Thursday, March 26, 2015

First Impression of Camarillo

Wowser!  Down here in Camarillo is way different than what I am used to.  Just when everything starts to feel comfortable, the Lord gives us something new to help us improve.  The people up north are much more humble than here.  They are more willing to change and to listen.  We have been working with a lot of less active members.  The members are fantastic and really missionary-minded.  We have yet to tap into that deeper.  Our goal this week is to set up return appointments and to find members to come with us to every one of those appointments.  There is a lot of potential in our area to see miracles. We can't wait to be a part of them.

Elder Leavitt has a way of talking to and connecting with less actives.   One thing he has been teaching me is to not be so hard on myself.  Elder Leavitt tells me that feelings of inadequacy and discouragement are not from God.  I knew that already because I have told it to Elder Campbell, but I am thankful that he loves me enough to help me that way.

Due to high expectations of myself, and my constant failure to do all that I know to be true and needful, I have felt discouraged.  I have counseled with God about the matter and the impression to be grateful has come to me.  I was reminded of a talk by President Monson titled "The Attitude of Gratitude".  He mentions Doctrine and Covenants 59:21 which tells us that God is only upset when we disobey His commandments and when we confess not His hand in all things.  I have made a resolve to combat those destructive feelings with positive thoughts of gratitude.  These thoughts can, and will, be as simple as enjoying the beauty in the springtime, or my good health, or a prompting, dinner, a car, a testimony that the church is true, the love of my Savior, . . etc.

We did 3 hours of service this week.

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