Simeon and Taylor Swift

Me and Taylor Swift

Well, with the chilly weather, and all, my cold has gotten worse, which is never good, but I have to keep going forward. I will be honest, I was never an inside person, so out I went this week with the cold.  All and hey, I had a blast which was awesome! We got into two arguments which went nowhere.  I did not participate in them because I have had too many on my mission and so all I did was bear my testimony. I felt the Holy Spirit as I did and so I know at least the Lord was there with us.  

While tracting one night we met this young lady who was a little drunk but expressed some desire to learn more about the gospel. At first I did not expect her to even accept a prayer but, as it turns out, she had a lot of things she wanted us to pray for, so we did.  It is just so wonderful to see their faces as you finish and tell them why you are there in the first place.  Hers was excited, so hey, who knows for that little time the alcohol wore off, which was great for us. 

We had a really awesome lesson this week with two sisters who were excited to learn the Lord loves them so much He has given us a Prophet on the earth again.  We were like, “yes, He did.”  Then when we invited them to be baptized the younger of the two girls got very red and even shed a few tears. We asked her why and she replied she was not sure what her mom would say to her being baptized because she is only 11.  I related to her my conversion story and told her to not be afraid for if it is the right thing to do, the Lord will soften her mother's heart so that she will understand.  The minute I finished saying that it was like a huge ball dropped off her shoulders and she became cheerful again! I just find it amazing how the Lord works.  

I know I probably will never stop being amazed.  That’s alright with me!  It is just awesome to see the Holy Ghost in action as he testifies of the truthfulness of the things we share with our fellow brothers and sisters and so there are no complaints from me.

This week I was reading in Jacob chapter 5 and this is what stuck out to me as I read:

70 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few.

71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.

72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.

73 And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof.

Me in my Karen shirt

74 And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like untoone body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning.

75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.

And so We are they who will prepare and keep the Lord's vineyard bearing fruit.  He loves us so much He is willing to do all He can in his power to help us.  So we need to do the same to help our fellow men and as we do we will reap the rewards He has promised us … the most important being Eternal Life with our families.