Straighten Our Lines

Hey everybody! How ya'll doin??

      What a crazy week! This week has been exhausting to say the least! This week we tracted for over twenty hours, and talked with more people than I probably ever have in a week and guess what??? We still have no investigators (; We're working hard and seeing little miracles, but we're still waiting and working. We know that someone will come with a desire to change their life and we'll be ready, worthy, and willing to act on the promptings that we receive. I can truthfully say the greatest testimony I receive is in times of rejection. What a blessing it is to be spreading this gospel.

      When I finished my junior year of high school, I had a job as a farmer. Little did I know what a task that job would be for me. I really loved doing it. There's one experience that came to my mind this week that I'd love to share with ya'll.

      We had just barely started a brand new field and had started watering it. When you have new fields, they get really muddy while everything is starting to grow. This field in particular had a large little dip in the field that caused all the water to run to, and caused this huge mud hole. When I would go out there, I would be in mud nearly up to my knees trying to take care of the pipes. One day the mud was weighing the pipe down and I had this idea that I was just going to try and start the engine, hoping I could get the pipes out of the mud, instead of walking down and straightening out the lines. I was being both lazy, and going against all that I had been taught as a young farmer.

      I started the engine and begin to try to force the pipes out of the mud, and before I knew it, I had this big bang and clash of metal. I had snapped a pipe in two pieces due to the force of the pressure that the mud had caused. The pipes couldn't roll, and it caused everything to break. I called my dad and told him the situation and he came out to help me. When he arrived, he looked at everything and calmly said, "Tys, all you had to do was straighten out the line."

      At times in our lives, our lines aren't straight. We're stuck in the mud and instead of doing what's easiest and straightening out the line, we think we can push forward when we're stuck in the mud. I've learned unfortunately, that we just can't. If we don't straighten out our lines, no matter what we try to do, our own personal line will snap. Maybe that means mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. No matter the consequence, I know that as we straighten out the line, no matter how hard it may be, or how much mud we have to walk through, we'll find that our lines can move forward easily in order to plant our own personal fields of becoming like the Savior.

      Missionary work is hard. Simply to put it. However, I've never been happier to wake up and go read scriptures, feel the spirit, and testify of Jesus Christ. I love tracting and talking of Jesus Christ. Like prophets of old, I feel like jumping on bus stops and yelling repentance, and baptism. I want to testify to each of God's children, even when they deny me, reject me, or belittle me. I can say I've never been so happy to have His name on my lips. I love missionary work. I love trials. I love what I do every day. I know this is true without a doubt, and I testify that this gospel should be the very center of who we are. May we build our foundation in Christ in all that we do. I love this gospel. I love my Savior.

      Thanks everyone for all you do. Sure miss you guys. I pray for you all and can't wait to hear from you guys. Thanks for your love and support. I am truly and sincerely grateful.

Elder Roper