We are His children. He loves each of us stronger than we could ever imagine, no matter how far away we are from Him. And He helps us and He wishes for nothing more than to bless us when we keep His commandments. So go and do that and you`ll see! :) His commandments are there to help us. And even if we mess up, we can always turn to Him and He will embrace us again. I know it, because it has happened to me, SO many times before. I cannot wait to bring this message to those who may have never heard about it before, because I know that it can change lives to the better and that this is the way to true and eternal happiness! :)
LOVE you all! :)
-- Pascal
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