Haitian-ing the Work: April 17, 2017 - "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you."

Well, it has be a crazy week full of deja vu being back in Hollywood, but it is good! I already know the Ward and the area so there is very little adjustment needed, I'm even sleeping in the same bed so that is crazy! I am enjoying the Ft. Laud Zone, but I definitely miss the Palm Beach Zone... However, the Hollywood Ward is totally different and it has improved 10-fold! We have a new bishopric, Ward mission leader and president of every single auxiliary! We also have some cool people that we are working with that were able to make it to church. Our biggest miracle was a Referral from a member in the Miami Beach Spanish Ward, his name is Frank and he is awesome! He is well versed in the Bible and recognizes that the things that we are teaching do not contradict the Bible but actually help clear up and explain it better. He will be getting baptized at the end of the month. We are also working with a lady named Cynthia, she is Chinese and is married to a Peruvian member that is coming back from inactivity. She is super cool and will also be getting baptized at the end of the Month! In other news, my new companion is white so that must mean he is from Utah. Well, if you thought that you were absolutely correct, he is from Salt Lake City. He is a Ginger. He speaks English and if you want to know what he is like imagine a Ginger version of Vector from the First Despicable me movie. There you go, that's Elder Foster!

It is interesting, I am the one that transferred in but I know more of the members and more about the area, so we are getting through that. It is also interesting to contrast how much I have changed in comparison to how much Hollywood has. It is basically the same city but I feel like a different person! So I guess that is good!

On Friday, I went on exchange with Elder Petry and we had a fun time together. We have both served in Hollywood so we had some good times together. In Priesthood opening exercises they had me introduce myself and for some odd reason everyone clapped for me... That is definitely a first for me. :) Everyone seemed excited to see me and thought that I had already finished with my mission and was visiting. But alas I am not, so they were excited that I was back here. The ward is functioning a lot better now than when I was here the first time! That is for sure!

Easter was good, we got invited over by the First counselor in the Bishopric and had turkey and ham and potatoes and it was good to finally have an American meal! I think that is about it for the week!

My Last thought is this, sorry it's from that Zone training again...

We have come up with four steps (with the help of the prophets and apostles) to help us to better recognize and receive revelation from God

First off it is important to know that any work that is worth doing requires divine assistance and missionary work is one of those

The First Step in receiving Revelation is to Pray Always, Nephi instructs us,

“ But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.” (2 Nephi 32:9)

The Second Step in receiving Revelation is given to us in Doctrine and Covenants 9

“Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong” (v. 7-9)

The Third Step in receiving Revelation is to Diligently Go and Do, Nephi exemplified this saying,
“And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth” (1 Nephi 4:6-7). Joseph Smith said, “If you follow the first prompting of the spirit you will be right nine times out of ten” and for that one time we are wrong often the substitute will be made very clear to us (Holland, The Wrong Road Mormon Message)

The Fourth Step is to patiently wait upon the Lord

Henry B. Eyring taught, “The word wait in scripture language means to hope for or anticipate. Surely the great prophet Isaiah meant that, and I think he meant more, when he made us a glorious promise. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. [Isaiah 40:31]”

Now you maybe be thinking, “Elder Hansen, why isn’t it easier? God wants to baptize and we want to baptize. Why does he just lead us to their doors?

I will let Elder Eyring answer for me, “The Lord doesn’t put us through this test just to give us a grade; he does it because the process will change us.