Elder Austin Ainsworth: HE DID NOT GO BACK ON HIS PROMISE!

Hello Everyone! I hope you have had a great week. It is still super cold in Maryland. My companion and I have discovered a great science experiment where we can freeze a bottle of water just by banging it on the ground while we are outside. It’s that cold!

We had a baptism this past week for Megan. She was with her boyfriend’s family. So, flirt to convert totally happened here! The baptism went well. Though I may not have known this investigator as well the others that I have taught, it was still a neat experience!

We are also teaching the Hunter family. They are super awesome and super prepared! They have a husky. I seriously love that dog! The only problem is that I come home with a new fur coat. It sheds a ton! I will have to take a picture the next time we are there and show you. It's pretty great! But the family is awesome! They ask us lots of questions over texts and are loving the ward and the church. They are soooooo getting baptized! They have even been talking to us about temple sealings!

This last week was actually a little rough for me. Last Monday, I went with some other Elders and we hung out at an apartment and played Magic, a card game. Well, it turns out that the mission president had come out with a statement months earlier that had basically banned playing Magic. I hung on to the cards, justifying having them. After playing the game last week, Heavenly Father proceeded to bug me, like REALLY bug me, about having those cards. I had received some revelation that because I was not following mission rules that He was going to withhold some of His Spirit from me. He didn't go back on that promise. This past week, the guilt trips were plentiful and lots of study and prayer was done, to figure out why I was feeling so guilty, until I realized it was the cards. Sacrament meeting, lessons, and videos that we ended up sharing, kept pounding the law of consecration into my head.

The final blow, so to speak, was a thought that I had this morning. "Do I love Magic more than the Savior?" After talking with Elder Nielsen about it, I will be sending the cards home. The moment that I made the decision, a HUGE burden felt like it lifted from me and the Spirit poured back into my life. Heavenly Father, through it all, kept reminding me and begging me that if I did this, I would feel an outpouring of His Spirit and that He would anxiously be there to help me. HE DID NOT GO BACK ON HIS PROMISE! I feel His love more strongly today than I have in a while. I'm super grateful for the love that He has not only for me, but for all those that will call upon His name and simply ask Him for help and comfort. I hope you have a great week!