This past week, we have been in Trinidad for Senior Missionary Conference. While there, we were instructed and fed a spiritual feast, not only by President and Sister Mehr, but by many of our missionary friends. Some of the remarks by our Mission President reminded us of a talk given by Henry B. Eyring in 2007 where he asked the question "Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us today?" We were so happy for the reminder to look for, and record, those moments for our posterity.
(Pres. Mehr and Elder Linton)
As we purposefully ponder the events of each day, evidence of how God has touched our lives during the busy moments of the day is made clear. Trying to remember will allow God to show us what He has done.
Gratitude will begin to grow in our hearts.....and confidence that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance---even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened. These experiences help us recognize and remember God's kindness.
(Moore, Bird, Carter, Thompson)
We sometimes are tempted to forget the source of our blessings. It is easy to feel that the blessings in our lives come by our own powers, but this is a mistake. God prospers us and we should acknowledge His hand in our lives. Sadly, prosperity is not the only reason people forget God. It can also be hard to remember Him when our lives go badly. When we struggle, as so many do, in grinding poverty or when our enemies prevail against us or when sickness is not healed, the enemy of our souls can send his evil message that there is no God or that if He exists, He does not care about us. Then it can be hard for the Holy Ghost to bring to our remembrance the lifetime of blessings the Lord has given us from our infancy and in the midst of distress.
(Sister Surujbhan, Linton, Thompson)
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:25-26
The key to remembering is receiving the Holy Ghost as a companion. It is the Holy Ghost who helps us see what God has done for us. It is the Holy Ghost who can help those we serve to see what God has done for them.
It is the Holy Ghost who testifies that Jesus Christ is the Beloved Son of a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to have eternal life with Him in families. With even the beginning of that testimony, we feel a desire to serve Him and to keep His commandments. When we persist in doing that, we receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost to give us power in our service. We come to see the hand of God more clearly, so clearly that in time we not only remember Him, but we come to love Him and, through the power of the Atonement, become more like Him.
(Colin and Vonella Goodluck)
You might ask, "But how does this process get started in someone who knows nothing about God and claims no memory of spiritual experiences at all?" Everyone has had spiritual experiences that they may not have recognized. Every person, upon entering the world, is given the Spirit of Christ.
"For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny Him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him....
Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ." Moroni 7: 16-17, 19
The spirit of Christ, from our childhood, invites us to do good and warns against evil. We all have memories of those experiences, even if we did not recognize their source. That memory of the Spirit of Christ will soften hearts and allow the Holy Ghost to testify of Divine truths. This will lead to keeping the commandments and taking upon us the name of the Savior. We take the name of the Savior upon us by being baptized and confirmed into His church. As we hear the words in confirmation "Receive the Holy Ghost" spoken by an authorized servant of God, the power to always remember God will be increased.
(Thompson, Goodluck, Bateman, Bird)
We testify to you that the warm feelings you have had, or will have, as you listen to or see truth being spoken in word or deed, are from the Holy Ghost. The Savior who promised that the Holy Ghost would come, is the beloved, glorified Son of our Heavenly Father.
(Smith, Bateman, Mehr)
Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the question: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? We will do that. And then we will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that we, and those that we love will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him. We testify that He loves and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized.
The mission hired 2 buses to take us to Grande Riviere, on the northeast side of the island of Trinidad, to see the giant leatherback turtles.
Surujbhan, Smith
Our cute little cottage at the Acajou Hotel, Grande Riviere, Trinidad
Our local friend, Abdul. It was good to see him again. He's been in the hospital, so we're glad he's still around.
And we are back! We immediately met the Sisters for BUILD A BURGER FRIDAY!
Get that cookie in there!!!!!
TaDa!!!!!
OK, this is everybody glued to Elder Dohrman's proposal surprise to his girlfriend, Corynn, back home in Washington. Hope you are enjoying this Nick and Corynn!!!!!
We spent much of the day on Sunday with Bob and Raylene Bush, who used to be missionaries in Grenada. They were able to visit with several of the Branch members while here on the island. It was so good to finally meet them.
The best part about coming back home to Grenada, after being gone for 8 days, was the box from some of our family in Utah. They sent us all sorts of surprises and wonderful notes, which we promptly placed on the wall!!! Love our family!
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