Week 11- Mission Tour

Awesome week this week!  We met a few new people, but pretty much still the same stuff teaching wise. A lot of going out and talking to people. and knocking doors. But it's fun! Wow, so much happened this week! We had mission tour, which is when a General Authority comes to the mission. The other Elders had another baptism! Her name is Anne and she has been meeting with missionaries for 18 years before she got baptized! Crazy!!  We also went to Vega Bar which is the first place is Sweden to make  a hamburger. Boy, do they make a mean hamburger. :) haha

So, for mission tour, President Kearon of the Seventy, he is also the President of the European Area, came. He is awesome! He is the one that told the story in conference about him getting bit by the scorpion. 

As a seven-year-old boy living in the Arabian Peninsula, I was consistently told by my parents to always wear my shoes, and I understood why. I knew that shoes would protect my feet against the many threats to be found in the desert, such as snakes, scorpions, and thorns. One morning after a night’s camping in the desert, I wanted to go exploring, but I did not want to bother with putting on my shoes. I rationalized that I was only going for a little wander and I would stay close by the camp. So instead of shoes, I wore flip-flops. I told myself that flip-flops were shoes—of a sort. And anyway, what could possibly happen?

As I walked along the cool sand—in my flip-flops—I felt something like a thorn going into the arch of my foot. I looked down and saw not a thorn but a scorpion. As my mind registered the scorpion and I realized what had just happened, the pain of the sting began to rise from my foot and up my leg. I grabbed the top of my leg to try and stop the searing pain from moving farther, and I cried out for help. My parents came running from the camp.

As my father battered the scorpion with a shovel, an adult friend who was camping with us heroically tried to suck the venom from my foot. At this moment I thought that I was going to die. I sobbed while my parents loaded me into a car and set off across the desert at high speed toward the nearest hospital, which was over two hours away. The pain all through my leg was excruciating, and for that entire journey, I assumed that I was dying.

When we finally reached the hospital, however, the doctor was able to assure us that only small infants and the severely malnourished are threatened by the sting of that type of scorpion. He administered an anesthetic, which numbed my leg and took away any sensation of pain. Within 24 hours I no longer had any effects from the sting of the scorpion. But I had learned a powerful lesson.

I had known that when my parents told me to wear shoes, they did not mean flip-flops; I was old enough to know that flip-flops did not provide the same protection as a pair of shoes. But that morning in the desert, I disregarded what I knew to be right. I ignored what my parents had repeatedly taught me. I had been both lazy and a little rebellious, and I paid a price for it.

As I address you valiant young men, your fathers, teachers, leaders, and friends, I pay tribute to all who are diligently striving to become what the Lord needs and wants you to be. But I testify from my own experience as a boy and as a man that disregarding what we know to be right, whether through laziness or rebelliousness, always brings undesirable and spiritually damaging consequences. No, the scorpion did not in the end threaten my life, but it caused extreme pain and distress to both me and my parents. When it comes to how we live the gospel, we must not respond with laziness or rebelliousness.

He also spoke about the refugees last year.  Refuge from the storm

 So, when he comes we have like an all day training, and I learned so much! He talked about Christ and about missionary work! One thing he said really stood out to me. He said to be a missionary you have to look like the message. He is a convert. He met the missionaries when he was 26.  He said I have no clue what they first said to me when they stopped me on the street. But I remember what they looked like. They were happy, smiling and just beaming. He said they looked like the message of happiness that they had to share.

One quick thought, I was talking to a member that is a convert from some Christian church and we were talking about how he became a Mormon. He said one thing that is different about this church that is different that any other church is that everyone else tells you just to follow Christ. But we teach to become like Christ!  I have never even thought about it that way. So this week, I encourage to find one Christlike attribute that you feel like you are slacking on and work on it this week. Read scriptures about it, pray about it and really strive to become more like Christ. I promise you that it will help you be happier. :)

Have a fantastic week! Love you all! and don't forget to Keep the Faith. :)

Love, Äldste Baggett