I have always been having a particularly close relationship with testimony meetings, I love the feeling of anxiousness in my heart but having a desire so great to share my testimony grabs it, and it takes me up at the pulpit with even greater force. I’m so glad that I can still open my mouth and share my testimony, with all my heart, my faith, and yearning so that the spirit may teach and reach into the hearts of those who need it. I’m so thankful for having the strength and ability to serve those in need.
Having my bike stolen has yet brought me more benefits than not, being able to walk to the temple to serve to attest to myself my willingness to serve, to remember who I am, and who I’m called to be, to be His representative, and serve Him above all else, and do His work with His help. My heart was a little faint this morning, weeping a little, for being alone, for not being able to act directly in people’s lives… But He remembered me and said that He loves me and that I’m never alone, and He sees my work, my diligence.
I thank Him for my health, for carrying me in His arms, and for His hands being able to protect me and my family from harm, for giving us hope. And above all, I am thankful for knowing Him, knowing of his love for me, and for my family. For going before us, and protecting us from disasters, for making my heart soft into remembrance of his great mercies in my life, for redeeming, someone sometimes so ugly and tainted, but he washed me by his sacrifice, for being my advocate to the Father. For knowing that He LIVES! That He is ONE with the Father, also that my Savior’s love for me IS my Father’s love for me.
My friends and seniors in this Service, I thank all of you for coming before me, for showing me the way, and that I’m not alone, I thank all of you for your courage, for your testimony, for your faith, for your diligence, for letting God prevail in your lives so I may come to feel so loved and blessed by our Savior. You have done great, and there are yet many great things that each of you will be called to do. I know this, I have seen it, I have felt the pain, sadness, and struggles, the lack of confidence, of hope, and the despair of loneliness, of feeling misunderstood and not understood at all.
We joke and meme about it, but, all of you are loved and are meant to be happy, I’m still starting on my path to find long-lasting joy and happiness, wondering how it feels, to be able to smile and laugh as naturally as the rivers flow, and the wind blows, to sleep at night in peace, and wake in joy for a new day. But I know there’s a goal, and there’s a destiny for each of us, and each leads to the same place, to the same rewards, and same eternal blessings and gifts. I have not seen or felt your pain, suffering, discouragement, but He did, and He says: I am the way, come unto me… that’s because the path is before you, He will give you the strength, by your obedience he will reward you with more faith, and in your loneliness, he will walk with you! We have been blessed with the wonderful promise to have us as the conduit of His love to His children, and as we serve them, He will show and have us feel His love at every single moment we prepare to have others feel His love for them.
Best Regards;
Elder Santos, a Service Missionary.