October 4, 2011

Hello Everyone

Okay so the last week has been way good! I got my new Bean! His name is Elder Gregory. He is from Seattle Washington. He is 19 years old, went to BYU Hawaii before the mission. Hes a stud and is shorter than me, so we get along really well! He is obviously a really young missionary, but he is a really hard worker.

Yesterday we had a all Mission Conference, so it was really cool to see everyone from the mission again. Also because it was my last one, I gave my farewell testimony to the entire mission. That was scary. One of the other missionaries gave a really good testimony and I wanted to share something from that. This missionary is one who is really shy, always alone, never really had that outgoing personality. Always thought of as a failure, and just ignored sometimes. His entire mission has been like that. He was my Senpai in the MTC, and I was in the same district as him in Ushiku. He talked about his entire life hes had people tell him he can't do things. Hes not good enough. He came on his mission and learned one important thing. That is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I tell you listening to him speak was just a tearjerker. It really felt like he new his savior. It made me realize how much i still don't know nor recognize the savior enough. He said something interesting though. It was this.

To say you can't do anything is to deny the power of the Atonement.

It was a really humbling experience. So many times of my mission i have said, I can't do it. I can't. Its too hard for me. I did not use the power of the Atonement enough. That is the miracle of the atonement. It does the things we can't do. Again, I can't express the things i felt when i heard him speak. A simple awkward, shy, untalented, uneducated man who knew his savior and was pouring out his soul to us. I realized that no money, talent, education, or any worldly possession could come close to the simple knowledge of ones savior.

I know this work to be true, and I commit to work harder to know my personal savior. That is what will bless us more than anything else. Thanks for all your love and support. I love you all.

Elder Stewart