It snowed!!!! We didn't get a white Christmas, but we sure had a white valentines day! We got like a foot of snow. It was awesome. I love the snow. It is so pretty in Washington. The evergreens look so amazing, all covered in snow. It started snowing on Friday and continued through Sunday. We weren't allowed to drive on Saturday and Sunday, so we just borrowed some snow shovels and went around with Elder Koenig and Elder Merrill knocking on people's doors asking if we could shovel their driveways. We probably put in 10+ hours of shovelling. We were so tired and cold when we got home. I am so sore in so many weird places today - elbows, forearms, calves, abs, back……
We had exchanges with the AP's this week. I was with Elder Roberts in our area. It was super great. We met some really cool people and just had a good time together. It was cool to work with him again. Elder Roberts is a super god missionary.
We also had exchanges with the Island Crest Chinese elders. I went with Elder Lai and Elder Hardy in our area. It was pretty awesome. We tracted into 4 Chinese families in the first hour. It was super cool to hear them speak Mandarin and Cantonese. Portuguese is definitely a lot easier.
We are super excited for Rita, Liv, and Luiza's baptism this week. Liv started figuring out everything she needs to do to fill out her mission papers this week, even though she isn't technically a member yet and she won't be old enough to go for another 2 years. It is super awesome to see, though.
I studied prayer a little bit this week. I feel like my personal prayers have been lacking a little lately, so I decided the best way to get better would be to study how to improve my prayers. Here are some of the notes I took.
Pray with Faith (Preach My Gospel 4, p. 99-101)
"You can teach in the Lord's way only by the power of the Spirit, and you receive the Spirit through the prayer of faith."
Doctrine and Covenants 42:14 - "And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach"
"Strive to pray sincerely, with real intent, and with "all the energy of heart" (Moroni 7:48). Effective prayer requires great effort. Give serious thought to your attitude and the words you use"
Moroni 10:3-4
Doctrine and Covenants 8:10
Doctrine and Covenants 9:7
"Always express gratitude for your blessings….Pray specifically for the guidance and help of the Holy Ghost… courageously follow those promptings….Pray with love and charity. Pray for people by name…...be willing to sacrifice in their behalf….recognize that your Heavenly Father knows what you need better than you do…..give the Lord an accounting of your day...pray to overcome temptation…….pray about and ponder the scriptures….believe that God will answer your prayers"
…..
3 Nephi 13:7
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking
8 Be ye not therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him
Be careful not to constantly repeat the same phrases in prayers without really meaning them
Moroni 10:4 - ….ask with a sincere heart, with real intent
Remember when we ask for something and it is not immediately granted that we do not need to relentlessly and constantly ask for it. Our Father know us and what we need perfectly
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name
10 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
We must humbly submit to the Lord's will, and make sure He knows that we are willing and ready to do so
11 And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors
12 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
14 For if you forgive men their trespasss your Heavenly Father will also forgive you
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses
If we are to engage in sincere, honest prayer with God, we must first be reconciled with our fellow brothers and sisters. We can be reconciled with God through the mercy of Christ, but we cannot receive mercy if we do not extend mercy ourselves.
I love representing the Savior in Brasil and Washington, I love the Gospel and Atonement of Christ, I love my family, and I love my Redeemer. I am ready and excited to work harder, learn more, and love better this week!
Love,
Elder Warren Matthew Dudley
Photo 1 - my new favorite thing to eat is spaghetti
Photo 2 - Snow!!
Photo 3 - As we were leaving our apartment complex to go shovel some snow, we saw someone walking around in a T rex suit!!
Photo 4 - Time to shovel some snow!!
Photo 5 - It looks like Narnia with the snow and evergreen trees
