This week has been a little slow because nobody is home for us to teach, but we've had some great times! On the streets everywhere here there are tons of dogs. Mostly pit bulls. We pass one in particular every day and he is behind a fence, and he always barks and jumps up at the fence at us while we pass by, so we have some fun and taunt it a bit as we are walking. Well, yesterday we were walking by on the other side of the street and I bend down to pick something up, and Elder Witt starts yelling ELDER LUKENS WATCH OUT! So I look up and the dog was in the air three feet from me about to eat my face off. I jump out of the way and scare the dang thing so it goes after Elder Witt! He starts swinging his backpack at it, so it can't get to him. It looked like a total movie moment! It was hilarious! I was spotting some good field goal posts for this kick I'm about to give the dog and someone across the street starts yelling and comes and gets the dog by the collar and drags him back behind the gate and starts apologizing to us. We just start laughing because of how much adrenaline we had and how scared we were. After a few minutes we calm down but that was the funniest thing in a while! The movie keeps playing through haha!
On that note, this week has been heaps of fun! Elder Witt and I got some water guns and rubik's cubes from a member. Somehow I still remembered how to solve it, so I taught Elder Witt how to do it too. So in our flat we're basically solving rubik's cubes, cooking food, reading and interpreting scriptures, and having water gun fights. We have some pretty intense water fights too! We have tons of fun out here, but we also get some crazy good lessons in too! I've felt the spirit so strong out here in our lessons with members and investigators! I love this work so much! I'm counting the days in my journal, and everyone tells me that's the worst idea I could ever do! It makes the days go by so slowly! You'll never get out of your mission! I just laugh at them and say that that's the point! I had my sights set since I was a Deacon, and I'm not about to let this time slip away!
I feel like the Dynamic missionary. Every day, I'm not who I was the day before. I'm still Elder Lukens, but I feel myself crossing that strait and narrow path more and more each day. I know what I am here to do, and I know what our Heavenly Father expects of me. I know who I represent, and I know how I am supposed to this work. I know what I need to teach, and I know how to teach it. I have been prepared by the Lord to serve this mission, and every day is another competition with myself. Not only do I want to get better, I NEED to get better! Every day I make sure that I get a little more perfect at anything. If I went backwards in some aspects of my life, that's okay. But I will not let myself stop progressing. Like the prophet Lorenzo Snow taught, you CAN become perfect, just work at it one day at a time. I'm getting there, one day at a time. I know it's impossible alone, but I know how to get there.
I know that my redeemer lives.
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead!
He lives, my ever living head.
He lives to bless me with his love.
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed.
He lives to bless in time of need.
I love Hymns, they seem to have so much deeper meanings to them than we realize. My Savior is pleading for me above, doing all that he can to help me. While I am anything but perfect, I want to do everything I can to not let those prayers go to waste. I know he loves me. I know he loves each one of you. I love you all too. I promise that Heavenly father will help you and bless you. Jesus Christ is praying for every one of us, every day. Thank you for your prayers, they don't just go to me, but to anyone who I try to help. (Something you can do right now can effect people on the other side of the world, how does that feel? ;) ) Thank you for the scriptures and thoughts you have sent, and thank you for being the wonderful family that I have back at home. thank you for everything, and I hope the love I can show could be an example of Heavenly Father's love for us, because I can definitely feel that from you.
Read your scriptures, say your prayers, and be a little more perfect every day!
The Dynamic Missionary
Elder Lukens
