Mission Highlights

There aren't many institute age young adults and even fewer seminary age youth in the mission. We have been seeing more people at church, and this last Sunday, we doubled our Primary attendance when a family who have been members for a long time came with their 5 children: 4 boys and a girl. The husband works in England, so the mother doesn't come often. Her twin babies keep her quite busy. The oldest boy looks like he should be Seminary age next year. That would make 2 of that age in our branch, maybe 3, and we are constantly encouraging a young man named Christian, who is a friend of a member, to come out to church. The youth are just so much fun to be around. There is a baptism scheduled for this Saturday and we are excited, as this will add to our YSA count in our branch. Our primary efforts are to increase the attendance in our seminary and institute programs. It is quite a challenge. We have asked the missionaries to concentrate on re-activating those in that age range. Most of our efforts this past week have been directed in the area of advertising our up coming YSA and Youth Conferences. We finally received the posters from our committees, and they have now been printed and are on their way to the various Branches throughout the mission. We need to have an accurate count of who is coming by the 10th of June, and so the push is on.

Curves and Potholes

CURVES AND POTHOLES

Several weeks ago as Sister Andersen and I traveled from Stara Zagora to Velico Turnovo, we couldn’t help but admire the beautiful scenery. The fruit trees were in bloom; the grape vines were shooting out green leaves, and the mountains were shrouded in living green toned colors. As our car sped along with a constant hum, I began meditating upon the blessings of the resurrection. “Spring, is to the earth, as Christ’s resurrection, is to man’s physical death, I mussed. As spring returns greenness and life to a sleeping plant world, so will the resurrection bring beauty and life to those who sleep in the grave.

The sound of the car’s engine brought me out of my trance and how beautiful the resurrection will be. The engine was beginning to labor; we had left the straight and level plain of roadway, and were ascending into the mountains. I quickly went from fifth gear to forth and as the car encountered a steeper slope and multiple curves, I was forced to gear down even more. Soon, all my attention was focused on just keeping the car on the road. As we converged upon the mountain with all its dangerous curves, we also faced numerous deep pot holes, and creeping semi trucks which, at times, brought our travel to a near stop. “How much more enjoyable our trip would be if the road was straight and without hazards”, I sighed. Without warning, the thought struck me, “It was you who chose to use this road, “my conscience was whispering. “You knew the mountains would be steep, full of obstacles, and slow traveling. You could have chosen a straighter road to get to Velico Turnovo, but you thought the shortcut over the mountains would get you there faster.”

Every elementary student knows that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. The Savior taught that, “Straight is the gate and narrow the way that leads to eternal life.” Joseph Smith reminds us in D&C3:2, that, “God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.”

It is my prayer that we be not fooled in taking shortcuts in our journey back to our heavenly Father. By keeping the commandments, we stay away from those dangerous curves and pot holes that Satan has strategically placed in our paths, in hopes we will lose control, even lose our very eternal lives.

Elder Andersen