Chapter 93: Filled

"And Alma went forth, and also Amulek, among the people, to declare the words of God unto them; and they were filled with the Holy Ghost. And they had power given unto them...And it came to pass that they went forth and began to preach and to prophesy unto the people, according to the spirit and power which the Lord had given them."

Alma 8:30-32

An incredible first week of the transfer, one which I am quite sure I will never forget: my last transfer as a called and ordained young missionary. After welcoming the new UK missionaries on Tuesday, Elder Draney and I left Edinburgh to start our exchanges. We conducted five exchanges, working with the entire Paisley Zone, starting in Paisley, then moving through Kilmarnock, Irvine, Greenock, Ayr and Pollock.

The experiences I had this past week are difficult to put into words. For the past five transfers of my mission, I have been working in the office in Edinburgh, barely attached to an area and hardly having much opportunity to proselyte in consistent and traditional ways. So the assignment goes and as such is the sacrifice with many blessings of itself which are rewarding in different ways. However, this week I have felt the power of God fill every part of who I am. I have been magnified, I have been given words to speak, I have had my faith increased and I have been an instrument in the hands of God in bringing multiple people to the point of their agency, where they've had the chance to choose for themselves to hearken to the Spirit of the Lord.

In every place we went, we prayed unceasingly with the missionaries. We received blessings and miracles in ways and concentration that I haven't seen or experienced on my mission to this point. As I've worked with these elders, I have been shown in some depth of feeling unknown to me who they are and what they are facing; I have been blessed with greater vision and with precise doctrine to uplift, council, and strengthen them in their lives. I have grown in love for people as I've prayed over their homes after they've slammed the door in my face and I've seen the sprouts of the seeds of conversion in the twinkling eyes of who we taught and blessed.

I've seen and experienced the power of God. I have learned for myself that this is his work, to be done in his way and by his power. I know that I have felt in my heart the power and direction of the Holy Ghost; there is simply no other possibility or answer to the 'how' of miracles of incredible odds, of such divine origin and orchestration in being placed in perfect places to meet people who needed to hear exactly what it was I somehow said in following a feeling in my heart. It has to be God.

I am grateful to have been blessed this week in experiencing this. It is all through Christ that I've been able to learn anything. I will continue to follow him and I trust he will help me bless the lives of those I meet.

Life is good.

God is wise.

Don't give up.

Elder Childers

Me and Elder Draney with our traveling backpacks by the McKay Stone

Our bags in the car ready to go

Pictures from our travels in Paisley Zone

Getting on the plane to Dublin, Ireland to greet the new missionaries coming in.

El Grito in Dublin, the best Mexican food in the mission