So let's see. This past week, last Thursday we had a zone training and everything that could go wrong, did. So that started it off on a fantastic note. I won't go into details but it started off horribly. But it recovered so that was real nice. We took some liberties with the trainings and switched them up a bit. President and Sorella Dibb were at the training because it's the Christmas one. The trainings actually turned out amazing and there was a super powerful spirit there. We talked first about the importance of church attendance and we made it really personal for everyone. Then we talked about Christlike attributes and what gift we want to give to Christ this Christmas season, that is what Christlike attribute we will work on. The whole thing turned out fantastically. It was the best zone training that Anz. Horne and I have ever been too and we really didn't do much, just asked questions to people and followed the Spirit.
Then at the end of the training, we had a little Christmas celebration with hot chocolate, ice cream, waffles, caroling, a Secret Santa, and... Santa and Mrs. Claus themselves... Pictures are at the bottom hahhaa. It was great hahaha. So everything turned out really well luckily.
Everything else was pretty normal. Nothing super special. We've just been passing out tons of pass-along cards about A Savior Is Born and trying to share this message with Brescia. It's going to be fun Skyping with the family in a couple of days. The last Skype before going home... That's weird.
So I've been studying a lot from Elder Neal A. Maxwell's General Conference talks. I've learned countless vital lessons. I just wanted to share a couple with everyone.
In Elder Maxwell's talk entitled Willing to Submit from April 1985, he says,
I love the list at the end, the ways we can gain this meekness to submit to God's will. A lot of times, we aren't completely honest with ourselves. We hide things from ourselves and convince ourselves of false ideas. It's so extremely common. This happens often with the past. Instead of using past experiences to grow, we hide from them. So often throughout the scriptures, we are taught that our experiences are for our good and for our well being. Sometimes we miss out on spiritual growth because we hide our weaknesses, and at times our strengths, from ourselves. We have to be honest with ourselves at all times. That's the first step to change, improvement, and growth.
"Required, in particular, is meekness of mind which recognizes God’s perfect love of us and His omniscience. By acknowledging these reassuring realities and accepting that God desires our full development and true happiness, we are readied even as the learning experiences come. Such meekness requires genuine intellectual honesty, owning up to the learning experiences of the past and listening to the Holy Ghost as he preaches to us from the pulpit of memory."
In Elder Maxwell's talk The Great Plan of The Eternal God, he wisely notes,
"for the faithful, our finest hours are sometimes during or just following our darkest hours."Holy truth. I've seen this come true time and time again in the past year and a half. It's the paradox of the Gospel, that at times, the darkest hours can contemporaneously be our lightest hours because of the growth that comes from it. The city that has been my hardest city in the mission is also my favorite city because how much I grew. It hurt my heart to leave. But I'm so grateful for all the light I gained there.
I hope you're all doing well. Keep up being awesome. I love you all and am grateful for having you in my life.
Do great things today
Anz. Benjamin Guthrie
P.S. We made zucchini boats and stuffed peppers... They were super good.
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