Hello this is Elder Meier Audio Journal; It is November 16 Th totally forgot to do yesterday because It was just crazy but
anyways, so I guess I'll do yesterday
first, November 15th, Here is a scripture for today.. “Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all
your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings.” (D&C 108:7.) So this means, always
be trying to lift people up in all you’re doing. Do what is right.
Yesterday it
was super crazy Elder Bednar so he came and spoke to us, it was really cool.
So just how the day panned out, We did our studies, then had lunch, then the
Elders came and picked us up because it
was like 1230. We were supposed to be in our seats at 1:30 and we wanted to get
there a little early because as missionaries we socialize and it was crazy. So for
the meeting, there were two missions invited.
Both the San Francisco San Jose missions were there. We were walking
around talking with just like everyone.
I saw Elder A**********, Sister M****a, Sister M***l, Elder O***n, and
Elder Y****g and everyone, and then suddenly
someone taps me on the shoulder. I'm looking and it’s someone from
Olympus! A girl who was in like three or
four of my classes and I guess she's serving in the Oakland San Francisco
now. She's being trained by Sister
M******l's trainee, so this is really crazy. That I see someone I knew. It was R*****a M, so ya she is serving here now, and she totally dropped my
name! She totally said " Coleman” and it was the most awkward thing;
because I hadn’t heard my name from someone else in a normal conversation in a
while. I just was taken aback, that
she’s here. Then right after that we were walking into the auditorium where
Elder Bednar was where we were going to sit and I get tapped on the shoulder
again. It was E*****t D****s. He played football and soccer with us when I was
like in 7th and 8th grade, he is actually serving in the San Jose Mission, and
it was really cool. So I saw two people from Olympus right before I saw Elder
Bednar, and so it was just crazy, small world. Well then we sit down and
everyone was like nervous for Elder Bednar, so he had us study three talks
which were really cool, just about learning by faith conversion and prayer,
faith and the faith to ask. And so he had us study those three talks, really
cool really insightful, I really liked all three of them. The main things I got
out of it was like. Anything that’s of
worth, or anything that's of eternal
worth, requires constant action. Or
constant, faithful action, and as we continue to exercise and act on our faith,
and as we continue to act on our testimonies, we become a converted. We are
able to do great things and physically and then eternally …
Then so Elder Bednar
came and we were just like e super nervous and like what’s he going to do, is
he like going to call us all out and point us out? And say, “You answer this question”? Or is he
going to chastise us we don't know, we are just like super scared and we are
all sitting down, he comes in and we are like real nervous and we like standup.
I am pretty sure he knew we were all nervous...well he definitely knew, and so
he cracks a joke or two. He was a really cool guy, really down-to-earth. He was
just like “you know I'm going to be a completely honest. I have to say I spent
a lot of time in this basketball gym here, just trying to dunk it. Everyone was
always a little surprised when a little short guy slammed it in their face” and
then and in the back his wife would say something and then he said “you know
what honey? You know what? There's like a phone call, but it's in the back …all
the way in the back of the building... Like can you go answer it?”, He's really
funny and he got us all really comfortable with him and let us know, we're
going to be doing something different, like he said just like I'm not going to
be putting you on the spot , or in
a position that you don't want to
be in. For example, if I asked this Elder “what were the covenants you make
during the baptism? Before this, he
could probably say it perfectly and super eloquently, but if I point him out
and ask him to tell me to say it right now he would completely forget
everything … and he might think that he was in Okinawa, not Oakland. “So truly
-funny guy and just really just lightened the mood.
Then we just had a discussion about what we were to
be learning, which is really awesome. He told us not to write the things that
were said, but to write things the Spirit is saying to us, just like it helped
me… One, it helped me recognize
when the spirit is talking to me and it also helped me learn a lot of
things that I need to work on and what I need to do better through
the spirit. It was a really great opportunity I really am grateful for
that and what he said and what he did. Specifically, he asked us what we
learned from the talks. Then asked us to consider how we were learning, about
how the pattern or the method that he's holding this discussion in was and what
not. I
thought it was really interesting that he asked that and I kind of want
to apply that with all the investigators that we teach, and lessons that I have, throughout the rest
of my mission. Just having them bears their own testimony and how through
bearing their testimony, they gain a testimony and they feel the truthfulness
of it through the spirit. So that was really cool too. Elder Bednar also talked
a lot about how we are agents that we are supposed to act, and not be acted
upon. It was just really cool, really opened my eyes to how much I assume or
how much I ask for someone, or something to act for or have acted upon me, or
for me… But where I should be acting upon other things. I should be making decision because that’s
what the Lord has given us and that's what we need to do. And so that was
really cool and a really great experience, it was amazing.
And so that was like three hours long. But it was awesome!! After that, some of
the missionaries got together we all just kind of socialize a little bit and
talk to him. And we talked to each other and then he leaves. And we all go around and I’m looking around and I find Elder B****e and
some of the Sisters share experience and we get a picture, it’s the old district, were having a good time. Then as we’re leaving and I’m
walking… I’m out of the building walking to the car and BAM I see someone else
from Olympus… B****e B****y she was there just like in the parking lot of her
friends… I guess its T***n B's little sister, she is my age and she was
going to see Elder Bednar who was speaking again, right after us to the young
single adults. She was visiting her cousin who lives in the Stanford area I
think. They decided to go listen to him and they were waiting to get in and I
she got a picture with her... We read in the white handbook how it was a
distraction but it wasn’t a distraction.haha! Not like family would be or whatever. It was crazy! I was like what are you doing
here??? And she said she got her mission call and she is speaking Czech... so yeah. That was a great day!! Love Elder Meier
