Chapter 76: Sustain

"And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun."

Exodus 17:9,11-12

A great and very eventful week. Elder Lambert and I were reunited with Elder Kulmayer and now our trio is all back together. It feels great: there is just a spirit present that is different than how it was. I love being all together. We had all the moves planning and departures this week which is always very crazy and very stressful. It was Elder Kulmayer and I's first moves planning going solo a bit without our previous mentors so it felt like a lot was on our shoulders, but in the end all three of us were able to make it happen.

As we pressed forward and accomplished all we did, I feel like I learned a lot about what it means to sustain someone. In our mission plan, one of the three points we follow is, "In the Scotland Ireland Mission, we abide in Christ by sustaining and serving one another daily." We believe, I know this to be true, that when we are doing our best to be one with those we associate with, especially those we love, through service and kindness and overall charity, then we access Christ's grace and find his power preserving and protecting our relationships.

I love this story from the Book of Exodus where Moses, the Priesthood leader of the Children of Israel, leads in a very simplistic way: he simply need to raise his arms holding the rod and his people will be victorious in battle. It's so simple, and all leadership under the authority of God is the same. Leaders in God's kingdom only need to act in faith and in the name of Christ and their plans will come to fruition through the providence of The Lord's power, not through any special talent or skill of the leader's, for Moses even had weakness and doubts.

But, Moses could not lift the rod alone. As it says, his hands were heavy, and he struggled to sustain his own efforts over a prolonged period of time. It is at this point where Aaron and Hur sustained Moses themselves, and "stayed up his hands" in order to ensure the victory of Amalek.

What would have happened if Aaron and Hur had thought that such a thing or plan was foolish and refused to help Moses keep his hands lifted? Moses was the leader, he had the authority to allow God to bless his people through his actions of faith, and yet, because of Moses weakness, the fulness of God's blessings couldn't have occurred if it were not for those men to stand by him and sustain his efforts with their own.

So it is with us and with those we work with. It doesn't necessarily matter what the plan is, that's not what is important to God. What matters is unity; what matters is our willingness to support and lift each other; what matters is our devotion to Christ and our desires to do his will.

In my assignment here in Edinburgh, I get to witness one of God's leaders do his work. President McCrudden is inspired and righteous, and he knows with all of his heart that if he just "lifts up his arms," so to say, the mission and us missionaries will prosper. But, he can't do it alone. I feel as if I get to be Aaron or Hur, and do my best to hold up his arms in trying to help the mission not only understand but in turn implement the vision President McCrudden has. It is a great privilege, and we all three of us hold up each other as we try to do it.

I will be the first to admit my weakness and complete dependence on God's mercy, but I am grateful that the Lord can use me in some way to do his work, and I am grateful that he has blessed me with great friends and family who hold me up as I try to do so.

Life is good.

God is wise.

Don't give up.

Elder Childers

Snow!

Pratt's Hill for departures; going to miss Elder Haight.

Departure dinner