Kekabeka

So family what is up?! Things are going really well for me out here!
This week we managed to teach a lot. We got 9 other Lessons so that is
pretty dang good for here. Our biggest struggle right now is getting
people to church and getting members to lessons. We have a ton of
people that we are teaching that could start to progress but until we
get members involved they ain't goin no where! #MissionBurdens. We did
manage to get two people to church but we were expecting at least 5...
There are a few of kids we are working with right now, three teenaged
boys. I think all of them have a lot of potential. Two of them I can
see getting baptized real soon. That is the thing about the Thunder
Bay Area. There is an unreal amount of potential here but it always
feels like something is holding it back from just exploding... It's
weird. I guess we have some praying to do to figure it out!

So this morning we went to this park called Kekabeka Falls. It was
super cool! I will have some pics for you at the bottom. And a video
possibly. Andrew took us there. He recently got back from a mission in
Milan Italy. We climbed down to the bottom(Not sure if we were
supposed to but we did anyway). Skipped a bunch of rocks and had a
jolly good time🐢.

Oh ya I guess I gave a talk in church yesterday. I hope it went
well... It was my first talk on my mission if you can believe it! I
thought I would have had more... In my talk I talked about the story
of Alma and Amulek. Here is a little snippet of it.

"Brothers and sisters I would like you to imagine that you are a full
time missionary. You have done amazing work in all the areas you have
served in. Baptizing miraculous amounts of people and establishing the
church in all the land. You have had the spirit work through you to
know what to say and what to do. Surely this promise has been
fulfilled in your ministry,

"For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment,
what ye shall say... And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch
as ye do this the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record
unto all things whatsoever ye shall say." D&C 100:6,8

You have just arrived in a new area. You could say that you have
re-opened this area. As you start preaching the word of God to this
people you realize that the people here are not going to be as
accepting as you thought. You come to know that "Satan has a great
hold upon the hearts of this people".

You are not a stranger to this people either. They know exactly who
you are! They know that you are a missionary from the church of Jesus
Christ and there is nothing you can do to change them. You have been
persecuted physically and verbally. You have been reviled, spit upon,
and eventually cast out of the city!

But as you begin your journey away from this city, weighed down with
sorrow and anguish of soul because of the wickedness of the people. An
angel appears to you and tells you to return! (Can you imagine that?
Returning to that awful city) But because you are an obedient
missionary you return. Not only do you return but you return speedily
and a different way.

Now, upon your return you meet a certain man. You ask this man simply
if you can have something to eat! You have been fasting many days and
it would really be nice to finally have some food. He lets you in and
feeds you. You discover that this man is a less active member of the
church. After dwelling with him for a few days, strengthening him in
the gospel. You take him out do to some missionary work! As you start
your preaching things start to happen similar to the first time you
preached the word. The people are not very accepting. Except for this
time, you have a companion.

Not only do you have a companion but this man is a man of no small
reputation in the city! People know him! He has been raised with the
gospel And now he has been activated. And do you know what really
astonishes the people? It's not the missionary, it is the testimony of
the recently returned less active member companion. After the
missionary speaks and does not have a ton of success. His new
companion starts to speak.

If you haven't caught on to the story yet the missionary is Alma the
younger and his new companion is Amulek. One of the greatest
companionships that have ever lived.

Brothers and sisters I tell you this story that you may realize the
quantity and quality of the light that is in you. Just Like the people
were amazed at Amulek for boldly proclaiming the gospel, others will
be touched by your example and your testimony. You are a modern day
Amulek. Although some of you may not be returning less active or less
active at all, we have all needed to be converted just like Amulek
was. "

That snippet was a bit longer than I thought haha sorry. But anyways
it went well. I tried to focus on how Amulek(the member) was the one
that astonished the people. Not Alma( the missionary) I hope the
members here picked up what I payed down. My testimony of prayer has
been growing incredibly! I have always struggled with the idea of
prayer and receiving answers to prayer. But for the last little bit it
has been miraculous what can happen when we pray in faith! We don't
have to be perfect to receive answers to prayer. We just need a
willing and sincere heart. Anyways I guess that's about it from me
this week. I'm probably forgetting stuff hat happened but I that's the
classic me every week it seems like! Don't worry I am at least writing
in my journal everyday.. Maybe I should bring my journal with me to
this thing. Hm. Idea noted. Cya.

Love😍,

Elder Long