Bloxham Missionary News: Elder Bloxham

A little update of what is going on in the Promised Land is we have a baptism this Saturday!!! Yay!!! His name is Jeremy and he is just amazing!!! It has been awesome to work with him because we have seen a real change in him! The Book of Mormon can and will change anybody who reads and ponders what it has to say! When we first started meeting with him he just invited us back because he liked hanging out with us, I mean who wouldn't, we're freakin cool... :) But then we finally got him reading the Book of Mormon every single night, and he has literally become a different person! Wow, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is real and changes the hearts of those who accept it. Jeremy has Multiple Sclerosis, and is 20 years old. He can't walk very well, he uses a cane, but he doesn't like using a cane so he just toughs it out. He really is an amazing man, and he thanks the Lord every day for what he does have! It really makes me think about what the Lord has given me! I have fully functioning legs and arms, sometimes... haha that I can do what I please, and I take it for granted, but it really is amazing to see him and how positive he is! I love Jeremy!

We've been sifting the Pool a little bit this past week! Dropping those who wont progress, and finding those who will, and it has been awesome! We've met some amazing people, but we've also met some weirdos!! That is always fun for the stories at home ;) "We have bikes and a car but we mostly walk, cuz it makes good stories for the homecoming talk!" what missionaries say here.. Anyway, we are excited about the work, and what is going on, we have really been blessed!

The main objective of the Lord allowing us to know the Doctrine of Christ and applying it in our life is change. The natural man does not want to change, but the Lord wants us to constantly change! A lot of people will say, "I am only like this because I was raised that way" or "this is just a habit that I have". The Doctrine of Christ is what allows you to get rid of those sayings! You can always change! This is an excerpt from the talk "His Grace is Sufficient" By Brad Wilcox. He is talking about a student that asked him about Grace and this is what he told her:

She continued, “I know that I have to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection. But who fills the gap that stands between where I am now and my part?”

She then went on to tell me all the things that she shouldn’t be doing because she’s a Mormon, but she was doing them anyway.

Finally I said, “Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”

We do not have to earn our way into Heaven, we are Learning Heaven. Grace is sufficient to change all who allow it to change them! I have applied this Doctrine, and the Lord has changed me!

I invite everyone to read this talk! "His Grace is Sufficient" Brad Wilcox, BYUspeeches, and it will give you a new perspective on how the Lord wants us to live our lives!

Have a great week everyone and I Love you!!

-Elder Bloxham