Hello everyone! This past week has been very... Polar, a rollercoaster, etc... We went to London, had Zone Meeting, lessons, lots of rain, just another week in the mission field.
Missionaries have some jargon words we use. I've explained some of them before, but it's been a while. When a missionary comes into the field brand new, he or she is "born". Their trainer is either "dad" or "mom" respectively. The family relations continue to brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc... When a missionary is going home, he or she dies. Today is a sad day in my mission family, because my oldest brother, Elder Van den Broek, is dying tomorrow. He will be returning to his home land of Holland. At the end of Zone Meeting, the departing missionaries always have an opportunity to bear their testimony, which was bitter-sweet this time.
We learn from Newtons 3rd law that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If I threw a 1 kg rock with an acceleration of
8m/(s^2) I would be throwing it with a force of 8 N (F=ma). According to newtons 3rd law, the rock pushes back on me with a force of -8 N.
Lehi also describes very same principle for life in general in 2 Nephi 2:11, 13 where speaking to his son, he says:
"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad...
"And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness.
And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery
In basic terms, we have to have the bad days to know the good days. I have seen this pattern over and over again. Instead of a linear correlation as Newtons 3rd law states, I think the ratio is much different, yet it balances out. We seem to have quite a few difficult times. Many days of rejection and rain can put a damper on things.
People don't keep commitments and it's sad because we know how much it can help. Though there are tough times, it only takes one powerful lesson, one willing person, a few smiles and maybe some good food to balance out the tough times into the positive. The return on one good lesson or finding someone truly willing to learn must be exponential.
For the math minds out there like me, this is what it might look like
(Many days of rain + rejection + opposition to our friends) <= (one small moment of pure happiness for us)
Such was the case this week. One of our friends got sent some anti-Mormon stuff written by someone who clearly twists simple truths we teach, and that was really devastating to her and to us. We felt the anxiety of transfers coming this week. Really, the whole week was tough, but it all seemed so worth it for an hour long lesson we had on Sunday night with Louise and her friend Fiona. We taught the first lesson, with talks about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and everything leading up to that. What made this such a powerful lesson was everyone was so willing to learn, even us. Elder Parkin and I got home and couldn't stop thinking about the lesson, and couldn't even sleep! Through the next day (yesterday) we couldn't get it off our minds. Louise and Fiona couldn't forget it either. Just this one lesson seemed to make the whole week previous worth it.
As I mentioned before, this week is moves calls. I thought lightening would strike me again and I would be out of here, but in a miracle I avoided it! Elder Parkin and I will be staying together for another six weeks. Including the time we spent together in Bedford, we will be together for 4 1/2 months in total at the end of this transfer. That rarely happens, and clearly there is something we still need to do together. I will be here in Northampton for a total 6 months at the end.
I don't get a lot of time to email, but I will always respond if anyone wants to write me by email or in a real letter. My email is
spencer.ammermon@myldsmail.net
Cheers!
Elder Spencer Ammermon
England London Mission
64-68 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road
South Kensington
London
England SW7 2PA