The Best Two Years

Hello from Medicine Hat! I hope everyone is doing just great!

This week was a good one! Yesterday we got to see our friend Jim again. I think I've mentioned him in previous emails. We tracted into him quite a while ago, and have met with him a couple of times, but it's been hard to get set appointments with him. Since we saw him last, he's read the first 14 chapters of the Book of Mormon! He says he's enjoyed it so far, and we shared a little more about the Book of Mormon with him. He seems to have a really open mind, and is willing to put in the effort necessary to find out if the message that we share is true. He's great! We have an appointment with him tomorrow, so wish us well! We'll be going over the plan of salvation and answering some of the questions that he had on that.

We had a dinner with the Rushtons in our ward this week, and they invited their friend Nicole to come! She's not a member, but she seems really open to learn more! We had breakfast for dinner (a timeless classic) and then shared a message about overcoming trials through Christ and about the Book of Mormon. She's not very religious in her life, but isn't closed off to the idea. We're going to work through the Rushtons to try and meet with her again!

We had a lessons with Robert this week about the Sabbath day. He had been asking a lot about what keeping the Sabbath day holy means. We had a great discussion with him and used a talk by President Russell M. Nelson called The Sabbath is a Delight. We answered some of his questions and cleared up some concerns. Robert is definitely willing to make changes in his life to be prepared for baptism. It's really cool to see that. He was at sacrament meeting again this week! Now we're just working on getting him to all three hours of church.

As we were coming out of our lesson with Robert, we ran into the lady in charge of the food bank. Apparently she lives just a few doors down from him! We've developed a good relationship with her since our district began volunteering at the food bank each week. We talked to her for a bit, and she mentioned that they could use some help staining a fence at the food bank the next day, so we got to go down and help out with that. We had a great time getting to know some of the other volunteers there as we worked with them!

We also got to have a lesson with Gerald this week. We've really been focusing on the Book of Mormon with him, and challenged him to read with a question in mind so that he can get more out of it. He has been reading more often which is really positive. Helping Gerald out has really helped my own testimony of the Book of Mormon grow. I've really better come to see how it's blessed my life, and as I've been able to share experiences that I've had with him, the spirit is able to reaffirm to me that what I'm saying is true, and that the Book of Mormon really is the word of God. I'm so grateful for the blessing that that Book has been in my life, and how much closer to my Savior it's been able to bring me.

Fun story for the week. There's a part of our area where there's always kids running around outside, and they all know us because we're walking down that street almost every day. Every time we walk by, this one kid yells, "Missionaries!!" and then everyone comes running over. I showed a few of them that little magic trick where I take my thumb off, and now they all call me Magic Thumb. They all asked if they could have my thumb, and I think they got pretty upset when I said no. But I quite like the name Magic Thumb.

So now it's time for the bittersweet part of the email today. Today will be my last weekly email that I send as a missionary. These past couple of years have been absolutely incredible. I'm so grateful for the amazing people that I've had the opportunity to meet. I've loved being a missionary so much! My testimony of the gospel has grown immensely as I've had the opportunity to share it with others. I've seen just how much the gospel can really bless people's lives, and I know that it's true. I've really come to know my Savior, Jesus Christ, during my time in Canada. I've gone through different trials and struggles, that have really brought me to my knees, and given me opportunities to rely on Christ. I know that he's strengthened me, and helped me to bear up my burdens. I've really felt of my Heavenly Father's love as well. I've felt the love that he has for me, and I've also been able to feel, at least a small part, of that love that he has for all of his other children. I've been able to start to see others as God sees them, and that's an amazing feeling. I want to thank everyone that's supported me on my mission, and helped me to grow. I love you all, and it's going to break my heart to leave Canada, but I'll forever be grateful for the time that the Lord has given me to serve! I just want to leave you with my testimony today. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Christ's church restored to the earth, and that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet of God. I know that we still have a prophet on the earth today, and that through him the Lord is able to direct the church. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I've read it, prayed about it, and applied it's teachings to my life. I've felt the spirit witness to me that it is true. I know that God loves his children, and that he has a plan for our lives. I know that part of that plan was sending our Savior Jesus Christ to perform the Atonement for us, and that through Him we can gain forgiveness of our sins, and find strength and healing through trials. I know that he lives today. I'm grateful for the blessings of the gospel in my life, and I know that it's true. I say (or type) these things in the the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love ya'll so much!  I don't go home until next Wednesday, so I'll keep on working hard until then!

Love,

Elder Jaxon Moffitt

Ye are only in the service of your God

Happy Tuesday!

So our mission has officially changed our Pdays from Mondays to Tuesdays. I'm not going to lie, it was a weird experience to not have Pday yesterday. But from now on, emails will come on Tuesdays!

We had a pretty good week. We weren't able to meet with any of our investigators, but we had some good contacts with our potential investigators, and we got to do a lot of service!

We got to help out with a library book sale. They had us moving all of the boxes of books that needed to be sold, and then helping organize them. We were there with a lot of volunteers from the community. It was really fun to meet some of them and get to work with them!

We helped out at the Food Bank again this week. We have a standing appointment every Friday now. We got to talk with some great people there! The Lady in charge of it has been really appreciative of all the help we've given them, and we've formed really good relationships with all of the people there. This time we were just repackaging things, but they just got a new weed wacker, so next week we'll be taking care of the grounds again.

Saturday evening we had an appointment with our investigator Philip, but it fell through. However, Elder Todd and Elder White in another another ward here called to see if we could help with a last minute move. Turns out there were some Non-members moving into Medicine Hat who had gotten some missionaries to help them on the other end that needed help moving in. We were able to go and spend some time moving them. It was just a mom and her kids who had just gone through a pretty rough time, and they had no idea how they were going to get everything moved. Luckily we were able to round up some missionaries to help out! We were able to get everything moved for her, and she was really grateful. It was such a blessing to be able to help out a daughter of God when she was in need. As missionaries, we often wonder whether or not our time is being spent 'Effectively' or whether our service is 'Effective' in helping us fulfill our purpose. As I thought about the experience we had, it made me think of Mosiah 18, when Alma is teaching the people about baptismal covenants. He says,

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

When we're baptized, we promise our Heavenly Father that we're going to bear each other's burdens and help those in need. We have a responsibility to serve each other. We're all son's and daughters of a Heavenly Father, and need to take care of one another. I just feel like we're always being effective disciples of Christ as we keep our covenants to serve those in need.

We're going strong here in the Hat, and looking forward to this next week!

Love ya'll!

Love,

Elder Moffitt