Hello Family & Friends!
Hope you are all having a GREAT week! It seems like everyone has been really busy: finishing up school, having fun on fieldtrips, meeting apostles, working, dieting, etc. Well I can gladly say that I have been keeping busy right here too in Indio California!
K, did it not just seem like we just had April start?! Really.. didn't we just have Easter and watch General Conference! And now it's MAY! wow- it's crazy how time is just flying by! I was talking to Elder Veater on Saturday and he only has like 4 months left on his mission 4 MONTHS!! I celebrated his birthday and year mark with him! crazy how time is FLYING! On Saturday the California Riverside Mission had a couple of special guests come and speak to us up in Moreno Valley. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the quorum of the twelve apostles, Paul V. Johnson of the seventy, & William Reynolds an area authority. It was quite the fun experience! Never has the whole entire mission been able to meet together as a whole! It was so fun to get to see everybody! Everybody that I have been working with and had been transferred away from! Sister Reeves said for her it was like she had "died and gone to heaven", she is such a sweet heart!
Elder Reynolds and Johnson spoke about witnesses of the Book of Mormon and of Truth. "We are in the midst of the force of witnessing of the living Christ. It ultimately will light all the world!" ~ Reynolds. In the Book of Mormon the prophets speak of the people speaking "from the dust" and the words shall "hiss forth". Paul V. Johnson said that "we are hissers, YOU are the hissers" haha, I thought that was funny - may we all be "hissers" of the word and bring our brothers and sisters the truth!
Elder Ballard was soo ... incredible. I really could just have starred at him for the whol hour and a half and I could have been fine - It's crazy to think that these people are REAL! Well, a little Jealous of Nicole and Shaun - I didn't get to get a picture with Elder Ballard, but still all in all, it was a great day. He spoke and gave an inspirational talk on missionary work and what we need to do as teachers. He said that the #1 thing that he would want us to take from that meeting if we only took one thing was when we teach we HAVE TO be able to teach with understanding! "you have to become master teachers". He spoke about Confidence and how when we don't have confidence in our message - we don't speak by the spirit - we hold back. But when we know and are master teachers we will be confident, follow the spirit and not hold back. Isn't that true -for anyone too, not just missionaries, everyone! When we know and treasure up the word of God, we will be ready at any time and any moment and that's when our "tongues will be loosed" to speak by the spirit. A missionary asked him a question "When did you feel you had the testimony of an apostle?" E. Ballard thought for a split second and shared a story of him when he was walking home with his companion to his appartment and the spirit had testified to him that we did have a Savior and that what he was doing was true. That it wasn't an angel coming a vission - just a comirmation of truth. wow isn't that cool that we can have the testimony of an apostle anytime!
Well I got to go. I love you sooooo much and am so excited to talk to most of you on MOTHERS DAY!! think of some good questions Love you all stay safe and have a good week!
-- Love, ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE
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