Early Transfer for Elder Van Halder

Family!

This week has been awesome, but it has been super crazy! Elder Van Halder got transferred early and President couldn't find me another companion, so I'm living with the Elders in the ward next to Choctaw and I'm trying to get splits everyday so I still work in the area. It's definitely a new experience not having a companion to help me plan and always have my back, but the members have been awesome and a lot of people volunteered to help me out this upcoming week. The Choctaw ward is awesome.
     This week I read a talk by Elder Bednar called "In the strength of the Lord", and it has made me think a lot about the way Heavenly Father works and what our relationship should be with him. Elder Bednar talks about praying for strength rather than praying for God to fix our problems. Rather than focusing on the redeeming power of the Atonement, he focused on the enabling power that we could have. In stead of praying that God will solve our problems, we can pray for help or inspiration or anything else we need to accomplish the tasks. In Mosiah 24, Alma and the people are in bondage to the Lamanites. They continually pour out their hearts to God and their burdens are eased. He promises to deliver them from bondage and He easily could have done that from the beginning, but instead he strengthens them in their trials. They show their faith and patience, and submit cheerfully to the will of the Lord. After that He delivers them. I think the same thing happens with all of us. We often pray for God to take our challenges away from us when His will is often to strengthen us through them so we can learn. It is like in weights class when we would do as many pull-ups as we could then someone would lift our legs and help us to do more than we can do alone. The reason is always to make us stronger.
      Sister Berna (future Sister Walden) is getting baptized on July 19. I met her clear back in December, and now I'll get to see the entire process from the time we knocked on the door until the time she'll be baptized by the priesthood authority. I feel like I have been blessed with a glimpse of seeing her the way God sees her. She has changed and truly become an amazing disciple of our Savior. I can't wait for her to make those covenants and continue to become a better person.
     I'll probably be in Choctaw til the end of July, so I guess there is still a lot of work for me to do here. I'm learning lots and the ward is growing. I love it here. Thanks for all the support. Have a great week. HFF!
-Elder Hoddy