Hello Family:
Well, this week was fantastic. We were the busiest ever since I have come to the area, and we set some area records this week. I can't believe Blake was called as a mission president. He is going to be incredible. He has done so much for the family and truly has helped us in so many ways. The little book he gave me has helped in so many ways. I sure will miss him!
The work here is great. We have some incredible new investigators. Like the family, the Lukensmyers. They attend the Church of God Faith of Abraham. This family loves us and we love them. They let us in and the hilarious thing is that this lady gave me her Bible and said, “Here, describe heaven when you come back.” It was so funny because she was playing right into the pattern of the lessons, which is the plan of salvation.
This week I was able to finish the Book of Mormon again. I love its clear and precise passages. Nowhere else in the entire canon of scripture does the message of Christ make so much sense. I was so amazed at the power that overcame me when I finished Moroni 10. I could feel it in my heart, and it is amazing how awesome Heavenly Father is. He uses our feelings, which are so personal, to convert us to the Gospel.
Mom and dad, you should send some pictures. I am so glad that the ward got my letter. The area is doing well, Elder Juarez was sick all this week, but yet we still broke records. I was so thrilled, and then this week we have interviews with President Palmer. We live with some funny members. The Larsons are hilarious. They aren't afraid to say anything. I can't believe some things they say to people. They are so confident in all they believe and do.
The other day I was thinking within myself--God if you truly love these people, why don't you soften their hearts, why don’t you open doors for us? And the fact is that God respects agency. I almost lost it, we were in a lesson with this family and they are so cool. I love them, but the mom came out and said Christ just doesn't do it for me. I was boggled, but God wasn't. He respects her agency and loves her, just as much as he loves me. Agency is so huge in all of our lives. We have a choice in all things; there isn't one point in life where we don't have to choose. That is how God is preparing us for exaltation, because we are going to have to make some big choices in the life to come. Everything on this earth fits in with what Alma said in Alma 34:32 this is the life to prepare to meet God. I am so grateful for the experiences here. The other day I gave an interview for a man being baptized and his name is Diego. He doesn’t know how to read, but yet he knows the church is true by listening to the Book of Mormon on disc. I was interviewing him, and I really didn't want to pass him to be baptized and the thought of enduring to the end and I thought to myself, “Lord how is this man going to endure to the end.” The Spirit popped right in and said, “I make the call on what enduring to the end is. I will figure it out. He has met the qualifications and let him pass.” I was so inspired because the Lord truly doesn't care what our handicaps are-- He looks on us as what we can be and the people we can become.
I was reading in Moroni 7, and I thought to myself why are faith, hope, and charity always together. The spirit and I have come to the conclusion that they are always together because faith is trust, hope is a vision, and charity is service. I can see that trust, vision and service are all action words, and that faith, hope and charity are by default also action words. That’s why God wants us to act and He wants us to work. We only have this much time on the earth. We only have this little work left and He wants us to act. He wants us to choose. That is what Greg Kelmis did on Sunday morning. Greg is an older man and the only investigator out of 8 so solid that he came to church this Sunday. He made it and against all odds, the preacher who lives next to him, went over and talked to him Sunday before, his car broke down and the shower in the neighbors apt broke, if anything could have gone wrong-- it happened to Greg, and yet he still had the faith and hope to make it to church. It was a huge tender mercy from the Lord. He was touched as the primary program unfolded and the young testimonies hit Greg to the very core. I sat next to him, and I could see the Spirit working inside of him and what he wanted his whole life was unloaded in front of him. I know the Spirit started his conversion yesterday. One more huge miracle happened was that of Kevin Bull, he lost his wife about a year ago, and he is only 31. She had an enlarged heart and no one knew about it. The spirit came to him when we bore testimony of eternal marriage. Kevin is on date for baptism for the 26 of November, and we sure hope he can make it. The greatest spirit was about him, and he is one of the most humble men I have ever met. You know family, God is going to figure it all out one day, and I can't wait when I will be able to see these great people again and help them to understand what I tried to do here on earth.
I am so happy to be out here. I love my area, I love my ward, I love these people, no matter how many doors, we knock, and how many get slammed in our face, I still love these people. I love their quirkiness, their bad habits, their spirits, because Christ loves them, and if Christ loves them, then I can surely love them too!!!!
I was so touched by Elder Holland’s book and my personal favorite talk by him "The high priest of good things to come." The Lord always looks up, He is acting and not being acted upon. I love this work. I can't tell you how much I am learning. It’s incredible how something hits me everyday.
The campaign is almost over dad, you are going to win for sure. I loved those suggestions for door approaches and I have used them and yes they work. They have helped us get into some doors I never thought were possible. The letters are great, jazz and Jenna keep making mom and dad happy. I sure miss them. If I need one thing, that would be a new journal, the big kind like I have it is by covenant books and in the color green!
I love you all so much. Thank you for your letters you don't know how much they mean to me and how much they inspire me.
I love you,
Love Elder Almquist
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