Elder Mustard

We made it through this week, and honestly, it was a learning and growing week for me, and one that I will look back on for a long long time.

So I wanted to structure my email a little bit differently this week, and it is going to be kind of a longer email too. So first off, me and Elder Moss were able to go to church yesterday here in Wadsworth, and I'm so forever grateful for that! We received an updated thing on church for Wadsworth:

• Weekly church mtgs
• Live broadcasting sacrament services
• 1 sacrament mtg a week
• Virtual 2nd hour mtgs (except primary)
• No singing 

That was awesome to hear! So starting October 11, we will get to go every week to church. I just want to testify strongly, that I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers; I know it from the bottom of my heart. So do not give up, He is with us always. 

We got a new updated information announcement about all 19 missions in the North America Northeast last night, this is coming directly from Salt Lake:

• Just Serve in your community.
• Find projects in your area on Justserve.org.
• NO member and nonmember service.
• No nonmember and member meals
• No meals at district council and zone conf.
• No overnight training visit
• No Proselyting in public
• No knocking doors and street contacting

Elder Bennett, who is the area president, had a meeting with Elder Christopherson this weekend, and Elder Christopherson gave very very direct instruction to Elder Bennett that ALL 19 of the NANE missions need to follow these guidelines, without exception. Elder Bennett at times asked Elder Christopherson a couple of "Why" questions, and Elder Christopherson told him that the Lord needs and wants it to be this way for us. A thought came to my mind as I heard this, and it comes from Elder Holland, "We have not come this far, just to come this far". I do not know why the Lord needs us to continue to stay inside here in Ohio, and while I have spent the last 7 months of the 14 total months I have been a missionary, 7 of those months I have spent inside, I know the Lord has a plan. Announcements keep coming daily (literally something new comes everyday from either Area Presidency or Salt Lake, so I'll continue to keep you guys updated as more things are announced).This is never easy, but we just have to trust.

So let's get into the miracles of the week shall we😃😃😃 So on Sunday last week, I decided to fast, because Wadsworth has been a little bit slower lately and I want to be able to do all that I can, while I'm here in this town. On monday, the miracles started coming:

1.) Hannah Saylor texted and said she had a good friend of hers and her 8 yr old daughter who needed to do a writing assignment for school on "Who Missionaries are", and so we met up with them on Tuesday and were able to visit with them for a while. It was awesome! 

2.) This one is a miracle because obviously now after the announcement given last night, we can't do member service projects. But, so we went to the Bradley's house again, and were able to help them out with painting their swing set for their kids. Their 6 yr old daughter, Helen, came up to me and asked me for my name. I told her, and she was all like, "Elder Mustard?!?!" That was just the thing I needed to make me smile. So I told her she can just call me Elder Mustard from now on😃.

3.) We recieved a referral from the Medina Sisters for a guy who has been a member his whole life, but never knew who to contact as he has moved around from area to area. We have talked to him on the phone and he said he would very much appreciate being able to keep talking with us. What a blessing.

I am here to witness to each of you today, that miracles are everywhere around us. Not going to lie, I needed this week to happen, to remind me "Who is in charge, and Who I stand for as a witness everyday". We always ask ourselves the Why's of life, and I have found myself asking that exact thing lately. President Horgesheimer said something that really stood out to me, "The Lord will NEVER ask you to do something, that He doesn't already know you'll be able to accomplish". This is the Lord's work, and He is the one who descended below us all, to then rise with each of us everyday of our life. Don't give up on the Lord, because the Lord hasn't given up on you.

I felt pretty weak this week. Not necessarily weak as in physical weak; but a spiritual weakness. And so I was listening to a talk given by a lady who had been through a lot of trials in her life, and how she had found prayer to be the KEY source of light for her. I actually started to cry during the video of the talk, and actually felt a burden lifted off of my shoulders. Then the song came to my mind, "Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side, with patience bear, thy pain across." Be of good cheer, because the Lord is preparing a way for you to do everything in life that He needs you to, and that you want to do.😃😃 

Why did this world need a Pandemic to teach us and to bring us to our knees?? My answer to that question comes from an experience that happened this week that I know the Lord truly had a hand in helping with. Me and Elder Moss had just had some outside time (they want us to be outside as much as we can because of how much we are supposed to be inside), and so we came back to the apt and were in our workout clothes. This man was standing by a couch in the doorway, and I said, "This looks fun. (while chuckling a little). Do you need some help with that sir?" He said he would love help. I then noticed he had already tried to fit the 12 foot couch in the elevator and had shattered the light, so I suggested we take it the stairs way. I asked him what floor it was and he said, "On the 4th floor". This situation was just getting better and better 😉 So I proceeded to help this guy carry a 200 pound, 12 foot long couch up 8 flights of stairs (there is 2 flights for every floor), and then I pushed the couch approximately 50 to 60 yards to his apt room. Now, while this was just a simple service, I know the Lord had a hand in it. I compare the lifting of the couch and helping of the couch, to all of the world lifting their own burdens right now, and struggling BIG TIME (as Grandpa McEwan would say). So, the Lord is going to put us in a path that we can help those people. The only question is, will we be ready and willing to help those people?? Prepare now, "time is running out"- President Nelson.😃

General Conference is this weekend on Saturday and Sunday! I'm so excited! And so I wanted to invite all of us, to earnestly and diligently write down a question either today or tomorrow that we can take to conference weekend this week, and pray to have answered. I can promise that if and when we sincerely pray in faith, our question will be answered. It is such a blessing that we have 15 called and set apart apostles, prophets, and seers to lead and guide this great work of salvation on the earth today. Listen to the Prophet, follow the Prophet, He knows the way. My favorite quote has now become, "The Prophet doesn't stand in the way of us and the Savior. The Prophet points the way to the Savior and then walks step by step with us back to the Savior and Heavenly Father". Follow the prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, and I can promise each of you happiness and joy as we strive to become all that we want to become and all that we need to become in this life.

I wanted to end with a quote, because we all need good and uplifting quotes right?! 😉

"Being different doesn't mean you're wrong. Being different means the Lord trusted you enough to create you how you are, to be the needle in the haystack, to represent our Savior Jesus Christ who was different from everyone and was dispised of many, and to soften hearts and heal." When we have the choice to be different or to be right this week, let us follow President Monsons council to, "Let us choose the harder right, instead of the easier wrong".😊

I love and miss you all dearly, and am truly beyond words grateful, for all of you and your continued support and examples to me as I serve in Ohio and you all teach me so much about who our Savior Jesus Christ wants each of us to be. Know that I am praying for you all daily; I know miracles are everywhere to be found and seen, we just have to keep believing, keep praying, because "Heaven is cheering us on today, tomorrow, and forever"😊 I'm so excited to talk to all of you guys today!! Let's have our best day (and week) YET!😉

I love you forever and always!

Elder Dylan

I will be what I believe -- I forget the author

My own sacred grove -- the author is on the tip of my tongue but i cant remember this one either 😉😅