Money I have none

Dear Cousin, 

Your going about the Gospel rightly. When I was a young nineteen year old, my companion and I had a dry spell. Earnestly we worked and daily we were rejected. It was one such day that got a call and it was during lunch. I was eager to eat but my companion told me to hold that thought. He ordered me to get on our bikes and follow him. I thought it was so peculiar that we would forgo lunch for a phone call. 

We arrived to a shack of a place that had a dead lawn and old paint and with eagerness knocked on the door. A man with a dirty undershirt and jeans greeted us with a loaded .38 at his side. The expression of joy escaped his face as he asked us to enter. He would explain that he had lost his job, kids and wife and was going to loose his home. The gun was for him to end it all if we had not shown.

For the next two weeks his dirty and uneventful home gained color and his spirit brightened. Because he was a skilled CDL driver he was given a job his first Sunday and an advance on his mortgage. He had a job and was going to keep his home. The gospel gave him above those temporal things knowledge of a Father that was watching over his lost family. He joined the church in two weeks.

Cousin I am reminded of when Peter and John met the begger and they said we have no money but what they did have was the message of the one who heals all (Acts 3:1-11). We missionaries didn't have money but our message brought hope where there was none. The Lord restored his wealth but more than that his hope of a eternal restoration. Don't forget what you teach and share with others. The Lord will make up the difference. 

Again, we pray for you. 

Cousin Nathan.

On Mon, May 22, 2023, 10:26 AM Aurora Smith <aurora.smith@missionary.org> wrote:

Hello dear friends and love ones, 

I'm changing up my weekly email for now on. I'm including a link to a Google photo album where you will be able to see how my week is going every week. My weekly email will now be focused on important updates and a spiritual thought for 'spiritual momentum' to start the week for you guys.😄

Updates this week:

We found another person to teach! She is already coming to church and I can tell she has no idea what is in store for her. 😄 This is amazing because we only have had one other person to teach and she is taking it really slow. She took a step yesterday and came to church!🥳 There are days when I have no idea how we are supposed to stay busy when we have no one else to teach. 

The next update is that I've been trying to talk to random strangers on the street, if I can. They usually try to walk away as fast as they can.😮‍💨 And I have to get over the social fear everytime. BUT! From one of these times we got someone's number. 😃

Last thing, if you ever bear your testimony of the Book of Mormon on Facebook you will definitely get people to comment the good and the bad.😅

Spiritual thought:

The scripture I would say that would describe my week is Alma 31: 34-35. Actually, this would describe my whole mission, but it's too late to change it on my mission plaque. All well. It says:

"O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ. Behold, O Lord their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren again unto thee."

I often wonder if I am always ready to heed a spiritual prompting to bring precious souls, my bretheren, unto Christ. It's the spirit that gives me power and wisdom to do such things. Is it the spirit or just me? Ever wondered that? Well, Elder Bednar says "Stop worrying about it! Be a good boy and a good girl!". You will feel the spirit more as you read the scriptures, pray, and repent DAILY. And when you ask for guidance through prayer, be confident with your first prompting- your first thought, or else logic will rule it out. As long as it is a good thought and follows the teachings of the gospel, it is the spirit. All good things come from God. An important thing to remember is that you GO. It doesn't matter where yet, GET GOING. (1 Ne. 4: 6-7 "and I was led by the spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do...."). God will help you be where you need to be. 

The spirit can be compared to a stop light. Green means yes. Red means no. (You might feel: Clarity, chill, goosebumps, crying, warm hug, anxious, nagging, small voice, or a sudden idea). When you get a yellow light, it means God trusts us, and we act on our best knowledge. The water of the river didn't part until the children of Isreal's feet got wet. And according to the sacrament prayer, the spirit is ALWAYS with us. God loves us, and he wants the best for us. Trust him. Trust yourself and the spirit. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Till next time.👋

Photo album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JK8Akuk6akRVYJWu5