Elder Jacob Elgaaen in Jacksonville, Florida: November 12,2018 Jesup Georgia

NEW ADDRESS: 285 S. 6th St Jesup GA 31545 Apt 4

This week was an eventful week! To start, we had transfer calls and I will be getting transferred to Jesup Georgia. I will be in a trio with 2 district leaders as my companions who are both going home after this next transfer. The next transfer will also only be 5 weeks so the elders don't go home on Christmas Eve. Elder Adair will be training a new missionary and so I have to go to the transfer building and be there by 8:30 and it is a 2 hour drive. Then Jesup is the furthest area from that in the mission. So next week will be a crazy week!

We met some super interesting people as well this past week. One guy was named Dr. Steven Bivins. We walked up to him on the street and he is a local pastor of a church. He talked with us for a good while and asked us if we would be on a talk show over the radio on some Sunday. We told him we would look into it. He gave us some other people who we could see which is always good. So after we went down the street and talked with a lady named Jackie. She was super awesome and after everything we said, she would say umhum and draw it out really long. It was super funny. She told us that we should invest in stocks and only share the gospel online and not to people who have grown up in other faiths because they can't be helped. She then referred us to a house around the corner to a bishop. We knocked on this guy's door and he said his name was Bishop T. Wilson. He invited us in and showed us how he has a online ministry over Facebook and how he shares spiritual messages on there. It was fun talking with him and it really motivated us to use Facebook more.

Over Facebook, we got to teach a few lessons. It was super powerful teaching over Facebook Messenger because it really allows us to say exactly what needs to be said and review and ask inspired questions. Also it helps the people we are understanding clearly receive the message and we have seen it be a super effective way to teach the gospel. Another cool thing is we add members into the chat and then they can see the progress of our people and comment and share testimony of how they have seen the gospel bless their lives. Technology is amazing!

One sad thing but super awesome thing this week that is happening is we have a baptism for this Saturday for Tanisha! She is so awesome and is super ready to get baptized! The sad part is that I will be gone for the Baptism. It has been a great blessing being a part of her conversion process and seeing the blessings the gospel have brought her so far in her life and I look forward to her seeing more blessings later on!

One scripture that stuck out to me this week in my study was in 2 Nephi 7. Jacob is talking to the people about some prophecies from Isaiah and in verses 10 and 11 he says,

10: Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light?

11: Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled.

This scripture asks the question if you obey the commandments, will you walk in darkness? The next scripture made me notice that as we are obedient, we will be a source of light which we can follow. We will have the spirit within us and it will be a guide through our midst of darkness in our life. We just need to follow the small impressions and spiritual promptings we feel and focus on the light and good in our life as we follow the gospel. I love you all and hope your weeks are great!