What is up my peoples??? This week started with an all out brawl in the dorm hallways. All in good fun before bed.
On a more serious note I wanted to touch on how important it is when you find yourself struggling with a testimony what you need to do is start from the basics. Find concepts that you DO have a testimony in and make connections with the next gospel topic you truly believe in. Taking a moment to step back when you’re struggling and look for the truths helps clarify the trials at hand and helps to move forward with Christ instead of walking foreward blindly. Testimonies are built over time and they take effort to grow. The analogy of planting a seed is actually so good for this. Testimonies are planted and need constand care and watering. You need to have faith that it will grow and over time, I can promise that you will see the growth. Keep God involved in your spiritual growth and it will change you lives so much.
On valentine’s day we woke up early to go to the Sao Paulo temple to do Initiatories and Endowments. This temple is very small but extremely beautiful. Each room is just as impressive as the next in its own way. When we entered the celestial room, the peace and quiet we felt was something I had never felt before. The spirit was so loud in that room and it wasn’t because the Holy Ghost spoke louder, but that each individual took the time and effort to hear what he needed to tell us.
Then we got to tour the Visitors Center right next to the temple and some Sister Missionaries were the tour guides and showed us what their role at the center was. Its impressive how much technology has helped us in finding interested investigators. They are able to message the center to learn more about Christ and the sisters then send these names and address out to missionaries in the field to go visit them. The hand of the lord is working in our lives every day.
Something I loved that the Sisters brought up was that maybe sometimes we find it hard to see the hand of God in our loves but we can look for the finger prints. Gods finger prints are all around us, we just simply need to look. Our Pai Celestial (Heavenly Father) is loving beyond all comprehension. He wants to be in our lives and HE IS. Look for these fingerprints and find the tender mercies.
The rain on the 15th stopped us from outdoor basketball but i didnt give up that easy. We went into the auditorium and asked to lower the hoops in there and the Elders and Sisters absolutely balled out. Im grateful that we made the decisions to come to earth and gain physical bodies. The things our bodies can do is truely impressive (especially my basketball skills)
We had a lesson on Saturday about studying the scriptures with a specific purpose and a question in mind. This was one of the first times i truely did this and it was an amazing experience. The personal study was guided by the spirit and I was able to satisfy my questions and at the same time strengthen my testimony of scripture study..
On sunday it basically fludded. I havent seen this much rain in a LOONG time and it was awesome. I love the rain so much and I feel like it was a gift from God. The elders in my district had the great idea to go out and stand in the rain and It was the best decision ever. Until the Mission president caught us and told us to come inside. We thought we were gunna be saying our goodbyes and get sent home but he just said that we must love the rain and if we stay out there too long we would get a cold haha.
I hope yall are having a great time and imma invite you guys to find ways to love your neightbor.
Keep Smiling!
-Elder Hoskins
