Authenticate Your Testimony

HOWDY!!!!!

Well i won't say I had the best week of my mission this week BUT it was still great! I got super sick ... SO MOM YES I REALLY MISSED YOU!  I got a fever then got Step throat... It was a rough couple of days in bed!  It was so weird I remember laying in bed sick, and I felt so lame being a vegetable and not out talking to people! Weird how things change!  I am realizing more and more everyday how short your 2 year mission experience is and how you have to take advantage of EVERY SINGE MOMENT! I don't want to loose any of this valuable time to give myself to others!  It is to short!!!! Speaking of short!! I turn 20 this week, and I am telling you 20 years takes forever!!!! I am ready to be 30! 

I had a lot of time to think (and sleep) this week while in bed.  I thought a lot about a certain investigator we are teaching.  this man is amazing.  He just glows when we talk to him, and the spirit is just like floating around him.  I don't know how to explain how badly I want him to know this is true.  He currently goes to a church that talks a lot about "authentication" of truth.  How can I prove the words I am saying to him are true? Does faith come before the witness of truth? No.  Although he is a avid believer in Jesus Christ he seems to believe that Christ authenticated himself through his works. and biblical prophecy.  I disagree.  I believe that we can authenticate our own testimony and Belief in Jesus just by having enough faith to follow his footsteps more closely.  The more we succumb to the will of the Father, the more "authentic" of a testimony we will have .  Faith has to proceed the work or miracle. Christ didn't say... I am going to do this work or miaracle so then you can believe in me. He would say, "let it be according to your faith"  He teaches us that to believe in him we must exercise of faith first. So to authenticate ones testimony, one must first exercise the faith then ask the question,'is this true?' and be willing to go on a journey to find out. 

This is the hardest area I think I will ever serve in. Not because the people are mean or harsh, but rather because they are so consumed by the world of proof and instant gratification.  I think it is brilliant how God works.  Why would He just give it to us? WHY?! I know that anything I have worked for in my life I cherish and appreciate WAYYYY more!  He lets us go through the fire a little bit, so that He can make us become something more!  If it is to easy then why do it at all?!! If gaining a testimony was easy then everyone would have one! IT IS NOT EASY!  I know that we have to be putting in constant effort for things that we believe to become authenticated knowledge!! If I ask someone for directions, and if that person seems trustworthy, I might choose to believe that those directions are correct.  If I actually follow those directions, I am exercising FAITH that the directions are correct! when I arrive at the destination, then I have the Knowledge that the directions are correct ,and the journey to prove it, and subsequently no longer need belief or faith at that point!

So go by faith! Put faith in areas that you are struggling! Go on a journey to find the knowledge! I know He won't let you down once you get to that destination. he has never EVER let me down.

I love you ALL!!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Elder Patch

The Spirit

HOLA!!!

Dang this week has been so FUNNN!!!!!!!!!!  ALSO I AM ALMOST 20!!!!!! And it is about time!  Can't wait to say I am not a teenager anymore!  I like to think I am 19 going on 40:) HA!  

Well This week we MINI MISSIONARIES!!!! It is so fun!  So what happens is that we get a local kid that is thinking about going on a mission for a week!  My mini missionary is named Alex (He is the one carrying me in the pic... typical)!  He is awesome!  He is planning on going on a mission at the end of the Summer! I think it is an amazing opportunity for a young person to go on a mini mission to really see what happens on a mission and feel the amazing spirit. 

That is what I wanted to talk about, the Spirit.  I sent another picture with a young guy with crutches.  His name is Jake Dastrup.  He is actually from Utah and is a gymnast on the OSU and National team! What is crazy about meeting up with him is that I actually met/saw him last year and the year before at the Olympic Training Center.  We were training in the gym right next to him!  I had no idea who he was nor that he was Mormon!!!! Well we have gotten pretty close!  the reason why I wanted to talk about him is because he has changed my life.  The minute I met him I felt something different.  He started coming to lessons with us and I could just feel like positive feeling whenever we were around him.  It was the spirit.  He has never said a negative thing or even slightly crude thing around me.  He is always smiling and SOOOO willing to come and teach with us.  It is no surprise to me that he has the spirit with him!  He has taught me how important that little things we do or can change can have a huge influence in carrying a light or Spirit with us.  I love being around Jake cause he makes us all happier!  I know I need to be even more positive and do the small things that will bring moreS of the spirit into my life! He is planning on serving a mission soon!

I also have been thinking a lot about my mission so far!  Due to the fact that I will be home almost a year from now!!! WHAT?! I have reflected and realized how thankful I am for the spirit.  I am so thankful that I don't have to do the converting!  I think when I first came on my mission I thought "I" had to convert these people to the truth!!! Well I have learned and am continuing to learn that conversion is not by any man, but only by the spirit.  I had a interesting discussion a few days ago with a man we are teaching!  He told me that I was not going to convert him to being a Latter-Day saint. And I said,"I know, but the spirit will."  He looked a little stunned.  But I really meant that.  I told him my conversion story about how I really struggled with my faith and belief in God. How I wasn't very active in this Church.  I testified that what led me to knowing that this was true was the spirit that accompanied every little thing I did in or with the church.  I saw objective proof through subjective experiences.  I know that spirit is what will lead us through a LIFETIME of conversion!  I will never say I am fully converted, because I believe I would loose the potential for growth!  I look forward to learning by the spirit for a lifetime!  

Thank you EVERYONE for all you have done for me!  Reach out to those around you and help anyone and everyone you can in anyway that you can!!! CHARITY NEVER FAILETH!

Love 

Elder Patch

Pics!

1.Elder Afalava and I were reunited! Miss that kid

2.Jake Dastrup aka the MAN

3.My Mini Missionary!!!

4. Our investigator Jay was Baptized!!!!

Servant Leadership

Wow!! This week was amazing!

Emil Brolick the Wendy's CEO came and spoke to us about Servant Leadership! Emil is a Catholic, so it was really cool to have him there and to here him talk about his faith in Christ!  He is best friends with our Mission President who is the CEO of Cafe Rio!  

Emil talked about how a successful leader can influence more than just ones he or she might be stewards over!  This was one of my favorite quotes from him,"If you place others priorities first, then their priorities will become yours."  I thought that was great!  We as leaders in some form like parents or friends have to put others priorities first then through that their priorities will shift to yours!  He is also said, "Helping to much deprives those from experience and growth."  I thought that was very insightful.  I think it is really amazing that a VERY successful business owner lets others kinda figure it out themselves!  He gives them the opportunity to grow for themselves. That to me shows a lot of trust!  So my rhetorical question for you is: Do we trust the ones we are stewards over?  

It was such an amazing experience to have Emil there!  We were really fortunate!

This week has been so great!  We started teaching the coolest family!! They are all Hippies! I love them!!!! I sent a picture of them.  The dad is super into God and wants to lead his family to God more! And the mom is Atheist, but said she is willing to learn!!!! The two boys are so cool!  They call us "the Mormons"  So every few minutes we hear, "HEY MORMONS! Watch me do this!" soo funny.  I love seeing a whole family progress toward accepting the Gospel! 

Sorry to be brief but there is no time for anything anymore ha!  I just want to share a quote from a missionary that bore her testimony yesterday, she said, "The most beautiful thing about the Atonement, is that you can wake up a totally different person."  I really identified with that comment.  I have been able to see from so many people I teach the amount of guilt that they hold onto!  The greatest thing is that they don't have to!! I love watching them realize that, and see them access the power of the Atonement.  So free yourself of guilt and add more faith and courage in your life! I know that the atonement is real and very personal to me!  I am so thankful that I don't have to hold onto things and can almost physically feel things lifted off my shoulders.  I am so thankful for Jesus Christ.

I hope everyone had a great week!!!!!! 

Love you all!!!

Elder Spatch