Elder and Sister Echo Hawk were our visiting General Authority. We had a marvelous spiritual feast! Can I just tell you that I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I am so thankful to be a part of the Lord's Missionary force upon the Earth today!
One experience I want to share with each of you an experience he told...
First he explained how mission calls are given by direct revelation! He told of sitting with Elder D. Todd Christofferson in assignment of Missionaries to their respective areas of service. He told of how the Spirit of the Lord is so strong! There are two large screens. A missionary's profile will appear on the left screen, on the right side is another screen with a map of the world with every mission. Then they begin with fervent prayer to be guided by the Lord. The Apostle looks at the Elder or Sister and notes the information there then he picks up a baton and points on the map to an area of the world and says, "The Lord Jesus Christ has called....(by name)to the....(Seattle Washington) Mission, etc. Then the call is issued. One time there was a very accomplished Elder that could have been called to the hardest mission in any part of the world but was assigned to the central United States. Elder C. said, when he gets his call, he will be disappointed! But that is where the Lord needs him.
Then Elder Echo Hawk proceeded to tell us of an experience: There was a good family but their oldest son struggled to live the gospel. When he was old enough he decided to leave home. He went to California. He made poor decisions and got into drugs and other things which led to him being sent to prison. He spent his time in prison, then came time for him to be released. He was sent to a "half-way" house. Which is a place where they help you re-enter society. One day, this man was sitting on the porch of the half-way house and saw two missionaries coming down the street. He just sat there as they came to the gate of his house they paused. There were two snarling dogs in the yard. They touched the gate and the dogs acted more protective. The man on the chair said nothing to call off the dogs, he just sat there. So the Elders walked on down the sidewalk. Then the man on the porch noticed that they seemed to be praying together. In a minute they returned to the gate of his home. The snarling dogs came to the fence and the became calm and just laid down upon the ground quietly!
The Elders opened the gate with faith...continued up to the porch to visit the man sitting there. In casual conversation they asked where he was from. The man on the porch was from the same town as one of the young Elders. They talked a few more minutes, then the Elder asked...What are the names of your parents? When the man told him, there was a silent moment. The young Elder, barely able to talk, said, "They are my parents too...I am YOUR BROTHER!" This young Elder was not even born when his brother left home and they lost him to the world. Do you think that this Elder was called to that mission accidentally? Do you think the Lord always knew where the man was as he travelled the ways of the world? HE knew, HE KNOWS EACH OF US BY NAME! HE loves each one of us and HE loves us even if we turn away from Him! The Lord is in the details beckoning us to "Come unto Him!"
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