Elder Nigil Bailey

1/6/14

weekly update

Family and Friends,

Another week in the books and I don´t understand how it went so fast. I love P-days but every P day is another week that I don´t get to do again. A mission is sooo hard and at times you feel like all of the work you put in is for nothing. Well, we got a reference last week that turned out to be a great family contact. That one contact made it all worth it. Originally, it was one lady who had a drinking problem and wanted to change…now we are teaching her whole family and the last time we were there they were all crying. That’s missionary work, or at least the rewarding part of missionary work. I constantly hear of missionaries that have several baptisms every transfer and I wondered what we were doing wrong. Then it occurred to me that we may not be doing anything wrong; instead our time has been used to develop other characteristics.
For example, learning patience and learning to humble ourselves before the Lord. Anyway, all is well. We are going to baptize this family. I know it. I have started setting a goal every week to pray to the Lord for help in developing Christ like attributes. It really is amazing what you can do with the Lords help and when you realize your dependence on him. I challenge you to work this week on thanking the Lord when things go well and not only praying when you need help or comfort. Become more aware of your reliance on the Lord and you will begin to see miracles.

I love you all and thank you for your prayers and support,

Elder Bailey

 

12/30/13

weekly update

Family and Friends,

I am sorry to say this is going to be a very boring weekly update. We are still unable to leave our house. We can leave for a couple hours a day but then I have to go back and chill out. I seriously feel like an old person.. It is AWFUL! haha anyway, we are thinking that this week I will start going out and we can get back to work. I got my stitches out today... holy cow…it hurt pretty dang bad!! haha I watched it as the thread weaved through my skin. Man, I am glad that we are almost done with the painful stuff! It has been such a good experience though. I thought I was going to die when the doctor said 15 days in our apartment but I have really had a great opportunity to grow closer to my heavenly father. I have been able to study and pray a lot! I am definitely ready to get back to work but I now know one of the reasons I have had a few setbacks. The Lord is giving me the opportunity to strengthen my relationship with him so that I can go teach with the power and authority he promises those who have faith. It really has been so great. I am more grateful now than I ever have been in my whole life. I promise that if you pray with a sincere heart the Lord will answer your prayers and in ways you would never expect (like by removing your appendix). I have had the opportunity to go in exchanges with other missionaries so my companion can still go on visits. (It’s more like babysitting for them) but it has been really cool to hold a conversation with someone that speaks no English. I have so much that I don’t know and I still speak really badly but I have a testimony of the gift of tongues. I look at how far I have come and know that I haven’t done it on my own. I know that this is the restored gospel on the earth today and that we are doing the work of salvation. Every soul is of the same importance to our Heavenly father. I promise that if you read next week I will have some good stories to share. Hopefully they won’t be health related.

With Love,
Elder Bailey