Letters from Elder Langford: Peter - an example of Faith

 

Oct 30, 2023

This week was a bit on the lax side. My companion and I are doing well. We are getting along and trying to learn to work to better bring about zion.

Finding is still slow. And we don't teach many lessons. We've gotten a few more ward member lessons. Rod still needs to be baptized but we meet with his care facility tomorrow to finalize his baptism plan. 

Met the ZL's, they are cool. They remind me of the sons of Mosiah. Same with the AP's.

We probably taught about 2 actual lessons this week. I dont know where the time is going but I don't think it's in findin

g. We have found a few more people but something always comes up when we are scheduled to do a return visit that keeps us from getting there.

There's a lady named Lucy that we visit with quite often. She's real nice. We helped her stack wood and she fed us homemade tacos. We do Bible studies about twice a week with her but no matter what we are talking about it always ends up at the trinity (she's catholic). I dont mind that the lessons never really go anywhere, she cooks the best Mexican food.

The reason why Peter walking out on the water is the subject of my email is because I think most people have been in a similar situation as Peter. Maybe not actually walking on the water, but having to exercise faith in a way that's uncomfortable, and without a sure knowledge of what the end looks like. When I think of the setting Peter was in, I picture roaring waves that would sweep anyone away who would fall in. The hope Peter had to make it to Christ despite the rough and boulsterous waves is astonishing. I know the last 3 weeks I've felt the waves and heard them crashing down, and it is very distracting. It makes following Christ extraordinarily difficult. But remember Helaman 5:12 -

 "remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down"

Sometimes we won't know what our foundation is until it's tested. And when it is we will know who, or what, we are built upon. And if we missed the mark and begin to sink beneath the waves, remember that the hand of Christ is stretched out still. That he will pull us out from gulf of misery and wo that we can try and try again, until we return to Him in the flesh and witness to Him that we tried to build as he built, to do as he did, to become like Him. And what joy there will be in that day.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Pictures: Saw some animals (a fox, a part wolf-dog, and another chonky dog), a hot air balloon (there's a lot of those here) and the first and only sunset ever to occur in Pagosa Springs. I'll try to get some pictures of the deer cause there's always a lot around. Also there's a guy in the ward that chums the lake so I got to see a lot of fish. He said I could fish it :)

I'm also going to learn to do apoulstry work? Basically learning to make chairs and such.