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Sunday, October 4, 2015

Work-outs - Letter to Dad - 27 July, 2015

Hey, Dad

Thanks for the advice on the work-outs! I will do that...soon. :) haha I mentioned my wrist in my email to mom. I'll explain a little more here. If I put my hand on the floor, I can not bring my arm up to a ninety degree angle. For now I won't be doing any P90X3, because I can't even do a single pushup. I didn't notice it until last night, so I must have tweaked it in some way, but I do not know how. I didn't do anything strange or weird recently, so I don't know why it is hurting. Hopefully it will get better soon. It has not really limited me yet, so we will just hope it gets better soon. :)

One of the other highlights of this past week was definitely interviews with President Wada! He is the best! This time President and Sister Wada actually came over to our apartments to check the cleanliness and to do interviews. They have been working so hard every day in order to do it for the whole mission. It was great to have them there though. They really are incredible, and just like my parents in Japan. I love them so much. I want to share one experience, and then the advice that President Wada gave me.

This past week we were going and knocking on some doors and we found this one lady who really made an impression on me. We started talking to her and she immediately turned us down, and then told us that God does not exist, and that it is illogical to believe in Him. She told us that it would be best to quit our religion, and just move on. We did absolutely everything that we could to testify and to bring the spirit to the conversation, but nothing would help. She was unmoving. It was a little hard, and when we left, it weighed on my mind the rest of the day. If you read the account of Alma talking to Korihor in Alma chapter 30, it says that when Korihor again denies the existence of Christ, Alma says that his heart is grieved because of the hardness of the heart of Korihor. That is what I felt. My heart was grieved, and I had no idea what to do.

I brought up this experience with President Wada and he had some good  advice. He told me that we can only invite. One of the things that he loves to say, and he uses a lot, is information before inspiration. As missionaries, we can only provide the information. We can bring the Spirit, but they have to allow the inspiration to come into their lives. As missionaries we succeed when we inform, and we invite. He honestly just told me to let it go, and know that we did what we could.

That was really good for me. As a missionary, bishop, leader, teacher, anything, we cannot expect ourselves to do everything and to be perfect. You know me. That can be hard for me to do. I am generally a perfectionist, and it is hard to let things go, no matter how logical/illogical it is to let it go/not let it go. It was really hard for me to grasp the concept that I really COULD not do anything more for that lady, because she just wasn't willing to open her heart up to it.

I hope that things are continuing to go well with your work and with your teaching in the church. Thank you for the email about Jared! Please let him know that I love him, and that I am praying for him. He is a trooper. I hope that everything is going well in the ward. What can I do to help you/the family, dad? I really want to help everyone, so if there is anything, just let me know. I love you and your example so much, and I am grateful for all that you do for me. I love you!!

Love, Elder Livingston

P.S. Thank you for forwarding Braidon's email! He is such a good man, and is going to be the best missionary. Thanks! Tell Mitchell congrats for me!! :D

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