As you might know, every week the MTC puts on a devotional. They used to just be for the MTC missionaries but since it is now virtual, they encourage everybody to watch it. Anyways, this past week the general authority made a reference to a mission president who had served in Australia and had encouraged his missionaries to be very purposeful in how they communicated with friends and family back home. He said this mission president called this category of families and family back home our "most interested investigators". I was so surprised not only because I knew instantly he was talking about Brother Quinn and the book Letters from Home , but also because just two days before, I was attending the Missionary Leadership Council meeting. At MLC, we were talking about how missionary tend to get especially homesick around Christmas or just in the winter in general and so we were thinking of ways we could turn outward more and be more like Christ. I thought about Letters from Home and so I suggested we encourage missionaries to reach out to people from back home on P-day that maybe they don't reach out to as much - and I called this group "our most interested investigators". I had no idea the same thing was going to be talked about in the MTC devotional.
Also, this week we taught a new member family how to do family home evening. The mother and daughter were just baptized last month and the father is still learning. They loved the idea of family home evening. We did a short lesson and they I taught them how to play Queen Elephant and their kids loved it. The mother is in baking school so she brought a professionally made chocolate cake. It was just so perfect, the kids listened and sat patiently, the parents both loved the idea, and they liked our traditional Pinkney family game of Queen Elephant. We texted them yesterday and they reported that they had family home evening on their own and that they loved it.
I think that day (Friday) was one of my favorite. I haven't done a good job of writing this in order so let me back up.
On Friday, Elder Zhou and I woke up and went to volunteer in a food bank in Laval - a section of the city above the island of Montreal. I had never been there before but I had been volunteering at other food banks so I had a general idea. Usually, what most places have us do is sort through expired and near expired dairy, meat, and produce. Sure enough, when we got there, there was a giant 2 meter by 2 meter wooden crate full of carrots. We put on some gloves and started sorting through ok and moldy carrots. I really enjoyed it because it was just so peaceful and nice to just not focus that much - like mowing the grass or power washing. Anyways, in Laval, most everyone only speaks French I feel like so I was not expecting to really talk to any of the other volunteers. However, this really gregarious man started chatting with us and it was just nice to have someone to chat with and so I was grateful that he broke the ice and started a conversation. I am excited to see him when we go back next time. Then, we went to MLC ^^ that meeting I was talking about. Then, that evening, we went to have FHE with that family. So, it was just one super fun packed day.
Insert - Elder Pinkney's Mom asked him three questions to include in his email this week.
1. What is something that made you laugh this week?
2. How does faith impact your daily activities?
3. How has your life been blessed by following the Holy Ghost?
I think something up there can count for your first question. For your second question, I actually focused on faith this past week in my studies. Here is what I read in addition to reading through the Book of Mormon.
“Faith in Jesus Christ,” Preach My Gospel, 63–64.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/lesson-3-the-gospel-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng
“Faith,” True to the Faith.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/true-to-the-faith/faith?lang=eng
“Faith in Jesus Christ,” Gospel Principles.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-18-faith-in-jesus-christ?lang=eng
Elder Neil L. Andersen, “Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice,” Ensign, November 2015.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/faith-is-not-by-chance-but-by-choice?lang=eng
Sister Bonnie H. Cardon, “Trust in the Lord and Lean Not,” Ensign, May 2017.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/trust-in-the-lord-and-lean-not?lang=eng
Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Building Faith in Christ,” Liahona, September 2012.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2012/09/building-faith-in-christ?lang=eng
Sister Sharon Eubank, “Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness,” Ensign, May 2019.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/42eubank?lang=eng
Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Do I Believe?” Ensign, May 2016.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/do-i-believe?lang=eng
Elder L. Tom Perry, “Helping Others Find Faith in Christ,” Liahona, December 2014.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2014/12/helping-others-find-faith-in-christ?lang=eng
Stephen E. Robinson, “Believing Christ,” Ensign, April 1992.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1992/04/believing-christ?lang=eng
I think I liked this last one "Believing Christ" the most. Or, it may just be that its the one I read most recently and therefore remember the most. It talked about the scripture in the sermon on the mount that goes like blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. We often think in terms of "blessed are the righteous" and then are hard on ourselves when we make a mistake. However, what the scripture implies is that we are still blessed for just a desire to be righteous - that we are to be dependent on being righteous/obedient the same way we would desire food or water. This impacts my day to day because it helps me be able to recover when I feel like I do not measure up to standards or rules.
I think I already answered your third question earlier too so.
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