Unshaken

This week went by really fast but it was a little slower in terms of lessons and finding. 

  We went on exchanges with the Arabic2 Elders, they are pretty awesome Elders. I Had the opportunity to go to the Arabic Area with Elder Al. For most the day I had no idea what was going on, yet it was still super enjoyable and I learned how to say Jehovah witness in Arabic because that is who the Arab people think we are no matter how much to tell them you are not. 

Also right as we parted ways after we Exchanged Elder Al and I got a call from some Elder in our district that had just sliced his thumb wide open and need to go to the hospital asap. So we raced to pick them up and took them to the hospital at 9:30. After about 15 mins of sitting In the ER the Elder walks out with a bandaid... turns out it was a glorified paper cut that cost $1500 

Poor Elder the mission will never let it down. 

We had stake conference this week in the El Cajon stake. And all the missionaries in the stake found out that we were singing with the stake primary choir.... the day before the conference it was a very unique experience singing "I am a child of God" and "a child's prayer" with the primary.

Also I talked to Elder Smith last week and he told me that he can't walk for 12 weeks... so probably is going to be out of the mission for longer than two transfers.

I have been thinking about Jacob 6:4 for the last few days 

6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

What a blessing that we have modern prophets that lead and give counsel to us specifically for our day. And the promise in this scripture is what is so powerful, as we search the prophets and have this revelations (spirit baring witness) our faith becomes the un shaken. 

In world with so much turmoil and commotion I often wonder if my faith is sufficient? And how can I make it unshaken... well this scripture was my answer and I hope it is an answer to you.

Love Elder Palmer 

Valiant Discipleship

Happy Mothers Day! Just want to say thank you to all the women that have helped shape me and especially thankful for the mother that created me ;D 

This week we had the opportunity to go to one of the little podunk towns in our area "jacumba" where we met up with some spanish Elders so that we could split up and track out the whole town. Well the town was a little bigger than we though so we didn't get through it all but we did find some people that have some potential. A lot of flat earthers to and just about every other conspiracy theorist to. 

The people there were generally pretty nice because they don't get very many visitors knocking on their door so they are asking us the question which makes for good conversation. 

While we were out there Elder Martin and I were talking to to this spanish lady that was telling us about the town and it history. (Maybe there will be more info on wiki) but basically in the 60s and 70s it was a pop in town that all the hippies and druggies partied at the woman compared it to Sodom and Gomorra. Anyways it was a blast tracking there was so much fun there was always another crazy story behind every door. 

I also had the opportunity to conduct a baptism interview for a man preparing to be baptized his name is Martin and the sawhill Elders had been working with him. So when I show up to the apartment we realize that Martin spoke zero english.

He had only been in the states for 4 months. It was a super interesting experience as I interviewed him one of the swahili Elder Tshibindi translated our conversation. It was a really amazing opportunity and I am so grateful that I 

had the opportunity to experience that. 

Lately something both Elder Gull and I have been thinking about is how we can never be comfortable with were we are at in our spiritual/eternal progression. 

The moment we settle for average is the moment that the adversary has, in a very real sense, placed us under bondage. 

Elder Pearson sums this up perfectly 

"In the kingdom of God, there is a standard of excellence for exaltation. It requires valiant discipleship! There is no room for average or complacent disciples. Average is the enemy of excellence, and average commitment will prevent you from enduring to the end."

Never be satisfied with you faith.

Love Elder Palmer

With His stripes we are Healed

This week we pretty amazing! Not exactly sure what made it so great but it was awesome it was super fast and Elder Gull and I are having to much fun. and since he has been out for so long he is really good at being a missionary and I have a lot to learn. 

We have been having a lot of success lately working with returning members and every week we get somebody that hasn't been to church in several years. It is really a blessing to be apart of such a marvellous work.

Not sure if you remember the Chalfant family if not...Elder Grenier and I were walking around an apartment complex and started talking to this really tall guy sitting on his steps with a cigarette in his hand. And the first thing he said was "Elders!" Turns put he was a member and loves missionaries but he was not in our records.

 So after many lessons falling through and knocking on on their door to wake them up to get to church (and having them not show up to church)  we stopped teaching them for 2 months... but we stopped by this week and they were super excited to see us. Long story short they finally showed up at church!!!  Sorry it is a long story with but it was truly a tender mercy.

I was reading the story of Abinadi this week in and in Mosiah 14 Abinadi is brought before the King and his priests and while he stands in chains he delivers this powerful phrase. 

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed

We are healed with his stripes and in a very real sense He was whipped by the devil himself in Gethsemane, "we might with surety hope for a better world." 

Love Elder Palmer

Change

So Elder Smith went home broke that ankle as I juked him... not really he was running at the park and slipped and had a pretty bad break. 

I got a video of the broken ankle I might share it Elder Smith's dying words were "make sure everyone sees this" 

Not to sure why it was his dying wish but it was. 

CJ was baptized this this last Saturday and it was an amazing experience to teach him and help him find faith in Christ every step of the way. However setting up the baptism was much less up lifting. Made the mistake of setting it on a Saturday of spring break. So the bishop and his two councillors were out of town and so was the rest of the ward so literally nobody knew about it until Friday. Including the ward mission leader who was supposed to conduct. But eventually we got ahold of people and the ward came to support.

Also transfers this week! I still in Alpine for another transfer making it 6 months. I am with Elder Gull, he is super solid Elder and I'm very excited to serve with him. He has two transfers left in the mission so it will probably only be one transfer with him sadly. It is going to to be an awesome transfer I also had some Old friends that were transferred into my district and zone so life is good right now as a missionary. 

I Love being a missionary, seeing the change in myself and the change in others they seem to always have a smile 

Heartache Happens

This is Elder Palmer's mom.
We did not receive a letter this week, but a phone call. Elder Palmer was busy packing up his companions things as Elder Smith had sadly broken his ankle during a pday game of British Bulldog with lots of missionaries. Elder Smith will be going home for surgery and recovery before he is able to return. Our heart goes out to him and his family.

On a happier note We did get this photo

I'm ready now

Today is not a P-day.

We have two appointments today in the middle of our p-day and we have to do a total of 2 hours of driving...we at least got our laundry done. But we did get to go fishing this morning for some bass so that was fun. Our neighbour actually gave us some fishing poles and tackle and said he would take us out fishing sometime! (Not a member) 

This week was pretty amazing Gods hand is ever present in his work. We are working with a young man that told his good friend that he was being baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ...then his friend continued to drop anti material on him for nearly six hours. 

  I woke up in the morning and saw a text and without reading it I knew exactly what it was... Elder Smith and I dropped all our plans that day and went straight to this young man. We walked out into the forest a few hundred yards to get away from his family that was so excited for him to be baptized. We talked for a long time. He had a lot of questions and needed some answers right there or we would lose him.

   By God's hand and power I had actually studied some of the doctrine regarding some of these question the night before (without knowing) So when he asked we had answers and scriptures to support it. I honestly do not know how Elder Smith and I (two young missionaries) were able to answer all his questions. When we finally answered the endless barrage of questions CJ nodded his head and said "I get it...it is up to me to figure this out for myself, what to I got to do?" 

He came to church on Sunday and when I asked him if he would like to move his date back a week or two he said "no I'm ready now"

You should have seen my face. And more importantly CJ's smile 

I testify that God is a God of Miracles because he is the same yesterday today and forever and his work is not done until the great Jehovah shall say" the work is done"

Love Elder Palmer

"Many Personal Revelations Daily"

General Conference! This was the first conference of my adult life that I didn't fall asleep. It was an amazing experience and it is such a blessing to know that the heavens are open today just like they were thousands of years ago. Had a lot of personal favorites but Elder Mackay was one that really stuck out to me. He talked about how the Lord does not always immediately answer our prayers but he does immediately bless us because of his constant love. I loved the talk because it was a unique idea yet very true. 

So the other day we met this man at the public library and he he was telling us how we are brain washed and apart of a cult, but he thought all organized religion was apart of a cult. Anyways he went on to tell us how he didn't believe Joseph smith because he was "obviously dehydrated and hallucinating from his trek across the desert" not sure where he learned that because that was obviously incorrect. He then told us to watch "south park" a satire cartoon and that it would give us a quick run down of the history of our church. I couldn't contain it anymore I actually started to laugh... which he obviously wasn't a fan of but I couldn't believe that a grown adult actually believed a cartoon. It really made me think about Elder Oaks general conference talk from last October "truth and the plan" how when seeking spiritual truth we should use spiritual and divine methods, not secular sources that claim expertise in a specific subject. Even when  the source is popular or is an expertise in another field claiming to know the answers to a completely different field. 

The sons of Helaman (Nephi and Lehi) were able to stay spiritually strong amiss so much confusion and strife concerning the doctrine of the church

Hel 11:22-23

22 And also they had peace in the seventy and eighth year, save it were a few contentions concerning the points of doctrine which had been laid down by the prophets.

23 And in the seventy and ninth year there began to be much strife. But it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi, and many of their brethren who knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily, therefore they did preach unto the people, insomuch that they did put an end to their strife in that same year

Let's seek to have "many personal revelations daily" and let's do it now "time is running out" 

Love Elder Palmer