Week 19; 🍫

Photo Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QuW5JQQJL6emqhb68 Wow what a week, we had transfers this week and a lot happened. I finally left johnstown!! After three transfers I am now in the beautiful area of Hershey. So I have three companions this transfer. I was originally put with Elder Jacobson and was with him for a day but a last minute transfer happened and so I was put with Elder Loftus, but another emergency transfer happened and so I am going to be put with Elder McCurdy who I'll be with on Tuesday for the transfer. Hershey is a beautiful area and the ward is amazing. We are undergoing a lot of boundary changes and so we will not have church next Sunday and we will be meeting at a high school to discuss the changes. We have two elders opening up a new area called the Hummelstown area which is in our area. Hershey is already a really small area and it's getting cut almost in half. I've been so used to Johnstown and it's huge area span and so many people to stop by, but I have to prioritize my time differently in Hershey. They have the wonderful Hershey Park which is closed until the spring unfortunately, and of course the Hershey Chocolate World. Whitewashing her she has been so fun because we're both new in the area and trying to figure everything out and we don't know anyone. The Lord is absolutely blessed, it reminds me a lot of a Utah Ward. There are around 200 plus active members who go each week compared to johnstown's 60 plus active members, so it's a great change of pace and a lot more people to get to know. This was originally a sister's area before we came in and they had a few progressing friends and one of them named Anthony was getting baptized this Sunday we came in. After the sisters left we have been trying to contact him and meet with him but he's just been ghosting us and leaving us on read. Please pray for him that we can get in contact with him and start meeting with him again to progress him towards baptism. One of the active families in our Ward is the Rodriguez's, they are so awesome. The dad is a Catholic historian and has stuff and knowledge from every single religion you could think of, he can bash anyone and win. There are two kids are both above the age of eight and unbaptized. The daughter Abigail is really wanting to get baptized and the parents are kind of holding her back and wanting her to really deeply understand that decision she's making. We met with her and had a meal with them and it was an amazing lesson talking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we made it really fun for them. As we continue to meet with them hopefully we can get both of those two kids baptized pretty soon. As a missionary, I've learned about "exact obedience" - striving to leave anything impure behind and dedicate myself to Christ. Bradley R. Wilcox once said in his general conference talk, “Some mistakenly receive the message that they are not worthy to participate fully in the gospel because they are not completely free of bad habits. God’s message is that worthiness is not flawlessness. Worthiness is being honest and trying. We must be honest with God, priesthood leaders, and others who love us, and we must strive to keep God’s commandments and never give up just because we slip up.” Elder Bruce C. Hafen said developing Christlike character requires "patience and persistence more than flawlessness." “Obedience brings success; exact obedience brings miracles.” I do not completely understand what exact obedience means, but here is what I have come to understand. It does not mean that we are perfectly obedient right now in all things, although we can be perfect in obeying many of the Lord’s commandments. Hence, repentance must be a key part of exact obedience. Exact obedience requires a commitment to all the warnings and promptings and commandments Heavenly Father gives us. Sometimes we will not understand why Heavenly Father asks certain things of us. Those times can be some of the toughest times to be exactly obedient. Remember when Adam, one of the greatest of all, was asked why he gave sacrifice: “And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me” (Moses 5:6). Regarding important events in our lives, we do want clear direction, and that may be hard to find. But I have come to understand that if I am repentant, being exactly obedient, following my leaders, and making other good choices—in other words, if I am worthy—Heavenly Father will not let me make big mistakes without proper warning. Nor will He let you. With Love, Elder Batman