Duluth week 29

I. Am. So. Tired. Almost every single afternoon this last week we moved something. And by something i mean a lot of things. Basically team swollgier came to Duluth this last week. On Wednesday we moved super heavy book boxes for 2 hours. On Thursday I helped mud a ceiling and had my arms above my head for 3 straight hours. Friday WE moved some furniture. Then we went back Saturday with the other Elders to lift some really heavy things that needed all 4 of us. This is where the story gets good :) So Elder Winder squatted down to pick up one side of an extremely heavy sewing table. All of a sudden we all heard a very strange, loud sound. I turned to E. Winder and said, "was that... your pants?" He had a look of shock and stood up and turned around. you bet it was his pants! ha ha ha he totally wrecked them! it was sooo bad. sooo funny. i was crying i was laughing so hard. The whole ward knows about it too. Ruthless. He owns it pretty well

I want to spend most of my time today talking about the R family. The 9 year old daughter was baptized yesterday after Church. Her father was able to set goals and actually baptize her. It was a beautiful service and the Spirit was super strong. 7 months ago I basically made an oath to God that if it was the last thing I did I would help the daughter get baptized and help the family set a goal to be sealed. It took a lot of work, prayer, sacrifice, you name it on our part and their part and the day finally came. When I first started going to their house there was little happiness in the home. Both of the parents didnt smile very often and you could see the burdens of the world just weighing upon their shoulders. But over the last few months i have seen that all disappear. There is light in their eyes and countenance. They joke around with us and they are truly happy. The Spirit is strong in their home and you can just feel the love when you enter. The baptism yesterday was the culmination of everything a mission is all about. Completing families and get them on their way to the temple!

Yesterday I took the time to bear my testimony about missionary work. Seems like a fitting subject, right? Missionary work is a gift from God. It really is! God says in 2 ne 27 "I am able to do mine own work." He could do everything in this life a LOT better than we could do it. So why does he ask us to do it? think about why we are here. This life is the time to prepare to meet God! So God isnt sitting up there thinking: " hmmm how can i really just get under the skin of my children and make them miserable. oh! i know! i will make them share the gospel! Yeah! that is it! i will ask them to share their testimonies of how this gospel has brought happiness and peace to their lives! I will ask them to share the Book of Mormon with people so that others can be blessed with restored knowledge! that is what ill do. that will get those children of mine." no, not at all. He is sitting up there thinking "How can i make my children as perfectly happy as I am? I will ask them to share the gospel!" 

i know that the blessings of sharing the gospel are real! As we share the gospel our happiness WILL increase. We will receive answers to our prayers. Our sins will be forgiven. the list goes on

I love you all! have a great week

Elder Ethan P. Damron