Apr 16: Baltic Chŗonīcļe: Transfers, Email, General Stuff

From: Jordan Argyle
Date: Thu, Apr 16, 2009 at 5:04 AM
Subject: 16 Apr: Baltic Chŗonīcļe: Transfers, Email, General Stuff

All: So, I got a lot of walking done.115,388 steps (that's 90 KM).

We'll start with transfers. Elderam Braunam (Elder Brown) was the unthinkable--he was transfered out of Rīga Center North. He's been there since he arrived with me last February (that's last year's Feb.). He's now serving in Beautiful Liepāja, with Elders Gray and Durnferd (a Russian). I probably spelled both their names wrong...sorry 'bout that. Sister Largey is also in Beautiful Liepāja (as is Elder McLaren), and she'll be with Sister Knight for her last transfer. They (those two sisters) are training a new sister who arrived yesterday fresh from the MTC. Sister Wilson is still here, with a newbie also (one that she has known since high school). Elder Millett's mission ended, so he went home. I'm still with Elder Thompson, and Elder Long is with Elder Palmer. I'm pretty stoked about my new district. I'm not very stoked about Sister Knight leaving next transfer for home. Elder Thompson, Elder Encs, Elder Payne, and Sister Hagen (who's also training, starpcitu) will be leaving next tranfer (so they've got two left), and then Sister Wilson is gone after 3! It's madness!!!! I'm feeling really weird right now...oh well. I'll soon be the oldest in the mission. YIKES!!

Pictures:

Top one: We kinda celebrated Passover last Wednesday. This was my "passover plate." Since we didn't have everything that's supposed to go on the plate, we just read through parts of the ceremony so that we could get a feel for it. I want to really celebrate a Passover sometime--I really liked this partial celebration.
Middle: This is a stairwell we knocked. I've never seen real artwork all over each wall. I just thought you'd like to see some, so I shot 4 of the walls, then got back to procelyting.
Last: These are hard-boiled eggs that our investigator N. gave us. They are dyed with natural things (using onion peels and leaves under that). Cool, huh?

Investigators:

• So...teaching went well. I think we lost A., though. He read some negative stuff on the internet...and it bothered him. We talked, but he couldn't seem to get past it.
• All the others went well. L. should be getting baptized this week (we'll teach him again tomorrow), and hopefully Ainārs Lignarskis will be baptizing him!! That'll be way exciting!
• N. is still plugging along quite well. He had a concern about being baptized again. He didn't understand why he needed to be baptized again to the same Christ, if he has already been baptized unto Christ before. So, we explained what restored priesthood authority means. Look at it this way: if I was to walk up to you, and tell you that I was going to write you a fine because you were disturbing the peace or something, you would look at me with confusion and tell me to go away. Why? Because I'm no cop. I can't do anything in the place of the cops, because I have no authority to do so. In the same way, we must be baptized with the authority of God, so that it will be valid after death. I present the following revelation given to the prophet Joseph Smith: D&C 132: 7-14. This states very simply that if someone performs an ordinance or organizes something without God's priesthood authority, given to His prophet on the earth, then that organization or ordinance will no longer be valid after death. Another example is given here (Mosiah 21: 32-34). In this one, people had to wait to be baptized until they could have access to that authority. So, we just explained these things to N. I thought it may be valuable also to those who read this blog, which is why I wrote it out.
• We also had an amazing lesson with a man named J. He called us last night and said that he'd have some time. So, we met up, and taught him. He's very skeptical of religion. He's a member of another church (an active one), and though he attends regularly, he cannot say he knows the whole Bible is true. He really needs to research something before he says if it's good or not. So, he is naturally very skeptical of the Book of Mormon, another witness of Christ, and of its origins. So, we taught about the Book of Mormon, and then read through part of Alma 7, which powerfully testifies of Christ, His atonement, and the power it holds. It's very clear how the Book of Mormon is a second witness, reading that chapter. I would recommend it to all. But, I prayed very hard during the lesson that he would feel the Spirit, and I will tell you that I felt the Spirit INCREDIBLY strongly throughout the meeting, and I'm pretty sure that he did, too. It was amazing.

Email: If any of you have comments to the blog (for those who know me and my folks, please keep sending your e-mails there for the rest of my mission), I now have another e-mail address, to which you can send your comments, questions, or thoughts. That address is argailins@gmail.com (that's really spelled Ārgailiņš, but since those letters aren't to be had...anyway). You are welcome to send any comments or questions there. I will not likely look at them during my mission, so if you're looking for a response before next year, then send your thoughts through the mail. Otherwise, I'll read all comments and continue using that e-mail for spiritual discussions and such afterwards.
For my spiritual thought, I would like to recommend you to two talks from living apostles. They are from the last general conference:
The Way of the Disciple, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (the text version of President Uchtdorf's). As I listened to this one, I felt powerfully impressed to refer you to it. I invite you to read it. It's an amazing talk.
None Were With Him, by Elder Dallin H. Oaks (the text version of Elder Oak's) This is a very powerful testimony of the Atonement.

I want you all to know that I know this is all true. God's church has been restored in its fullness in our days! I invite all to come and learn of it.

Thanks to all for your love and support and prayers. I send my love,
--
Elder Argyle
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