Week 19 - Elder Gadoy, Gathering Place & Sheep, Parables & Prayers

We recently attended a devotional where Carlos A. Gadoy spoke. He and his wife have just been assigned to the Africa West Area (AWA). They are very happy about this assignment, have hoped for it, dreamed of it, wanted it. These amazing men and women dedicate their lives to the gospel of Jesus Christ for many, many years. They go about their service quietly without fanfare. They help organize and manage the affairs of the Kingdom of God. It is with great admiration I share this. They truly are consecrated to the Lord. Some of my take-aways from his message:

--There is a difference between Profession and Vocation. 

Profession seems to be a personal choice, what you decide in the way of business, a way to make money.  A more rational approach to career.

Vocation seems to be a particular career, sometimes even a divine call to God's service, your personal mission in life, a way of life, personal duty, you feel that you must do it, you have a great desire to do it. 

Elder Gadoy wanted the church employees and missionaries to know we are all doing a great work. To feel rewarded from the Lord. To know that God loves us! 

We are so grateful to be serving here in Africa. We have dreamt about missions, wanted and hoped for the time we could serve missions together, planned and prepared for that day. It isn't easy to be away from family and friends, but we know that our consecrated service is seen and known by our God and we feel His love in our hearts.     

GATHERING PLACE

YSA missionaries in our AWA, have been hard at work over the past many months, working diligently to establish and then roll out a pilot program here in AWA, called "Gathering Place." One of our fun senior missionary couples, Barry & Lori Platts, shared their thoughts in a Family Home Evening. Here is Elder Platt's testimony of the principle of gathering and an experience, which he gained as just a ten or eleven-year-old boy on the family farm in Wyoming:

Elder Barry Platts: One day he discovered a ewe who had fallen into a ditch and lost her will to live. Panicked, he did his best to turn her over and heft her upright, but even after she was on her feet, it seemed too late to save the sheep. She was limp, despondent, and her tongue hung. Young Barry learned a valuable lesson when his father "gathered" the other sheep around the failing ewe and quickly the power of being surrounded, of belonging, revived her. When Elder Platts received this mission call to work with "Gathering Places", he immediately recalled this lesson learned in his youth.

For Gathering Place...So far, the results have been amazing! Many YSA are attending regularly and increasing their knowledge in so many ways. Education, institute, personal finance, photography, learning to drive, cooking, wig making, etc. What a fantastic program and one you may see "coming to an area near you" in the future! Run to help!! You will love it!!

 

 

I have always been drawn to the word GATHERING. It speaks to me. I believe there is so much we can do to surround those in need, find the lamb who is lost, bind up the wounds of those who have been hurt, bring all into the arms of God. When we surround each other in love, we can feel revived and have a greater desire to do good and be good. 

PARABLE WISDOM

In our Come Follow Me "listening-while-eating-lunch in our office study" this week (admittedly, we are a little behind on our favorite podcast Follow Him), I loved learning some new concepts about the prodigal son.  

About parables in general - Parables are aimed at the conscience and the heart, not the intellect. No wonder Christ taught with parables.

When the prodigal son returns after a long while of riotous living, the father welcomes him home with open arms. The father's arms were always open, never closed. The son is given the ring, the robe the shoes. The celebration was great. There was an intensity of love shown to the prodigal son. It may seem unfair or unbalanced for the other sons who have lived good lives and stayed consistent. But what I realized is this...

There is an intensity of love shown when a lamb who has strayed is found. Sometimes those lambs for one reason or another, are emotionally unable to receive constant love. They may not recognize their reward, even though it has been there waiting for them all along. 

There is a constancy of love shown to those who have stayed on the path and have not been "lost."  They have more easily been able to accept this emotion of love, and felt it more regularly. Their reward has always been and will always be great. 

We all need love. We all want love. We all stray and we all struggle, some more than others. But the reward is waiting if we will but accept the love and the conditions that follow. Those conditions keep us on the path to return to our Father in Heaven. His arms are always stretched out, waiting for us to return to Him. 

Progress - It is not about the distance.  It is about the direction.    

THOUGHTS

"Celebrate all the good in life and forgive and forget everything else."

"Create a spiritual inheritance for your children and grandchildren, not a monetary inheritance." 

Please pray for our family. We are all struggling with some situations within our family that are very difficult. We need your faith and prayers. 

Love you!