This week, has been............difficult. Yet, at the same time I´ve loved every moment of it. As my companion and I reflected on the week, we came to the conclusion our Heavenly Father looked down at the start of the week and said ´Well, Elder Driscoll and Elder Pollard, I´m going to teach you about the Atonement this week.´ Then Boom! He brought it.
We´ve had an amazing symbolic week of the events that make up the atonement. Now, I´m not saying we went anything near of what He faced, but through a special and symbolic experiences our testimonies of the Atonement have been strengthened through a very personal way. We were amazed by the ability for the Lord to teach us of these events in a way that caused pondering and personal reflection. Though I will not tell all the events here, I would like to tell some and how I experienced it.
Elder Driscoll fell sick on Tuesday, he stayed in bed all day. Wednesday Elder Spiller (Who lives with us) became sick as well, I took His companion Elder Marchado and we went to work, but ended up coming home early because Elder Machado came down with a fever. I was the last one, until Thursday night it finally got me. I awoke in pain, the sound I could hear was that of ´Father, please heal me......´ Repeated over and over, then I realized I was the one saying it. Buring up with a Head-ache and stomach pains, I finally got up and went outside and threw up. While I was there outside on the ground, the scriptures from Luke 22 came to mind as the savior was in agony. `Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.´
In that moment, I began praying that the Lord´s will be done. Yet, I felt alone and thought my prayers where being left unheard. So I asked that the Lordif he would send an angel to me, to comfort me. As I prayed with earnestness, there came a real and loving voice from behind me. Dressed in white, in the language of Portuguese, was a concerned voice of a man behind me `Elder Pollard, are you okay?´
He sent one to me.
In that moment I knew He had answered my prayer. He awoke Elder Machado, who came out and with love and compassion and helped me up. He gave me some medicine for my stomach. I asked him for a priesthood blessing. He made me a promise that as I remember the atonement and continue to cry to the Father, I would be healed. I was comforted. I felt a great feeling of peace and appreciation for my Father in heaven who knows my pains, and my Savior who passed through all of them. I was grateful for Elder Machado, who told me he had just awoken in the middle of the night with a feeling he needed to do something. He heard me go outside and went to see what was up. He was an angel sent from God to me. His promise to me was fullfilled and I was soon healed.
I am so grateful for the Atonement in our lives. This experience had me contemplate a lot of what the Savior went through that night He bled from every pore, no human mind can comprehend. But I know I personally have been cured, healed, lifted and strengthened for that which He did for me. The Atonement consists of His suffering in the Garden, to the beatings and difficult pass to the cross, to his cruzfication, to his organizing and preaching to those in spirit prision, to his glorious resurrection, and this week I have come to know deeper each part on a level I didn´t think possible. I know it is through this eternal atonement that all mankind can be saved and that all unfairness in the world can be resolved. I know the Savior Lives and He never leaves us alone, it would be against His character to do so. I am so grateful for the miracle He has given to my life.
We´ve been teaching an amazing family of Dilson. I´ll tell their story next week, but it´s a complete family with 5 young children. I am amazed of your teaching techniques for children and how you do it in a simple way and a fun one. I am lost when it comes to teaching them. Please send me tips on teaching children. What have you learned over the years? If you could, read the topics of chp 3 of Preach my Gospel and tell me what Ideas you have to teach these things. I want to create an atmosphere where they can feel the spirit like you do for your primary, I feel the spirit so strongly just sharing with others what you do in primary. I love the ideas and want to apply some here.
Among other families we´ve been helping a less active Diane come back to church with her son Gabriel (who´s 8) Her mother is an active woman who´s been great a great example. Yesterday Gabriel was baptized. I was so happy to that family return to church.
Elder Pollard.
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