Hello Everyone!!
This has been another one of those life changing weeks where you look back, and not in a prideful sense of looking back but you see that you have grown. What a good week! Perhaps rather, as the old saying goes "time flies when you're having fun"
We left the blessed land of Liverpool last Monday night and we arrived in Manchester. When you are on the Isle of Man as missionaries you become a commodity, a trading chip or a bargaining value. Well, it is great because in essence, that's who we should be just mere vessels to carry the spirit wherever, whenever even in whatever we do. So we decided Manchester would be great, you gain a sense of accomplishment when you realise that you are a missionary that "can be put anywhere" some missionaries just aren't meant to be used in some areas, but the best missionary is a missionary that the mission president can say "I can put him/ her anywhere and they will go and do great things"
On Tuesday we climbed/ hiked Mount Snowden, it was so intense, I was sore for three days afterwards, we did it as a mission activity, I have some great pictures but unfortunately I forgot my USB lead between my camera and the computer so, soon I promise! It was tough, I would have been able to do it before my mission with great ease, I would have been able to run all the way up perhaps, but we took the longest and hardest path and sometimes I even stumbled and had to take a break. But it was all worth it, at the top I felt like my legs would just give in and stop working, it was a moment in my life where I faced a physical mountain and I really had to pray, a quote comes to mind "when you can't stand, kneel." When times are tough and we can't see the top, pray, because God knows all and he can help. I'm very happy to say I made it down. It was heartbreaking at times, the top of the Mountain was just clouded over, it was higher than the clouds, we couldn't see it, but we had to believe it was there because any step taken without faith in "the top" would be a step towards insanity. To add to the situation, I didn't have my asthema inhaler, Elder Sutton and I forgot to bring food and because of the Situation I did something I never do, I forgot my wallet.
Prayer is the souls sincere desire, when we hear of the line "enticings of the Holy Spirit" the Holy Ghost is proactively using his influence to try and stir out hearts to rememberance, to remember God, to remember why and ultimately to remember to pray. Prayer I've never before realised was so important, I knew it was important, but how important, I did not know. I can testify of the reality that it really is such a sacred and special bond we have, I would go as far to even say that Prayer is a Privilage, God could have thrown us into the world to try and figure it out on our own, we would have definately had to have learnt the hard way, but he loves us and wants to talk to us, he wants to hear us and so we should pray. Strangely enough, I didn't need my asthema inhaler, food was given to us by random people who had acted on the promptings they received and I didn't even need my wallet! The lord does provide. I'll tell you what made it all the best though, for me it was a type for the Celestial Kingdom in a very different sense, we were litterally and physically above the clouds and when we got there, the view was absolutely amazing, in a very personable way Heavenly Father spoke to my soul, as I looked what I had climbed, what I had trialed through, the walk of affliction in a mortal state, and even though at the Top I was still sore, like Alma says:" Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."
I'll call it the "I made it" feeling, I love reflecting thinking about what I have achieved, and at a greater height at the top of Mount Snowden what I still will achieve. Forgive me if it sounds cheesy but, Climbing physical mountains gave me a greater understanding of how we need to climb spiritual ones.
I've learnt something recently as a missionary, to pray ALWAYS, before we leave the car, before we leave the flat, before we sleep, when we wake up, even when I my investigators have any questions, I will stop and pause and pray in my heart, before we can do anything we have to pray, if we try and do it any other way, it is our own way and not Gods way, so rely on him for help.
Wednesday was another trek back to the Isle of Man, it was so intense, this time we moved to Manchester to just out of Manchester in Macclesfield (close to Sheffield, ish) Where we got back to the flat at 12 midnight and woke up at 4am, to get places (again) the life of a missionary isn't easy, but I'm telling you, self mastery wasn't easier.
This week we have been so blessed on the Isle of Man, we have taught a grand total of 15 lessons from Wednesday evening - Sunday, we were the second highest in the Zone and perhaps the highest if we were back on the Isle of Man earlier, so life is radiating gratitude right now, because things could not be better!
I love teaching and we are doing a lot of that, this week we even had 4 on the spot lessons! God is guiding this work, because if I said it was all me, I would be telling the biggest lie in the world. We have so many new investigators and next week we are going to be getting a lot of new ones aswell! I've said this before but I'll say it again "I hope Heaven has the internet because at the rate we are going the Isle of Man is going to be translated"
Love You all!
Elder Sapaden
"Quocunque Jeceris Stabit"
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