I learned some cool new words this week! Well I guess they are old words, but they are new to me! Okay here they are. Swankie. I love that one. Apparently it means ritzy? We were teaching one of my favorite people out here and she used that word. I busted up laughing, and gave her a hard time for using that word. The other word was schlept. She used it like this, “The Jews schlept across the street”. HAHA! It is referring to the way someone walks. I just thought those were the funniest things.
Anyways. We saw some miracles this week!! I was asked to give a workshop. The basis of the workshop was that with faith, miracles will happen. There were two sisters in there that really got it. I promised them that they could see miracles that very night if they would just have faith. I told them to call me that night to follow up. When they called me we were all ecstatic. They saw some amazing miracles! It is so cool to be a part of this work. I can’t even tell you.
There is a Sonic that we found. 🙂 I have missed that place. I went a little crazy, but hey! It was Sonic! You can’t blame me too much! It brought back memories of going through the drive-thru with my mom and having her order a Route 44 Cherry Limeade with extra ice!! I even got cheese tots to celebrate the occasion.
We had another tender experience this past week. We had some extra time so we spent it knocking doors in Belle Harbor. WOW. That was the place that was most effected by Hurricane Sandy. The people love the missionaries over here. A lady that we met while knocking started crying on her doorstep. She was so touched by the memory of us helping her during the storm. Sadly, none of us were actually there to provide service for her, but we stood in place of those missionaries! It was incredible to see a complete stranger crying at the sight of us. Most of the people in Belle Harbor are Catholics, but they are generally very nice. They haven’t been interested in our message just yet, but they will soon! I just wish they all understood that their spiritual lives need as much repair as their temporal lives did.
I am loving the mission. I am still learning, and changing. Hopefully a pattern I can continue to see for the rest of my life. I learned so much this morning in my personal studies! I studied Mark 8 for like 45 minutes. I will copy and paste my study notes into the email at the end..
I love you all! Keep up the great work!
Elder Lee
Come what may, and Love it!
I was re-reading Mark 8 today and noticed something interesting. So
Mark 8 is after Jesus feeds the 5,000. His disciples witness this
incredible miracle that was unheard of. Now, shortly after that
experience, they found themselves in a similar situation. For some
reason the disciples ask a stupid question (Mark 8:4). I can imagine
that the Savior was frustrated with them for their lack of
understanding. In stead of rebuking them right there, he proceeded
with His miracle and fed them. Later in the chapter the Savior rips
into them and rebukes them for their lack of understanding earlier.
Jesus took His own advice. In D&C 121 we learn not to rebuke people in
public. I think that is why He didn’t say anything in the moment! He
waited until they were all in private to correct them!
Mark 8 is after Jesus feeds the 5,000. His disciples witness this
incredible miracle that was unheard of. Now, shortly after that
experience, they found themselves in a similar situation. For some
reason the disciples ask a stupid question (Mark 8:4). I can imagine
that the Savior was frustrated with them for their lack of
understanding. In stead of rebuking them right there, he proceeded
with His miracle and fed them. Later in the chapter the Savior rips
into them and rebukes them for their lack of understanding earlier.
Jesus took His own advice. In D&C 121 we learn not to rebuke people in
public. I think that is why He didn’t say anything in the moment! He
waited until they were all in private to correct them!
Later on in the chapter there is another miracle performed. The Savior heals a blind man. It is interesting to note that this miracle is the only one
recorded where the Savior heals someone gradually. It could have been
because the man did not have enough faith at the beginning, and Jesus
was helping strengthen his faith along the way? It is interesting nonetheless.
recorded where the Savior heals someone gradually. It could have been
because the man did not have enough faith at the beginning, and Jesus
was helping strengthen his faith along the way? It is interesting nonetheless.
In Mark 8:28-29 I noticed something. Verse 28 says “they
answered” the Saviors question of who the people thought He was.
‘They’ obviously refers to multiple people. If you read in the next
verse when the Savior asks His disciples directly, “Whom say ye that I
am” their is only one person from the group to respond. “Peter
answered”. Would you, like Peter, be one to respond so quickly with
your testimony of the Divinity of The Son, or would you be caught off
guard trying to find out what you actually believe? (Mark 8:33) The
hebrew word for satan just means “adversary”. He wasn’t calling Peter
the devil, he was acknowledging that Peter was in opposition (or an
adversary) to His plan. Peter still probably believed in the political
Messiah, like so many other Jewish people (Paul actually talks about
how much of a stumbling block this was for the Jewish people. They
couldn’t comprehend that their Messiah would be crucified. See 1
Corinthians 1:23). Peter was only defending the Jewish tradition of a
Messiah that he was raised with after the Savior prophesied of His
death in verses 30-31. We have to cut Peter a little slack, he was
probably pretty confused a lot of the time. I would have been too.
answered” the Saviors question of who the people thought He was.
‘They’ obviously refers to multiple people. If you read in the next
verse when the Savior asks His disciples directly, “Whom say ye that I
am” their is only one person from the group to respond. “Peter
answered”. Would you, like Peter, be one to respond so quickly with
your testimony of the Divinity of The Son, or would you be caught off
guard trying to find out what you actually believe? (Mark 8:33) The
hebrew word for satan just means “adversary”. He wasn’t calling Peter
the devil, he was acknowledging that Peter was in opposition (or an
adversary) to His plan. Peter still probably believed in the political
Messiah, like so many other Jewish people (Paul actually talks about
how much of a stumbling block this was for the Jewish people. They
couldn’t comprehend that their Messiah would be crucified. See 1
Corinthians 1:23). Peter was only defending the Jewish tradition of a
Messiah that he was raised with after the Savior prophesied of His
death in verses 30-31. We have to cut Peter a little slack, he was
probably pretty confused a lot of the time. I would have been too.
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