FOOD & FISHING - fun pictures from a member in Texas

GOOD COUNTRY FOOD

FISHERMEN

Week #17 - "LEAD ME, GUIDE ME, WALK BESIDE ME"

Happy Monday y'all!  

This week made me grow so much and depend even more on my Savior.  Thank you all for the birthday wishes!!! I super appreciated it and had a super good birthday!! Sorry for accidentally sending out an email on Thursday night.  I was writing down my notes from institute and somehow it sent. 

One of the coolest things about being on a mission is you realize that you get strength from Heavenly Father.  There is not anywhere else to get that Strength to keep going.  There have been countless times where I have felt small and weak but I have knelt down and prayed for strength and Heavenly Father has blessed me with it.  Ask for it and we can receive it! 

I also saw a quote this week that made me understand our job more on this earth and how we can tackle any problems that we have.  It said "Pray as if everything depends on the Lord, and work as if everything depends on you."  In order to progress in this life, we have to pray and put everything on the Lord, but then work as hard as we can so we can accomplish them with His help.  He won't just give us everything, but will bless our efforts. 

Another one of the coolest parts of being on a mission is you get to experience growth spells in your life.  This week I had someone ask me, "For someone to understand you, what do they really need to know?"  It made me stop and think.  I then realized that to really understand me, they had to understand my growth spells, or times in my life that I have felt and done the most growth.  I can think of multiple times and parts of my life that I have seen myself grow. Missions are so awesome because you are constantly changing and growing.  It might be hard sometimes but as I set goals for myself and work on changing little things I can see big pictures and things start to happen.  I feel so blessed to have a God that allows us to grow y'all. 

This week I have felt more and more spiritual discernment.  On campus it is kinda hard to pick which people to talk to when there are so many.  We rely on the spirit so much to help guide and show us who needs the message the most.  This week I have four instances where I felt the spirit tell me to go and stop someone.  So I went and started talking to them, and as I did all 4 of them wanted to learn more and are now investagators.  There are people out there who need this gospel to brighten their lives and the spirit will bring us to them. 

I'm sorry for overloading quotes but I heard another one this week during study that really stood out to me. "It isn't the sun that makes us grow, but the rain that makes us grow."  Trials make us stronger and without them we have no way of growing.  Life is hard, but without trials we wouldn't go anywhere.  God is so good. 

I'm almost done with reading the Book of Mormon and read Mormon 7 this week.  It is a short and to the point chapter.  It tells us exactly what we need to do to be saved.  I love it.  I love how the Book of Mormon tells us clearly and precisely what we need to do for Salvation. 

My last quote and uplifting message for the week is from Elder Jeffery R. Holland from his April 2003 conference talk. He said, “Our heavenly Father is more liberal in His views, and boundless in His mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive. … God does not look on sin with [the least degree of] allowance, but … the nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs.” The closer we try to get to Jesus Christ, the more we see people the way he sees them.  We need to always try to come closer to him and see others the way he does.  As we want to come closer to Christ, we will help bare up their burdens. 

This week was a week of growth for me.  Missions are the best because they really do force you to change to and grow.  I feel extremely blessed to be on a mission.  I know my Savior is walking every step with me and picks me up when I need it.  I love being in Texas. 

Love y'all and God bless. 

- Elder Jarrett Pinster 

Our investigator has a dog and we became best friends!
I almost forgot we were there to teach a lesson.

Elders in the Zone

Elder Tweetie and I listening intently to our ward mission leader
(Check out the BLUE BELL ICE CREAM!!!)