Blossoming Testimonies

November 22, 2010

 I am starting up running in the morning again.  We haven't been running ever since we got sick.  It is so hard to get back into it.  

 

This week we are having Turkey Bowl in our mission!  Zone against zone.  Last year, I didn't participate because my companion didn't want to.  We are going to win this year though.

 

This week we had our baptism for Adesa.  She is the 17 year-old foster kid living in our ward.  It was really fun.  The whole youth turned out for the baptism and there were at least 2 non-members there.  Elder Boyce and I recited the first lesson.  It was good and the Spirit was there.  Her grandparents and her Mom and her Aunt were all able to come so that was very nice.  It was good to see all of her family come together.  A couple days before the baptism, she was telling us about all her family problems and how she was nervous because her Mom is just barely getting back into church and her grandparents are just barely starting to give her attention now that she is making a decision that they approve of.  She has a lot of hurt held up inside about her past experiences with her family.  She knows everything is true and she wants her family to accept it too, but she is afraid that all of their "happiness" for her is superficial.  I felt that I should tell her about when I learned to stop being "superficial" in my testimony of the Gospel.  I told her that growing up (and into my teenage years), almost every night, I would go into Mom's room to ask some kind of question or to just talk to her.  Almost every time I would find her either praying or reading her scriptures.  How consistent!!  I knew that there must be something more that I was lacking and that is when I started growing my deep personal testimony of the Gospel.  I told her that she could be that example for her family.  She could have that powerful effect on her family if she simply was faithful and consistent in doing the things she knew to be right.  I think she has the strength to do it.  Wow!  What an amazing girl. 

All my investigators inspire me to do better.  It is true that there are people out there that are hungering and thirsting.  I've seen it.  All we do is teach people how to dig their own "well of salvation".  We teach them how to plant their own "tree springing up unto everlasting life" which tree bears fruit "most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst".  Then we are spiritually self-sufficient, because we have planted and nourished and eaten of the fruit of our own faith.  They say "testimonies blossom" for a reason.  Because our testimonies bear fruit if we nourish them.  Then we can give the seeds of our fruit to others so they can plant and nourish and bear their own fruit.  Alma's analogy is wonderfully true.

 

I love you all.  I'm so thankful for my opportunity to serve.  I hope that my service really is blessing you like I've been promised all these years that it would.  I try to do better every day.  Thank you all for your support.

-Elder Blakemore