Week 11 - Bearing His Name

Kumusta ang mga tao!! Mga paborito ko kayo!

This week was full of cool experiences. I was able to go on 4 exchanges with other elders! So much fun. I love going out and meeting new people and seeing new places!

I went on two exchanges with Spanish elders, which was a lot of fun. On Tuesday and Saturday. Thanks to Senor Kraus, I was able to understand a little bit of the lessons and even participate a little! If I end up staying in Wisconsin, I'm telling myself I'm going to become a Spanish elder haha.

On Saturday I spent the day up in Milwaukee with Elder Flores. That was a lot of fun. We played soccer in the morning with some investigators which was awesome. Unfortunately I got the trash kicked out of me. But I did score a goal! So I'm pretty happy about that. Soccer is not my cup of hot chocolate :)

We got a lot of heat this week. Thursday was one of my only days I spent actually in Kenosha and it was full of angry people yelling at us. It was hard. I've never met so many people who seemed to hate me right off the bat.

I think a lot of people don't understand that us mormon missionaries are still people. Im just a 19 year old kid who is far away from home and trying to serve people. All of the sudden I put on a white shirt and a black name-tag, and lots of people yell at us, curse us, or even threaten us.

All we're out here to do is to invite others to come into Christ. That's why I'm here.

Sister Garcia, the very sweet lady who does our laundry, shared some of her thoughts with me about this. I was asking her how she got through her mission. Even in the face of all this hateful rejection, what got her through? Her reply astounded me. She told me about how Jesus experienced everything that we go through. Especially as missionaries, we go through some of the same rejection He did. He was spit upon, mocked, even crucified. All for us. "But," she said, "He didn't give up on you. No, he went to the end. You can give two years."

That struck me hard. These verses really explain what I've learned this week.

D&C 21: "For, behold, I will bless all those who labor in my vineyard with a mighty blessing, and they shall believe on his words, which are given him through me by the Comforter, which manifesteth that Jesus was crucified by sinful men for the sins of the world, yea, for the remission of sins unto the contrite heart... you are an elder under his hand, he being the first unto you, that you might be an elder unto this church of Christ, bearing my name."

It's not just a white shirt and a black name-tag that we put on. Its bearing the name of Christ as one of His elders, in His church. We have His name right on us at all times. It's humbling and motivating to give it all to Him each and every day.

Not all of you are serving a mission right now, and that's okay. You don't have to serve a mission to take the name of Christ on you. My invitation this week is to ponder about how you could bear His name in each of your lives :)

Ah. Verses like these are what get me through the days. I'm grateful for Jesus Christ. I'm grateful to be an elder laboring in the vineyard of Kenosha. Life is good my friends! Have a great week you all!!

Inyong tagapaglingod at kaibigan,

Elder Childers

Zone Conference--July 4th

Elder Evans and Elder Flores