One Really Tough Week

12/31/2012
So it was great getting to see you all for Christmas this past week! It was great to see that you all were doing well! But as you can see from my subject title this was a rough week. I don’t have a lot of time cause we are at a member’s house using the internet cause the lan houses are closed. So I wont be able to send any pictures today but next week I will send a lot all right. But as I said this week was rough. With it being the holidays almost all of our investigators are traveling and not at home, so we did not get as much teaching in as we were wanting to. Also there was almost no one on the street this week either cause it was either super, super hot or POURING down rain. I came home several times this week soaking wet, tired physically, emotionally, and spiritually and just looking back on the day and seeing that nothing happened. I don’t know what we did wrong. We planned, we prayed for direction, we did everything we could but I still felt like we were not working with the Spirit. I don’t know why nothing was happening. I felt like the Lord had abandoned me. I often asked myself why? Am I not His servant? Am I not supposed to be an instrument in His hands and bring many to salvation? Why is this happening? It was when I felt like I had lost all hope and got really down about the work here that I remembered what happened when Jesus Christ was being crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the acommonhall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and put on him a ascarlet robe.
29 ¶And when they had aplatted a crown of thorns, they put itupon his head, and a breed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30 And they aspit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of aa skull,
34 ¶They gave him avinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
35 And they acrucified him, and bparted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my cgarments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
36 And sitting down they watched him there;
37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 ¶And they that passed by areviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the atemple, and buildest itin three days, save thyself. If thou be the bSon of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He atrusted in God; let him bdeliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the cSon of God.
44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, acast the same in his teeth.
45 Now from the sixth hour there was adarkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, aMy God, my God, why hast thou bforsaken me?

Upon reading this I thought of myself and my own situation, I thought of how my own suffering did not come anywhere close to that of the Savior. I thought of how Jesus the living Son of God asked the Father had He too forsaken His own Son. Am I better than Him? Am I better than the one that was the only pure person to live? Am I better than He that was beat and spat upon and then hung onto a cross? I am with certainty that Jesus knew His Father had not forsaken Him, and I know too that He has not forsaken me. How could I ever think that we are exempt from pain and suffering just because I am His servant here on earth? How could I ever forget that Jesus suffered more than I ever could, not because He wanted too, but because He knew it was the will of the Father? I too am doing all I can to be willing to bend to the Lords will and except it. We all have our challenges, but they are but moments to show our patience and faith in the Lord. Jesus suffered for all of us, and I know that He can and will council and come to us in our times of need if we but humble ourselves and plead for help. I know this is true and I know I am nowhere near to what Jesus Christ was in all aspects. I know He suffered for me and I just need to continue on in diligence with a hope for a better future. I love the Lord so much and I love all of you as well. I hope that you all have a great week and a happy new year. Know that you all will be in my prayers every day and night. Until next week.

With Love,
Elder Shelton