Transferred to Santarem...now a Zone Leader!!

Hey everyone!  So just a quick update I was transfered from Costa da Caparica to a city called Santarém.  I am now serving with Elder Gomes, he is Brazilian but has lived here in Portugal for about 5 years now.  This also will be my first transfer as a Zone Leader.  I am not sure why or how I was chosen but I will do my best to give of what I have to this new position!  BUt I am super excited to see what new challanges and growth lay in front of me with these next few months and weeks.

This last week I reallly learned a lot about using faith to make things happen.  OUr president challenged us to make a personal promisse with the Lord of one thing that we would sacrifice (habitis thoughts behaviors etz) or an indicator that we would achieve that could be measured daily.  So I made mine and while I was doing it I felt the Spirit confirm that that promise was the will of the Lord for me and that even thow it would stretch me a little I would be able to do it.  It wasn't easy, there came many trials of my faith.  Many barriers and reasons that I could have used to justify not fulfilling with my promise.  Sometimes it seemed like there wasn't enough time others I just felt too tired.  Despite all of the trials that I had I remember that faith isn't faith until it is tried.  I am not sure how I did it every day looking back, but I fulfilled with my promise I made with the Lord and because of this my faith has grown a lot.  That when we make a goal a promise with the Lord in righteousness, excercise true faith, overcoming obstacles and barriers without giving up never justifying your lack of fulfilment, God will work miracles to help you achieve those goals.  That is really what I have felt and learned this week.  Faith isn't faith until it is tried, mocked, degraded, tested, and attacked.  We recieve the witness after the trial, we recieve the blessing after tur faith has been shown, not before.  And after I will tell you the feelings are undescribable.  We had many powerful lessons this week and many people we were working with recieved powerful testinonies of the things we taught.  It is sad that I was transfered out right when things started taking off but it is how it is and Elder Bennett will do a good job harvesting all the fruits of our sacrifices.

Just to end here I will leave a quote that was given to me my Grandma Haymond and it might be my favorite of all time:

Don’t’ give up and don’t give in. Be committed to the idea of discipleship. We’re all for long-suffering but we say, “I don’t want it for very long and for very much suffering!” What heaven is going to force us to do is to put our two-minute talks where our theology is. We’re going to have to say, like Robert Frost said, “The only way out is through.” We’re going to follow Him wherever it leads us and the road to salvation is always through Gethsemane. We’re not all going to be atoners – it’s sacrilegious to say we’ll be like Jesus, but we are a little. Even if it’s only out in the hedgerow of Gethsemane or out on the perimeter, we’re all going to have to spend some time getting through that garden. Or else I don’t know what discipleship means. I don’t think it means I just signed up for the good times. I don’t think it means that I just signed on when it’s really terrific and I’m really happy and everything is wonderful. I think it means to know what He was when He was a Man of Sorrows. These days come and these nights come and you can’t fold the tent and leave then – not for true disciples.
We get our chance to sacrifice and we’re going to have to embrace it. 

...So don’t resist when God gives you a chance to acquire a Christ-like virtue