We got almost no sunshine this week! It was very cloudy all week long, and I was wearing my raincoat a lot this past week. I miss the rain! It is so great to feel the drops fall on my face after 4+ months of NONE!
This past week, I gave a lesson in district meeting about the gift of tongues and Chapter 7 in Preach my Gospel in the Malagasy language. Yes, I only spoke in Malagasy during those 2 hours with only added portions of english that substituted words I didn't know, which for me is a huge mile marker. The gift of tongues is not a foreign concept; it is a gift acquired from god when we diligently learn the language of a certain nation (i.e Russian, Cambodian, Chinese, ect). Getting that gift is like a workout. The muscles in your body are worked out and stressed and torn during the workout, and after a couple of days of rest, the muscles are restored with a little bit more strength added to it than before. Keep that process going, and you got one strong person in the long run. Speaking in the context of the gift of tongues, we must use what we know and stretch and sometimes (if not always) succumb to the fact that we don't know everything! But, as we go forth and keep growing in our language we are learning, we will become as what malagasies call "mahay" (Talented)! That rule can be applied for pretty much any concept (except maybe for eating; I've eaten ridiculous amounts of rice each day for almost a year now and I still have my "moments" XD)
Yesterday, I had a great experience and privilege to bless the sacrament bread in the malagasy language. I counted it a great privilege and it brought me back so many sweet memories of my blessing the sacrament in the english language back in america. It also reminded me of the importance of worthiness. Take your average priest that is still in highschool and picture him blessing the bread, saying "Andriamanitra, Ray Mandrakizay O, mangataka anao izahay, amin'ny anaran'i zanakao, Jesoa Kristy, hitahy sy hanamasina ity mofo ity..." He is blessing that bread with the same mouth that was talking to his mother last week with, the same mouth he was using on the soccer field, on the phone with his friends, and at school; How important is the sacrament? Crucial. How much more important is it for the priest blessing the sacrament to be worthy to bless it to help others receive this important ordinance? I would say it's even a little more important, if not really important. Would Jesus greet his disciples saying, "Yo, what's up, homey?" Would he use that same language blessing the bread and water? Absolutely not. If he didn't then, what would give any priest the temptation to even consider blessing the sacrament with a mouth he may have been using to impress his friends with in the locker room, behind the wheel, and watching television? None. I hope that this can properly illustrate how important I think this is to me personally. Blessing the sacrament in the beautiful african language I get to speak brought me a sense of respect to the lord deeper than before. I know that it is so important to be worthy for anything in the temple and the sacrament, but remember that "Even if you aren't worthy, it doesn't ever make you worthless" (Unknown). Remember, "Be ye therefore perfect - eventually." (Jeffery R; Holland)
I know that this church is true. I love it's teachings. I love Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father so much. And I love you all too. Have a great rest of this coming week!
Love,
Elder Johnson
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