The Storms of Life Always End - Elder Joshua Avery

Heading to Singapore for Conference last week

Written by Elder Joshua Avery, serving in the Singapore Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaking Mandarin Chinese.

(The week of January 17 was traveling to Singapore and back for a Conference, so no email but lots of pictures.)

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was a different one for sure. We encountered many, many set backs, but I know that it is for my good and part of the process to becoming more like my Heavenly Father. I would say I have increased my faith by enduring the trials of this week with faith. Similar trials probably would have caused me to complain (well, more than I did), and wish I was home or sleeping...but this week it didn't bug me. I felt a heavy load but it was not crushing, when a load of the same size would have been paralyzing in the past. Today I feel calm and peaceful. I know that the storms of life will always end.

Elder Perrit and I got into Ipoh a lot later than anticipated for our exchange. We immediately hopped on our bikes to go proselyting. We found people who we could teach and pray with on the way to our first appointment. The appointment was in one of the more sketchy Indian places in Ipoh. I was following Elder Perritt as we were quickly biking to the appointment (we were running late), when in an intersection my tire popped. We were still a considerable distance from the appointment so we ran with our bikes to the appointment. The lesson went okay despite us having to trim it down due to our tardiness, and the recent convert we were visiting let us lock the bikes at his house. We ended up being able to meet many people within walking distance of the house. One of them invited us into their home and we were able to share a brief Restoration lesson. A member picked us up that night so that we could get home without walking all the way back, and a different member was able to help us get the tire fixed the next day. By us exercising our faith, despite being able to see how we could make the situation a good one, God blessed us.

Another lemons turned into lemonade experience was at church yesterday. Sometime during last week I ended up getting sick. Saturday night I didn't get much sleep because I was up with a fever and chills. When I got to church the brothers in our branch were excited (for lack of a better word) for the opportunity to give a blessing. We had taught them a week or two ago how to do so, and they were anxious to use their new skill. I was very happy that they were able to give their first blessing. It is one more way they can use their priesthood to bless their families.

We made a visit to a less-active member who is leaving on a mission soon, but he was not home. We were able to talk to his mom and hopefully give her some guidance and direction on what steps they need to take in his mission preparation. She wants us to work with her son for a little bit everyday. I also feel that is needed.

Elders Avery and Perritt

We also have a member who recently got an older cheap car. He was so excited and said now he and his sons can take us teaching more easily. We also are helping our branch president who is having leg problems preventing him from walking, standing, or sitting for extended periods of time. He is definitely a man in need of a helping hand. So we will be helping him this week to supervise some maintenance that has to happen in the chapel.

Thanks for everything!
Elder Avery

So Much Going On! (January 10, 2016)

Parable of Lehi's Family (January 31, 2016)