Spencer - Called to Serve: Week 85 - His Grace is Sufficient, Miracles, and Sea World Indonesia Style

"Little people like you and me, if our prayers are sometimes granted, beyond all hope and probability, had better not draw hasty conclusions to our own advantage. If we were stronger, we might be less tenderly treated. If we were braver, we might be sent, with far less help, to defend far more desperate posts in the great battle." -CS Lewis

This past week has gone by faster than a turtle can beat the hare in a race.....in other words, it went by fast!! There is just a special joy about being a missionary that comes that is just happiness. No matter how often you do it or who you share it with, it never gets old. The fun part is coming up with how to share it. Elder Hariyadi and I have experienced a lot of miracles as we have been out and about this past week seeking for the chosen ones. We decided to take our searching to one of the national monuments here in Jakarta. We just started approaching people and sharing the gospel. At the time, the volleyball court was filled with a ton of people from Papua. Even though the church is not there yet, almost all Papuans are Christian. We sat on the bench and talked to one of them and shared about the Restoration with him. As we left, everybody had stopped playing volleyball asking the guy that we met what we had shared with him. Two of them that were playing ended up chasing us down and asking for the Book of Mormon. We sat down and right away just taught them. As we were teaching them, one of the security guards came over and was overhearing. Out of the blue, he leaned over and asked if he could have a look at the Book of Mormon. He asked if he could take it. We taught him as well. Just awesome miracles that put a smile on a face that there are people that just want to know about the wonderful message of the Restoration.

On another occasion, we were riding the bus....which we do about 80% of the time due to traffic. There happened to be a fairer skinned man who I ended up talking to. Turns out he is from Hungary and has been here for about 3 months and will be heading back in like 2 months. He had heard about the church and actually asked if he could come. Yesterday, he showed up to church and we met with him and he said there was just a peace that he felt among the people. We shared the Book of Mormon and he accepted a baptismal date in March. A mircale!

As for our other investigators, they are doing well. They are coming to church and reading and keeping their commitments but getting them personally set on baptism has been the challenge. I have the faith that they will join the church, it is just a matter of time. We have visited with less- actives this week and are seeing a few make small steps to coming back. In all of this, we have visited a lot of members to try and help them fulfill their missionary responsibilities.

In my studies this past week, I have focused on "Our Heritage." It has been just a book that gives a great picture of the suffering the Saints had to do when the church first started to where we are now. Besides that book, I came across two talks that have been powerful. One titled, "His Grace is Sufficient," by Brad Wilcox and "Profile of a Prophet," by Hugh B. Brown. Both are very good. The second one is a testimony builder of a the prophet Joseph Smith. The one I want to focus on is the one on grace. "So grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather, it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light the moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is received right here and right now. It is not a finishing touch; it is the finisher's touch (Hebrews 12:2)" All will be saved on the grace of Christ, but have we been changed through his grace? "Heaven will not be heaven for those who have not chosen to be heavenly." It was such a great talk about how Christ's grace is sufficient for everyone.

Other things that happened this past week, last P-day we went to Seaworld (a small aquarium here in Jakarta), and pure greatness. I hope you all have a great week! Love you!

Elder Hayes