What am I doing now?

So I had a huge miracle this week... I didn't over eat and die at thanksgiving! I paced myself so well that I had seconds the last dinner of the night. 

It was the first thanksgiving I have not actually prayed for deliverance. 

other than that not to much has happened this week because Elder Magner's leg has pretty much put him out of commission. we sat inside most all of Saturday and Monday.  Elder Magner has doctors appointment tomorrow morning and we think it has something to do with his MCL. but it is pretty serious because he can't sit down or stand without a lot of pain, which makes it really hard to do missionary work when you can't walk....hmm who would have known. Elder Magner is actually really concerned about having to go home so keep him in your prayers please.

I also got the opportunity to go to the temple today and do a session for the first time since I have been here and it was amazing we actually woke up at 4 to go to a 5:30 session with our district. also remember Elder Magner can't sit or stand so he said he had the longest session of his life... the poor guy. 

But one thing that happened this week that will hold dear to my heart for a long time is a dinner appointment we had with a member family. We walked (hobbled) in the house expecting it to be just like any other dinner appointment... but as we sat sat down it became very apparent that we were really needed at this home. the family was going through many trials and faith shaking experiences. so Elder Magner and I bore testimony of the restored gospel encouraged the family and left a blessing on the home with a few tears. 

The adversary is really working hard these days, and since being out here i have heard of more families leaving the church in the last 6 months then I have in my entire short 18 years. One thing we always think though when we see people fall away is "oh that will never be me I will never fall away" but what you should be asking yourself is what am I doing RIGHT NOW so I don't fall away???  I take time every week to think what I am Doing to stay in the church? my invite to you all is to take a second and prayerfully consider what am i Doing NOW to stay in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ? then when you feel prompted to do something better. ACT.

 I just want you all to know that the devil is real even though the world says there is none. 

2Nephi 28:22

22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

Love Elder Palmer

Discomfort is the catalyst to growth

and thus ended the the first week of the third transfer in the rein of Stubbs.

Also I have grown up in the the Raymond 7th ward my entire life and the 3 months I leave we get a convert baptism... sad i can't be there to see it.

make sure Branson takes her on dates when she is 16. 

so with Elder Maughan gone now i have to takeover the area... when Elder Magner got here he looked at the area book that shows our area, and the first thing he said was "wow now i know why missionaries go crazy in this area" haha basically the area i'm in is renowned through the mission for being an extremely challenging area 

So this up coming week is thanksgiving and we have had 8 offers to have us over for dinner... we had to say no to a couple otherwise I would eat more food in a day then my actual body weight. but we are having dinner with the Tollestrups the Bratts and the Goshes. please send prayers my way that I don't die from over eating and hopefully i can be forgiven for the gluttony and my indulgence in the vain things of this world...thanks giving dinner.

But this last Friday we had six appointments set up! and every single one fell through...  kinda a bummer but we rescheduled the appointments for another day. 

It has been kinda a slow week for me because I realized that without Elder Maughan I have no idea what I'm doing. but Elder Magner is awesome because he loves/lets me crash and burn sometimes on the street which is super helpful because I it makes me uncomfortable but discomfort is the catalyst to growth. So I really enjoy it. Elder Magner and I get along really well! and we are always talking. like we wake up talking to each other and fall asleep talking to each other it is pretty fun and it helps pass time. 

Actually this week we found a couple more people on the street to follow up on so we are pretty excited about that. One man is from Iran that has been put in jail and um beat for his beliefs in christ. he is a super nice guy so we are hoping to get a chance to visit him this weekend. he actually asked us to come by before we could even ask if we could come by. we also met a Vietnam war vet that lost his leg in nam and he started telling us stories without us even asking and... wow this man has seen a lot and all we could do was testify that there is life after death and tell him how people that never had the opportunity to accept the restored gospel will have the opportunity in the next life. this was fascinating to him so we set up an appointment with him as well!

i was reading in Alma 36 about Alma's conversion story from his own experience verses11-21 and you all should study this chapter it is super good and chapter 37. but my favourite part of this chapter is verse 15 Alma doesn't feel worthy to live and he doesn't feel worthy to die. but through the atonement of Jesus Christ he feels a more exquisite joy then any amount of pain and misery he had felt. keep in mind that he literally didn't want to exist. you have to get to rock bottom to wish you never lived.

but through the atonement of Christ all things can be healed and our joy and peace will forever overcome our griefs and pains.

love Elder Palmer

p.s. it is starting to get cold here! I had to by a sweater even burr 

Short and Sweet

Transfers!!  Elder Maughan has been transferred to Imperial Beach...basically the bottom corner of the USA.

I am staying in Del Sur and Elder Magner has been transferred here. He is a really cool guy. He has been out for 15 months and knows a thing or two about missionary work. He is a pretty letter of the law guy which I really appreciate! He is actually from the same home stake in Michigan as Elder Maughan but they never knew each other because Elder Magner is 26 years old. yes he is 8 years older than me. But this is going to be a fun transfer i feel like we will mesh well. 

Also this transfer is only 5 week so it is going to blow by. but the next transfer is 7 weeks. they are shortening this transfer so that missionaries can get home in time for Christmas. 

This last week we taught Micheal! he is progressing well he just decided he need to know both sides of the story of the Book of Mormon, and looked up some anti stuff but we were able to answer his questions about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. but we are excited for him because he is progressing.

I can't write much today since I am short on time.

love Elder Palmer

Cheerfully

So this week was Halloween and it was one of the most boring days. We had to be in by 6:00 so we came back to the apartment and just chilled and did some extra studies. It didn't feel like halloween at all and it was kinda weird because I realized it is just a pagan holiday that has no point. 

So something that happened this week that was a really amazing experience was, we got to give three priesthood blessings to three people not of our faith. So on Saturday we got a referral from a missionary chat centre in Colorado (the missionaries that answer questions online). So what happened was a member referred her friend (Dushanka) because they were having a family crisis and wanted a priesthood blessing. So we went over there with our ward mission leader and gave three of the family members a blessing.

It was a really cool experience, they are part of a non denomination christian church that unites all "true" religions, they are super spiritual and are very welcoming. She did flat out say how she would never join our church but that she loves all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. towards the end of the visit I felt like i should share a scripture with them. They were more than happy to hear me share a scripture but when I said it was from the Doctrine and Covenants they all looked a little sceptical, I continued though and explained how the Doctrine and Covenants came to be. then I shared Doctrine and Covenants 123:17 "therefore, dearly beloved brethren let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power, than may we stand still with the utmost assurance to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." the second I read it I was greeted with a load AMEN! by everyone in the house. Then they couldn't stop talking about how it was so true! they especially loved how it said Cheerfully (even though they had plenty of reason to be upset and angry). but one thing that really stuck out to me during that visit was when Brother Grey (the ward mission leader) said

"to often we all focus on the differences of our beliefs and traditions, but we should all focus on our similarities, such as Jesus Christ is the only name under heaven were by man can be saved, He died for us, and we all are striving to live better more christ like lives with more charity, integrity, patience and virtue because of Christ perfect example"

When he said that I felt kinda guilty because I am guilty of focusing on the differing beliefs but since being on my mission i have tried to learn what others believe... and yes there are some differences in the details but we all are trying to come closer to Jesus Christ and many are seeing the changing times. 

one kinda funny story quick!

so on Saturday were playing basket ball with our district and some kids that weren't members. as we are in the middle of the game we noticed that "if you could hie to Kolob" was playing in the background as we were running around the court. 

so we stopped and looked around to find an Elder sitting off in the corner of the gym playing his ocarina (look it up it is pretty much a flute/ recorder thing). So we kept playing a intense game of Basketball with hymns playing in the background for about and hour haha. maybe you just had to be there but I could hardly play basketball because I kept giggling like a hyena.

Transfers are on the 13th so it will be interesting to see what happens. Elder Maughan will probably get transferred out since he has been here for 4 transfers already and i will stay for one or two more!

So in my personal study i was reading in Alma 15. and in verse 16 i noticed how it said Amulek left everything he had for the gospel of Jesus Christ, He was even rejected by his friends and family. In verse 18 Alma then takes Amulek in to his "Own house" and ministers to him. I just thought it was interesting how in chapter 8 Amulek takes Alma in to his own home when Alma is having a rough go and then in Chapter 15 when Amulek is having a rough go Alma takes him into his own house. I just shows what we should be doing to each other as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Elder Palmer