Well Mom you asked if I was sore from service and doing tornado clean up and my answer is 'ohhhhh yes I am'. Woke up this morning and goodness, I could tell that I am way too out of shape. Yesterday and Saturday our zone went up to the Norman area, well Little Axe to be more specific, and help some folk there. We did a lot of tree clean up. Cutting up trees and throwing the limbs and logs into piles that can be burned. Haha my forearms are so cut up it looks like I got in a fight with an alley cat. Don't worry though Mom I've been putting those oils on for it and it's healing up quite nice. And I made sure to put sunscreen on. Anyways, over the two days we got a good 9 hours in of service. Not including travel time. It looks like too that our mission will wrap up our "service mode" in the next week or so, because the relief effort seems to be slowing down. All the big things have been taken care of, and now it's a matter of "what's next" on the owners part. I definitely put those boots to good use though. Haha now I have to lug them around though for the year till next storm season.
Do you guys remember the guy that I've been telling you about that Elder Zerkle and I had a super sketch feeling about. Well I've learned my lesson. Always follow promptings of the spirit. Don't doubt them. You'll be much better listening to the spirit right off the bat. Last night we met with this guy... Again really long story short, (to get the full story you'll have to just wait till I get home, it's just one of those things) turns out he's a missionary from a christian church... that's been meeting with us this entire time to try to convert us. And his mask came off last night at our meeting and boy howdy, it was sad, and funny, but not funny at the same time because that's rude to say it's funny. Like I've been telling you he's been bringing out all this anti info trying to question/prove the church wrong, and we kept coming back to "R., you need to read the Book of Mormon, and ask God if it's true," and he didn't seem to get that. Then he started attacking the Book or Mormon, factually, and kept saying "Well what do you think about that?" And we kept bearing our testimonies that we know it's true, because of the witnesses that we've received by the Spirit. And then we'd asked him if he had faith? And he said, 'Yes'. Heb 11:1 tells us faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We explained that "the evidence of things not seen" is the witness that the Spirit gives us, because of the application of our faith in Jesus Christ. That's why we don't worry about all the facts and questions and conspiracies out there. When faith is applied the Spirit testifies. When he realized he couldn't convert us he got desperate and it went downhill from there. Safe to say we're not meeting with him again.
I'm greatful for the clarity the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ brings us. I know that the Book of Mormon is the evidence that His church has been restored to the earth once again, and I'm greatful for the witnesses I've received from the Spirit. I know it's true. Because of this knowledge I must live it. Thank you for your love and support and examples!! You've been such a strength to me. If I can ever do anything for any of you, please let me know! I'm always willing and ready to help.
Much love,
Elder Traasdahl
This is a picture of a movie theater- post tornado of course.
Driving out to the clean up zones
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