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| Elder Hudak, center, with his previous companion, Elder Barnard, left, and his current companion, Elder Takis, right. |
Ya'at'teh' Everyone!
So this week has been a pretty long but spiritual one. Last weekend we had General Conference, and this past Wednesday we had Zone Conference, and then this past Saturday-Sunday was Stake Conference.
Zone Conference was pretty fun. We were helping set up and then Elder Stevens, who is from Brigham City and was also my first zone leader, comes up to me and tells me that he wants me to win his role play. I was just like, "What are you talking about?" and he just told me that I will find out and that he wanted me to win it for him, so I told him I would do my best. Well it comes time for his role play, and it was on talking to everyone. Now for those of you who know me, you know that I am not much of a talker. So as soon as I found out what it was on I just thought, "Well, I don't think I'm winning this one." So we get through the main part of the role play, and then he started talking about doing things a little bit differently, and was like, "In honor of the past weekend that was March Madness, we thought we would do a Missionary Madness Final Four. I don't know how but I was in the Final Four. I must have done something they liked, or maybe he did that just to try and help me win, I don't know, but I was in it. I was competing with one of the sisters, though, Sister Porter. Well I lost to her, but she then had to face the winner of the other bracket which was another elder that is here in Tuba, Elder Krauss. Elder Krauss took it home for Tuba, but it was pretty fun.
For Stake Conference, we had an Area Seventy, Elder Torres, come. On Saturday, he wanted to visit some of the families here, and so both he and our Stake President, President Justice, came out with Elder Hudak and I to visit the Billys. This is the same family that has 3 of our recent converts, Tina being one of them. Tina's husband isn't a member, but has been wanting to learn more, because he sees and feels a difference in his family and in his home. So we taught The Restoration to them. It was really neat to teach with one of the General Authorities, and the Spirit was pretty strong, I could tell that it was working on Tina's husband, Delaine. Well, long story short, everything we talked about seemed to answer every question that Delaine had been having recently, and Elder Torres committed him to be baptized on April 29th!!! It was so exciting!!! Elder Torres is a very spiritual man, but he is also just a wonderful man. We got to talk to him, and get to know him quite a bit, and he taught us a lot. I love him, and am very grateful to have met him.
One thing that I would like to share in closing of this email is a story that President Uchtdorf shared in this month's Ensign...
There is an old Jewish tale about a soap maker who did not believe in God. One day as he was walking with a rabbi, he said, “There is something I cannot understand. We have had religion for thousands of years. But everywhere you look there is evil, corruption, dishonesty, injustice, pain, hunger, and violence. It appears that religion has not improved the world at all. So I ask you, what good is it?”
The rabbi did not answer for a time but continued walking with the soap maker. Eventually they approached a playground where children, covered in dust, were playing in the dirt.
“There is something I don’t understand,” the rabbi said. “Look at those children. We have had soap for thousands of years, and yet those children are filthy. What good is soap?
The soap maker replied, “But rabbi, it isn’t fair to blame soap for these dirty children. Soap has to be used before it can accomplish its purpose.”
The rabbi smiled and said, “Exactly.”
I love this story because it is so true. In order for this gospel to make a difference in anyone's life it has to be used and applied, otherwise it will do you no good. That's why Heavenly Father gave us commandments, that is why Jesus Christ suffered the Atonement, so that it could benefit our lives and help us become something more than we ever could imagine. But we have to take action and use what they have given us, otherwise it is no good to us.
I can promise you that you will have much better lives, and a much better life hereafter, if you will only but apply the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I would strongly encourage every one of you to use the things that Heavenly Father has given us, and do what He asks. It is for our benefit. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us all to succeed; that is why they have given us these things.
I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Just be sure to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost the first time you get the prompting, and you can't go wrong.
Elder Takis
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