Hello Family and Friends!!
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| Beautiful Brandon, FL |
Thank you all for the wonderful letters and packages!!! I really appreciate it!! Mom, if you haven't sent my package yet can you please send me my flower tie? They are not disobedient and I really like that one! Also don't send me socks! The ones you sent me are nice and I wear them when I'm chilling but they are disobedient and I can't wear them out proselyting. The Marcums sent me a letter this week. They said they missed sitting behind me (and our family) at church. They are such nice people. I miss talking football with Brother Marcum.
I took a picture of more Florida wildlife. My favorite thus far has been the alligator. I haven't seen any flamingos. I love all the interesting wildlife here. It is so different than at home.
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| Florida Birds |
I am riding my bike again this week. Last week we had the car. We share the car with other missionaries so we get to do both driving and riding! That last long ride was pretty toasty and Elder Allen got pretty sunburned. Definitely need to wear sunscreen. My knees were killing me during the ride and the next day was pretty bad but they are just fine now and don't hurt when I ride. Today we are with our District Leader (I did some splits with him this past week- he is awesome). His apartment complex is awesome! Actually, lots of missionary apartments in this area are really cool. They have ping pong and pool tables in them. I haven't played ping pong yet but I hope to. I am going to kill it with my skills! lol
This week was super good!! I just want to tell you that the Tampa Florida Mission is the BEAST! We have some really amazing missionaries! We are also an "experimental" mission (not sure that that is the official term but it is what I call it). lol That means that when the Church is wanting to try new things with missionaries, we get to try them and test them before all the other missions and missionaries! It's pretty cool! We have a different kind of companion study and I really love it! It is a little quicker but what how you learn is amazing! It is more direct and visual and learn a lot from this method! I really enjoy companion study! There is another thing we do with people that are gathered in large groups. I haven't used this approach yet because I haven't been in a place where there are large groups but I will let you know how it goes when I do use it.
We also taught some pretty sweet lessons!! We had a member lesson with a family and it was really great. It reminded me of when we had the missionaries over. The family shared some good thoughts and that was good for us missionaries to see how willing they are to help us.
So we got a text from a guy this week that said he was willing to be baptized!! He is a Catholic and doesn't understand the apostasy (the apostasy is a loss of authority from the earth to baptize and to have a Prophet of God on the earth). And he said he didn't want to be baptized by water or immersion. So we are going to be teaching him and the importance of Priesthood authority and baptism. So that will be fun! I have learned a lot about baptism studying the scriptures and have chosen portions for him to read. I started with the question, "Why is baptism really important?" As I studied I received answers to that question.
The first, which is easy, is because God commanded it! And even Jesus Christ was baptized! Only by being baptized can we enter heaven!! (John 3:5) (Mathew 3:15) ( 3 Nephi 27:19-20)
Secondly, the person baptizing has to have the authority from God!! That is very important to understand! A lot of people think we all have the authority because we have the Holy Ghost/spirit. But that's simply not true. The Holy Ghost is a gift from God to help us personally in our lives. Christ got baptized by John the Baptist who was very far in physical distance from Christ. And Christ went a long distance to be baptized by him! And why? There were Sadducees and Pharisees all around him. It's because Christ knew that baptism meant nothing unless it was by someone holding the authority of God to truly baptize. (Mathew 28:19) ( doctrine and Covenants 68:8) (Luke 7:30) (acts 19:2-6) (Mathew 7:21-23)
Third, the symbolism is very important! Being immersed in water is as of burial and coming up is as of new life or being born again and a remission of sins! What a great blessing I have to know of these truths! (Mathew 3:16) (John 3:23)
So it was pretty fun delving into the topic! I love doctrine and studying scriptures! We have a lot of people out here that like to bash. Now I don't bash but I will always defend the faith and tell them I know what I say is true. A testimony of truth can never be shattered by anyone! I completely stopped this one guy yesterday who tried to bash me and I just bore my testimony of prophets and Christ Church and he was so stunned he had no idea what to say and ended the conversation. Poor guy thought he would destroy me.
But I really do love Christ's Gospel and I know that He restored his church! I love the scriptures and from reading them we gain more faith in Christ and we can receive help as we put Christ into our lives!! I Know that his authority to baptize is again here on the earth. And that there really is a prophet of God on the earth!! Again thank you all and love you all so much!!!
Elder Cahoon
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| Elder Allen and I |
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