Please Let This Be a Normal Transfer!

January 6, 2020

With President Cox? No way!

Well everyone, it's p day again. And not only that, but this transfer cycle has already come to a close. And if you've paid relatively close attention to these emails, you might remember that my current companion is named Elder Fonnesbeck, and that we have been companions for 3 transfers already, which is a long time for missionaries to stay companions, so a switch up was pretty much inevitable this time. So you may be wondering: What changed? Who left? Who stayed? Do you know who your new companion is? What does he look like? Do you think you'll get along?

These are great questions, and I'll answer them in reverse order.

Yes, I think we'll get along.

He's tall and has blond hair.

I do know who he is.

I stayed.

No one left.

Nothing changed.

That's right, 4 transfers with Elder Fonnesbeck! They said it couldn't be done. They said no one's done it before. They said we were foolish to even hope. But my friends, we have done the impossible here in St. Johns. 

Anyway, it was a good week we had over here. The holidays are over, and so now people have more time to meet with the missionaries! Hooray! 

This week we're going to start teaching some kids. We found them through a lady and her boyfriend which we found through an error on a list of people in one of the wards. Because the list said a lady and her husband lived there, but what the list didn't know was that the lady got a divorce and she didn't even have the same last name anymore and she started dating a different guy. And they were pretty cool people so we kept visiting them every once in a while, and we've had some cool experiences there just kind of building a friendship, but what we didn't know was that the lady had a daughter from a previous marriage who wants to be baptized. And the boyfriend has two daughters from a previous marriage who want to be baptized. And this couple just out of the blue asked us to teach them and help them prepare for baptism! So that's super cool.

Now I'm going to share a scripture without any transition whatsoever:

32 Yea, ^acome unto Christ, and be ^bperfected in him, and ^cdeny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and ^dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be ^eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. 

As you can tell, I definitely typed that out myself from my memory without copy and pasting it from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng

But anyhow, I've seen people "come unto Christ" my whole mission. And none of us are perfect, but throughout our lives, through the Savior's atoning sacrifice and His grace, we are constantly becoming perfected. And I've seen that as well. People's lives change and they become better and better each day as they come unto Christ, and strive to follow Him. And I've seen that for me personally as well. I'm improving and growing every day and that is all possible because of Jesus Christ. And that's simply what repentance is. And we can do it every single day. So if you've messed up on your new years resolutions already, good news, you don't have to wait another year to try again! We have power to change and become better always. That is the gift of repentance through Christ's atonement that we have been given. And I am so grateful for Him, and the power He gives us to be better and happier and closer to our Heavenly Father.

Well, I'll write again next week!

With a considerable amount of sincerity,

~Elder Oswald

P.S. -Pictures

Ephesians 6:11. "Put on the whole armour of God..."

I feel like no other explanation is needed.