October is Over

Wow - I can't believe the month of October is gone already... Elder Monk has passed his 4 month mark!! Time is flying by...

So, Elder Monk is still serving the people of Burbank and loving them and the area. He has been teaching many wonderful people and even met a lot of celebrities while in Burbank.
David's past few weeks have been filled with service projects. Elder Monk and Elder Uceda, his trainer, have helped many less-active families with small projects, the community library set-up for a booksale and the local elementary school's Halloween party. The growth seen through Elder Monk's letters from his service to others is absolutely amazing... "I have really learned to love doing service. I love seeing the smiles on the faces of those people that we help and I can tell how grateful some of them are for the service. I really do love helping others and hope that you and I can always look for ways to serve, whether in the community, in the ward, or in our neighborhood." ... Charity is "the pure love of Christ" (Moroni 7:47) and through Elder Monk's letters one can see his testimony of this truth strengthen. You can see his sincere concern for the welfare and happiness of the Burbank people through his letters. He continues to grow more and more every week!

Another great verse Elder Monk shared with me this week was:
Romans 8:16-18
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
David stated he loved these verses because of the reminder that we are children of God and because of that we are heirs and entitled to receive everything that He has and to become like Him. But, he states that the last verse really stuck out to him... "We all go through suffering and struggles and times of difficulty in our lives. But our sufferings cannot even begin to compare with the glory that we will have if we endure them faithfully. Paul states that our sufferings are not even worthy to compare to the glory and reward we will recieve. That verse just makes me want to try a little harder and do a little better so I can prepare for the glory that lies ahead..." This is great advice for all - we all have struggles and difficult times in our lives but isn't that we were are here on this earth?! To be tried and tested and to be given opportunitites to grow... We all will go through difficult times, but our sufferings can not even be compared to our reward if we endure to the end. I am thankful for Elder Monk's sweet testimony and for his obedience to serve a mission. He is wonderful.