A Gift is Given

Ia ora na! Recently it's been haere maru haere papu here in Papehue. 

We've been making progress with Yves*. He's more and more ready each week. He's still not willing to give a date, but he's getting there. The other day he asked us if we could talk about eternal marriage, so that's what we did (or tried to do). Every time I we try to talk about eternal marriage, something prevents us, usually Yves talking a lot or trying to feed us and get the lesson done in an hour. This time, it was the talking. Man, the devil must be trying hard on this one, because that's probably the most important lesson we could teach him right now. If he understands this principle, he will be able to resolve a couple problems that he's facing and then baptism will be underway! 

We did some contacting and found this very accepting témoin de Jehovah. We did the first lesson, and she seemed to really like it, although there seemed to also be a miscommunication going on. To make things short, we left not knowing whether she was a member of the church or not. Yeah, that's a little weird.  So we came back a few days later where we went over the first lesson again because she forgot how to pray and she forgot lots of important points, and we had her end with the prayer. She prayed to Jehova, but it was a pretty good prayer. It was in this second lesson though that we figured out that she thought we were témoins also. I feel like we must have mentioned that we were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints at some point. But anyway, that explains the miscommunication of the first lesson. She never got that we are Mormons. Anyway, I think she figured it out when we came back on Saturday and her father started yelling at us and saying that we could never come back again. Quite the adventure. We're going to keep trying to teach her, but it will be a little harder now.

The baptism of Kahoku isn't good for this week. It's hard only being able to teach him once a week. He's not quite ready to be baptized, there are still some things he needs to know before he contracts an alliance with God. He still has the desire though, and I think that if we push it a week or two he'll be ready. 

Yesterday we had a stake concert where each ward sang some songs for Christmas. The Christmas season isn't quite the same as back home, but that concert helped me get in that Christmas spirit. I've just been thinking recently about how much we expect good gifts from our parents and we want people to do things for us. We tend to ignore what we've already been given. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth on Him might not perish but have Everlasting life."

Our Father has given as a great gift, his Son. Imagine how hard that must have been. I definitely wouldn't be that willing to give up my only son. And He did that so we have a way for the greatest gift, eternal life. What could make us happier than eternal life?

Anyway, there's not a whole lot going on but the work continues. I'm very grateful for everything the Lord has done to help me in this work. I know He lives. I know he sent the Christ into this world to be our Savior. This work is our Father's work and glory. Merry Christmas everyone! E mea maitai te Noela! 

Elder Lewis