Good Wednesday Everyone!
News to relate:
The Mini-Mission is going very well. John Newkirk, from the Suitland Ward in Southern Maryland is a very cool kid. He is 18, just graduated from high school, and has one of the most mellow personalities I've ever met. He is very willing to work with us and is very enjoyable to be around. I think Everyone's having a good time.
One of my roomates, Elder Cox, is finally leaving us. He's being transferred to a service mission in Utah. I think he will enjoy it there. Until transfers (In 3 weeks) Elder Frizzell will be once again combing areas with my area. The funny kicker is that because of the mini-missionary, I think we will be the only 4-person missionary companionship in the church! I can't think of another group of circumstances where a 4-person companionship would happen other than a mini-mission, so it's pretty funny :) We'll be splitting up and Bro. Newkirk will get to work a little bit harder than he might have intended! On Sunday he goes back home, and we will be in a 3-person companionship for the remaining 2 and a half weeks of the transfer.
I thought I would share an interesting think I noticed a little over a week ago. I don't THINK I've mentioned this before, if I have I'm sorry.
As you all know, at the beginning of the year I was asked to sing a duet at a leadership meeting where Elder Holland addressed the leadership of the DC North and South Missions. I was the only person in attendance who was not in a leadership position. I was speaking to the Assistants to the President after the meeting, who were responsible for choosing the musical number. I was told that there conversation went something along the lines of:
"Well, it's Tuesday. Who can have a musical number ready by Saturday that will be good?"
"Well, Elder Elsworth can play the piano.. and his companion Elder Anderson can sing all right"
"Ya but we need a really strong voice to sing"
"We need to call Elder Adams"
"Ya but there has to be someone in leadership that can do it!"
"Yes but we want it to be really good, on short notice, so we have to call him"
"Well.. I guess Elder Adams' voice lessons are going to pay off!"
And it was that last line I was thinking about. I was told that Elder Murri made that comment "Well I guess Elder Adams' voice lessons are going to pay off!"
This lead me to think, why did I start taking voice lessons? And I'm not certain if my parents even know the answer to this or not, I don't remember if I ever mentioned it to them. I remember very clearly when I decided to start taking voice lessons.
I was driving out of Bellevue Community College one day, and for some reason I had been thinking about the parable of the talents (I don't remember why). I thought, well... I have a talent for singing I guess, and I really like to sing. The parable says that if I don't develop that talent, it will get taken away.
That thought really bugged me. I enjoyed singing a lot, and really didn't want it to be taken away, so I thought to myself, I really need to start taking voice lessons and get more serious about singing.
It was that moment of pondering on one of Christ's parables that lead me to take voice lessons. It was taking voice lessons that lead me to be able to shake the hand of, and be taught by, and apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I had never before made the connection in my life of that blessing being linked to the pondering and application of the teachings of the savior. When that connection was made I truly felt even more blessed.
I know there is great power in following the promptings and teachings of the spirit. I know that our greatest joy in this life will come through humble and submissive obedience to the teachings of the Savior through his own words and through the words of all of his prophets who have ever lived, who do live, and who will yet live.
I love you all. I love to hear about your lives, please drop me a note.
-Elder Ted E. Bear
