Week 57: To Know HIM Personally

Time is going by way too quickly!  Thanks for the pretty cool pictures this week! Happy to hear everyone is doing well! This past week was really awesome and I have really been enjoying it here with my companion. The people here in Olanchito are just so cool! Don’t know another word for it. Probably the coolest thing is that how everyone says hi is just a "hooooiiiiii!!!! and a whistle". It’s pretty cool. Since we don’t have dinner we have become quite good at making our own food. Now my food skills have expanded for cereal and PB&J making, to pancake and oatmeal making. I can even take the sardines out of the can all by myself!! Since going to the gym I have been feeling so much better with so much more energy. 

Well as for this past week I want to share some experiences with you that I found really amazing. This past week we went and visited an inactive family in our area and when we arrived on Tuesday we found that their parents and quite a bit of their brothers and sisters had moved in with them. In total about 11 new people moved in, 4 of them are men over 18 years old. It was a miracle and we were able to share a message with them. And on Sunday some were able to go to church. 

One of the coolest miracles came yesterday when we showed up to church to have a sister member come up to us and tell us that she invited her friend to come to church and she came with her two boys. So it was really awesome to feel the support of the members here and see them being able to enjoy those blessings. 

We also had a very special experience this past week when we were visiting one of our investigator’s families when the wife asked us if we could go and visit her brother who was almost killed after being robbed a couple hours earlier. As we arrived we found him and his children huddle around crying. The look in his eye was one of gratefulness. He was shocked to have had returned home another day. He told us the experience saying that he was out working in a little town out past Coyoles when on a long stretch of dirt road some men came out with guns telling him to stop. They robbed him of about everything he had and were wanting to kill him. He pleaded with the men telling them that he had a family and after about 15 minutes was let free. He made it home shaken up for sure, but grateful for another day of life. When we arrived he was completely willing to change his life. In that moment in that family all of their priorities changed. They realized in that moment what was most important. It’s amazing how God prepares His children and how He can guide us to them if we are ready and willing. I looked at this family as they were in shock; feeling at peace to know that families can be together forever. Oh how that will bless this family!

This past week I read a story in a little missionary book of stories about two men. The story takes place after the resurrection and they are waiting for an interview. The first man walks in and the interviewer asks him what he thinks of Jesus Christ. The man responds telling all of the things that Christ did in His life, how He established His Church, etc. The interviewer proceeds to ask him what does that mean to him. To which the man continues to responds saying more facts about Jesus life. At the end of the interview the interviewer thanks the man for what he has said and invites him to leave. The second man enters the interview room and upon entering looks at the interviews and drops down on his knees and says, Lord and begins to cry. This story touched me this past week. Even though the first man knew many things about Christ he never came to know him personally. As disciples we must know our Master if we are to follow Him. As John says, in his gospel that during this life we are to know Him, the one and True God. No wonder that the first principle of the gospel is Faith in Jesus Christ. If we are to have faith in Him we must first know Him. I’m so very grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that gives us opportunities to get to know Him, to follow Him, and to be like Him. My study on Christ has really changed my perspective on things. Now the phrase "I believe in Christ" isn’t some catchy phrase that everyone says but something that I believe. I have been so blown away by the love that God has for us and grateful for the opportunity to serve Him. Now the time has been going by really quickly and I only have a little bit of time left to do what the Lord needs me to do!

Well I love you guys and hope you guys can always remember what is the most important in life. Something that has really blessed my life in this past couple of weeks is that I have been studying the life of Christ. That’s something that I invite you guys to do as well. The church has produced all of the videos of Christ life and with other guides to help us understand His life better. I promise you that you will come to know Christ and will have a different view at life. You will be happy and be able to find the strength to push through hard times. You will have an attitude of gratitude and your lives will change. Study Him, Learn about Him. Get to know Him and more importantly, Follow Him.

I love you guys and hope you guys have a great week this week. We dug a bathroom hole this past week because some people here still use outhouses. So pictures are coming your way so don’t go anywhere!

Love Elder Neuberger