Monday, December 22, 2014

PRESIDENT'S WEEKLY - With God all Things Are Possible

With God all Things Are Possible

Dear Elders and Sisters;

It has been such a wonderful couple of weeks to be with you in interviews and to feel of your great spirits and love for the work of salvation here in the great CFM.  Thank you for all you do to bless the work and thank you for what you will do to better keep pace with the Lord as He hastens His work.

As noted in our interviews I was focused on your studies - personal and companionship.  When you were set apart as a missionary all that you do to be a Representative of Jesus Christ was set apart, consecrated and dedicated for that purpose. This includes your studies which you do in order to be teachers and as a true Representative of Him.  So, your studies are set apart as well.  Please do not take lightly this wonderful opportunity to study the gospel on your mission.  You will never be able to duplicate or replicate what can happen each and every day of your mission as a called, set apart missionary who studies the gospel of Jesus Christ.  You will likely not be able to allocate two hours a day or more to the study of the gospel after your mission but even if you did, it will not be the same, set apart, consecrated activity it is here on your mission.   Consequently, it is like studying on steroids because it is such deep spiritual learning.  As you study you do so for your investigators - you study to teach and you teach to study.  As I was sharing this with a missionary in interviews he confirmed the truth of this by relating his experience with studies while at home recovering from some surgery.  He was shocked at how, once released from his mission, it was much more difficult to study the gospel - citing that even his motivation to do so had changed.  Studying the gospel as a set apart missionary is such an incredible opportunity and I encourage you to squeeze every ounce out of this wonderful opportunity to learn the gospel in a consecrated way. This is spiritual learning at its best!  It will bless your life for the rest of your life as a husband/wife, father/mother, priesthood bearer and servant in the Kingdom.

In a few days you will be visiting with your parents and families for Christmas using Skype to video call them.  My challenge to you is to teach your family a gospel or Christmas message. Provide them the blessing and privilege of witnessing first hand your great teaching abilities and to feel the spirit you have as a called, set apart, consecrated Representative of Jesus Christ.  Bless their lives!  After all, you are a California Fresno Missionary.  This isn't any old mission we're talking about here. This is the CFM.  Show them how a CFM Missionary teaches with the spirit and bless their lives with the same experience you offer to so many people here each and every day. I promise you it will be the best gift you give this Christmas and you will receive the most back from offering this great gift.

Sister Clark and I love you and love serving with you and wish you a wonderful Christmas experience here in the CFM.  Most importantly, we unite our prayers with yours as we seek the Strength of 1,000 Baptisms.  We know the Lord will bless us with this righteous goal and desire based on our faith and diligence.  There has not been a time like this in the CFM where we have the privilege and blessing of uniting together as worthy, committed, obedient, and focused missionaries to obtain such a defining, pinnacle accomplishment.  This is serving with "No Regrets" magnified!  I know the Lord desires to grant this blessing and is perfectly capable of doing so.  He simply wants to see what we are willing to do, to give, to become as condition of granting this wonderful outcome.  I know He has not given up on us for "with [Him] all things are possible".  Please do not prematurely give up in the pursuit of this wonderful accomplishment.  "Be it according to your faith and desires."

With much love,

President Clark

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