Lovest Thou Me?

Bonjour from Côte d’Iviore! Week 16 was great! This week we were blessed with  constant cloud cover for the most part, so we weren’t nearly as exhausted as last week. I was sick for a couple days, but don’t worry, it passed quickly, with only minor symptoms. I went on a 3ish mile run this morning... I’m out of shape to say the least haha. Ça va aller. I’ve had the blessing of being able to actually participate in lessons, and feeling the spirit when I do. It’s such a good feeling to be able to share the gospel. Even when my french is on the verge of incoherence, I know that the Holy Ghost is teaching people in their hearts what they need to know. Another huge blessing… We have 3, possibly 4 people scheduled for baptism this week! Sr Laetitia and Sr Annick from Vridi 1, and Sr Rebecca from Petit Bassam are our candidates. We might also baptize Fr Daniel’s son, but that’s a big if. They’re all really young. Sr Rebecca is 14ish, and the other two soeurs are 16ish I think. Le fils du Fr Daniel a huit ans. It’s been amazing to see their faith grow as we’ve taught them. I love watching the Holy Ghost testify truth and soften hearts. 

I don’t have much else to say for this week. We have zone conference on the 12th, and transfers on the 14th. Elder Kal goes home on the 16th, which will be a bittersweet experience. I’ll tell you how that goes.

My spiritual thought for this week is in the last chapter of John in the Bible. There are many lessons that we can learn from these scriptures, so I’ll just focus on a small portion of it. I can’t explain it nearly as well as Elder Jeffery R. Holland, who I’ve been listening to recently, or share with you the depth of my feelings, but here’s the scripture, along with some of my thoughts on it:

“So, when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” 

“He saith unto him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

“He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter Was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

The repetition of the same question may seem odd or unnecessary, but it has a point, as all of Christ’s actions and teachings have a foreseen purpose. Jesus repeated the same question to Peter 3 times to stress the importance of spreading the gospel. Peter got the message, because seemingly after this moment, he changed, boldly preaching the gospel and fearlessly crying repentance to the world. In a very small amount of time, his character changed miraculously. Peter the follower, before the resurrection of Christ, became Peter the leader, the “rock” of Christ’s church at that time. How was this possible? Let’s refer back to verse 15 above. “Lovest thou me more than these?” Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him more than the fish that he had just caught. Peter did love the Lord more than the fish, and more than any worldly substances. He forsook all, and put his trust in the Lord. That is how he was able to have the power to do the things he did. He left everything behind, his nets, his boat, his fish, his family, along with other things I’m sure, and served the Lord with his entire being.

That has personal significance for everyone. The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. That means putting Him above all else. Do we love Him “more than these?” It’s very easy to get caught in the tumult of life and the cares of the world. If we aren’t careful, those things can take precedence over what matters most. It’s been hard for me to let go of things that I’ve had to leave behind, but I love my God more. A profound feeling of joy and love that I’ve never before felt has started to touch my heart as I’ve been I working in His vineyard. I love Him. I will feed His sheep. I hope you, during this Christmas season, will choose to show Him that you love Him, and feed His sheep as well, through Light the World, social media, service, and other ways.

I am and forever will be grateful for our Savior. I know that He lives. I know that He loves us infinitely, no matter how far we may think we have strayed, wrongs we may have done, or alone we may feel, it is impossible to go beyond the reach of the Savior’s embrace, and His Atonement. I love Him. I hope you do too. Until next week.

- Elder Lyman

•Elder Lyman doesn't see dogs or monkeys, but "there is a herd of grounded ducks, some sheep, goats and chickens" that roam free. He also sees a lot of lizards.

•Elder Lyman found a hatched gecko egg in his apartment. 

•The crabs that they caught at the church and ate a few weeks ago were alive when Elder Lyman held them for the photo. 

• Le fils du Fr Daniel a huit ans = Frere Daniel's son is 8 years old