Are You Willing to Try the Will of the Lord?

It was a glorious week! We are going to a chocolate factory for a tour today and it is going to be a blast. At the end of the tour there is all you can eat chocolate....but you aren't allowed to drink any water... so we will see how that goes....

Sunday was so awesome. Our 70+ year old investigator named Risto came to church with us! he stayed for all 3 hours, and even wore a suit! his tie had beer mugs on it...pretty sweet. I love risto. probably my favorite investigator so far. He is so willing to try everything. That is what we all need. Be willing to try the will of the Lord. we had a lesson with him this week and were talking about the gathering of israel. He really likes it and 2 Nephi was talking a lot about it as he was reading. We told him that this is his opportunity to be apart of the gathering. He wants in. He has been praying about baptism but has not gotten an answer yet. 

Our mission has started doing this 21 day Book of Mormon challenge that i think the whole europe area does. There is a scripture passage each day for us to ponder and read. It has been working really well so far. The very first day answers the question: Is there a God? the passage that we read is Alma 22. I really like verse 15 :

And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: what shall I do that I 

may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up 

all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, 

that I may receive this great joy. 

I love this verse. This king, he has everything....gold, soldiers, good food, land, nice house. but he is willing to give it all up for the Greatest Joy...the kingdom of God. it is so interesting. We shared this with one of our other investigators this week and he said "the king, he is a great guy, willing to give up everything to the Lord...i am just not ready yet to give it all up." this investigator is scared, that if he makes the decision to follow God, all the good things in his life will go away. I think that it is interesting that the king, he is willing to give it all up, he wants to, but that is not what the Lord asked of him...he was commanded to repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness and to be filled with his spirit. I think that sometimes we think that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are asking us to do a lot more than what they are actually saying...they aren't asking us to do impossible things...the king didn't need to give up everything...i am on a mission, i have gained a lot more than i have given. This verse really stood out to me...what am i willing to give so that i can have the greatest joy?

I also got to spend Saturday with elder Jacobsen, my old companion...that was way fun!

I hope that everyone had an awesome week! 

love elder christensen