Iokwe from OK! Transfers! One month left!

Iowke!

I've got just one month remaining. This last month, I'll be in Owasso with Elder Ellermeier still; we'll also be joined in a trio by Elder Tureson, whom I served around in Guthrie 2nd a few months ago! He was in the Guthrie 1st area while I was in Guthrie 2nd. He is a great elder and I will be blessed serving with him and Elder Ellermeier this last month.

I just read an article while emailing that will probably change the course of what I was going to write. I've been learning a lot about growing in faith and making decisions through that faith. In the Book of Mormon, Alma likens faith to a seed being planted. 

 "Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me" (Alma 32:28).  

I've often viewed it as something that we are compelled to do. We learn and grow and have to make certain decisions based off of what we now know how to do. I've also often thought that with our own faith and, in particular in assisting someone else in their faith journey, when things don't go the best, that it was because we had fallen short, every time. 

I've learned this: Our faith and growth is like a bean sprouting or an egg hatching. It is not in our control when the egg hatches or the sprout reaches a certain height, what DNA was already in the chick and in the sprout, and countless other things. We can control, however, the environment around them, giving them warmth, sunlight, nutrients, water and other things essential for life, and then watch them grow, having controlled what we can and prepared for them to do their best with what we've given them. 

It is the same for us. When we try to increase our faith, or learn to make better decisions, or experience any type of growth in our lives, we can do our best to put ourselves in good, uplifting environments, but after that, we can only control what we choose - much of what is around us we have little say in, especially what others choose. We will be happiest as we try to be patient nurturers for ourselves, rather than losing hope as the outcomes that we were trying to force don't occur as we please.

I know God does the same for us. He is a patient nurturer, hoping for us to choose to grow well under His care.

Wish I had time for more. Love you all, have a great week!

Elder Josh Kilmer
Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Mission, English-Marshallese speaking
不動心
Fudoshin:  immovable spirit
www.mormon.org