1. I have been gone for a whole year now! It is crazy how fast this time has gone and how many lessons I have learned! It is a little scary being on top of the hill of mission life, and looking down the back side! It actually can be stressful! I still have lots and lots to learn and to do before I can finish this hike! So cheers to 1 more year of squirrel, humidity, bugs, and southerners! A couple of those I'm grateful to only have a year left like bugs and humidity! Here they come this summer! :(
2. We had a great lesson with our man Cornbread. We hadn't been able to see him for a while because his daughter who is only 9 months has been very sick! So that is no good. We have been praying that she gets better fast! But we taught him the Word of wisdom! Which is a MAJOR problem for him! But he and his member boss said they would both work extra hard on it in the coming weeks so that they could get him ready! They work together all day everyday so they decided that they could work and keep each other in check, the member has a little bit of a problem with the WOW so it was killing two birds with one stone. Cornbread was studying that pamphlet, talking about it so hard before we even left. I think he really wants it but It will be a long and tough road for him.
3. Mrs. Denson is an older black lady that we are teaching and she is so sweet and funny! She doesn't call us the missionaries but her "Christian brothers" I just think it is so funny every time we go over there she greats us with hello Christian brothers! She is a hoot. I really like here and although she is older she is learning or that is at least what it seems to us!
4. This week we got to drive two hours south and go to Mobile for a stake conference where all the members in the area get together, it was great and there were some awesome talks, Elder Peterson and I got to spend the day with 2 others sets of missionaries and it was just an adventure the whole time! It was a fun weekend full of sleepovers, missionary humor that you would only get if you served a mission, and fun stories! Whenever you get a bunch of missionaries together it will always be an adventure, especially 6 in one apartment!
5. I got to spend the day time with my last companion, Elder Milne! It was so great! So much fun! We also worked in a city called Prichard! If you ever come to Mobile they say its a great city, just avoid Prichard! So it was an adventure! We were the only white people for miles so that can always be an adventure!
6. We heard a talk on President Smith's favorite topic!!! I bet you cant guess! FAMILY HISTORY!!! It was so powerful though! It is amazing how much power that man has when he speaks! He is just amazing when he testifies of truth, especially that those on the other side of the veil want to help us, the spirit is so present it is amazing! It is just so amazing, he said that in a meeting a few weeks ago with church leaders from the south east region of the United States, someone said family history did not work! And our charity filled mission president who also used to be a college linebacker/ fullback stood up and said "You are wrong. I know it and this mission will prove that to you" It works and it has power I can see that now!
7. I got to spend some time with President Smith in an interview and it is amazing the love that comes from that man! He truly loves it and you know it and feel it whenever he is in the room. It is such a blessing that I am able to know a him and spend this time laboring with him. One of his favorite quotes is "There is no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone!" It is amazing how true that is! I'm grateful I have been in the growth zone for a while and I'm grateful to remain in it a little longer! Growth is the whole reason we are here! So we can grow and return to our loving Heavenly Father!
8. A lady gave a great talk on selling mattresses in stake conference! She talked about how she is a great salesmen and really wants to sell all these mattresses she can! The reason she wants to do it so much and she is so successful is because she really wants that mattress! She likes it a lot and wants to buy it, she is convinced that is is worth its price. So that is why she can sell so many! She related that to the gospel! It was a beautiful analogy about how we can not sell anything we do not believe in! We must work on our own conversion before we can convert anyone else! We must know and be actively living the gospel before we can do anything as far as missionary work! To use a cliché, we need to practice what we preach!
9. Sister Smith gave a sermon on how we must spring clean our hearts! I have never thought about that before. She said when we are in this time of trashing garbage why not let go of a few grudges and say a few sorries to the Lord or other of his imperfect children! I know we all fall short and have a little smudge or two but that is alright because of Christ we can all be forgiven and can have a clean heart again! The Lord says in the doctrine and covenants that he requires a pure heart! So I hope you all can do a little spring cleaning this week even the best for y'all!
10. I'll end with a prophetic statement to all us! When dedicating the Birmingham Alabama temple, a man from Mobile was there and president Hinckley was then the president of the church. He called that man and asked how far away Mobile was. He said 4 and 1/2 hours president response was oh that is too long! He then said" if you want a temple in mobile then you need to wear yourself out in this one (referring to the Brigham temple)" We need to wear ourselves out in service and then we will receive our own "temples" or refuges of life!
I love you all and cant wait to see what adventures are a head in this year!
Elder Taylor
1 year mark shirt burning!
The aftermath of stake conference week
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