Sept 9, 2013

Hey Everyone!

It's been a great start to the transfer so far. Things in our area seem to really be picking up. We set up almost our entire week at church this Sunday! If everything goes according to plan this should be a miracle week. We've been extremely blessed with lots of investigators to teach. We had 4 people at church yesterday and we were expecting 9. Between all 8 missionaries in Liverpool the gospel Principles class was almost too full.

I'm enjoying serving with Elder Duran. He is a very solid missionary. One of his greatest strengths is his ability to bear testimony. We've been in a few lessons were the people we were teaching were getting a bit distracted and he bore his testimony to get the spirit back. It's reminded me how important in really is!

I really enjoyed Mission Leadership council this week. It's easily my favorite meeting. Seeing all of your old mission friends, getting inspired, making decisions, and Sister Preston's cooking. It doesn't get much better than that! President Preston gave a training all about words and how they can build up or they can destroy. He used James 3:2-10 as the basis of his training.

 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Many of the less actives we visit say that they don't come out anymore because someone said something that offended them. We need to control our tongues!

We experienced a miracle on Saturday. Every first Saturday of the transfer we have consecrated finding for 4 hours where we just go out and speak to people and try and find people to teach. We were trying by a former investigator named Neena. She answered the door and immediately let us in and asked us to teach her son named Steven. Steven is 19 and has been looking to strengthen his relationship with God. He was actually fasting and praying that he would be able to find answers. He listened and said he believed every word we said. It was amazing to see that there are people who would go as far a fasting and praying to be able to find answers before they even meet missionaries.

God is hastening His work in Liverpool! This mission has been such a blessing to my life and I'm sure that I'll think of it everyday for many years to come. Thanks for the support!

Love Elder Ford