No news on the Visa yet! As soon as I find out, I'll let you
know. It could be a week, it could be 2 months =p it's just trust in the
Lord and waiting. All I hope is that I have no regrets when I leave.
That I've done my best and talked to everyone that I was supposed to
meet.
You all should check out South Dakota! It's way
cooler than I thought! We live in Rapid City, our apartments are right
next to a National Guard base, so alot of mornings you can find at least
5 missionaries running around the track =) The weather is grand! from
50 being the coldest (so far) to like...80ish? Warm enough to be
sweating anyways =)
There is a bike rally about 20 miles away in Sturgis.
Check it out, but don't check it out...the bikes would be cool to see,
but I also here that it can be a drunk, angry, motorbikin' Mardi Gras
=p soo many Harleys around here! Regardless, I can say that my urge to
get a bike when I get back increases every day.
Our latest P-day (play day or personal day) after
shopping, we went out to Jewel Cave. I wish I had pictures, but I forgot
to bring my camera to the computer today! The cave is clamed to be
167miles discovered and that's only like 15% I think? Anyways, check it
out! We went on an hour and a half guided tour and it was soo pretty!
Dad, I'm guessing you could appreciate the idea of dark and undiscovered
territory with your diving career =)
Something else cool was when we knocked on a door and a
chief and medicine man of the Lakota Sundancers came out. He prayed for
us with a drum and song in his native language. =D I learned alot about
him and his religion - that there was a lone woman at the start of the
universe crying for man, for company. That a gamma ray shot a huge piece
of rock and cleaved it in two - also cleaving the universal darkness
into light and darkness...though it was cool, it was hard to follow.
(I'm glad my religion makes sense ;p )
As we talked, he, William Bravebird (with a native name
that sounded something like Zedikiah =) ), tied Sundancing in with the
Man (government) publicized school and other things that he felt hurt
him and his people. Though I do not blame him for his complaints, I can
say that the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring so much peace! However, he
was not too open to hear us. This is the pits sometimes! I can say that
with this missionary calling, I love the people here soo much more than
I could imagine! I see him as someone who like me is just trying to
find peace in this life. I know that God can give him that and that as a
representative for Jesus Christ, God has sent me to that man for a
chance to hear of his gospel. Because I love him (as a child of God) it
hurts when they don't want to listen.
It just comes down to finding people that are ready to listen.
I
can say that I thought I knew that this church was true before I left,
but as I study daily from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Preach My
Gospel - I can start to say that I know without a doubt! From
the 29th chapter of Isiah testifying of the BoM (when Oliver Cowdery
takes the translation to the linguist in New York) to the first vision
that Joseph Smith had with God the Father and Jesus Christ, it is true.
Studying this as a missionary is simply the best! There
is alot of opposition to the church, some bad history, and plenty of
myths out there. Many differeing voices telling them many different
things? So what should these people believe?
As I've learned the gospel with a missionary mindset,
I'm only studying the simple truths in a simple way. "God is our
Heavenly Father. We are His children. He has a body of flesh and bone
that is glorified and perfected. He loves us. He weeps with us when we
suffer and rejoices when we do what is right. He wants to communicate
with us, and we can communicate with Him through sincere prayer." This
is what I teach and what I reaffirm to myself.
We teach that Jeus Christ set up one church and that
that church was brought back to the earth through the prophet Joseph
Smith. The only way to really know this yourself is to read the Book of
Mormon and ask God if it is true.
It makes sense! Prophets were called, followed,
disobeyed, and then God took the prophet from the people (look at Noah).
But He always reaches out in love and calls another prophet. In this
cycle, Joseph Smith was only the next in line - but this time, to
establish the gospel that would not fade from the earth ever again.
Whenever we teach, we teach real people who
come to find that this is what they were missing from their life or that
we are crazy. =) and that's what it comes down to. Either the Book of
Mormon is God's word or Joseph made it up. When we teach, we (and they)
know that we are only the guides. Where they will get their answer will
be through praying to God and reading. If this is true, God won't let
you pass it up!
The only catch is that they have to pray and read
really wanting to know. There are some people who only want to know
about the LDS faith - which is fine. But then you'll only come away with
a bit more knowledge. We preach that this is the same church that Jesus
Christ set up - with all the blessings and ordinances that were in
Christ's original church. This is the way to eternal salvation - through
Christ and the gospel that he taught.
Regardless of that, the gospel can help people change.
We just committed a single mother Ana and her daughter Lakia to baptism
on the 7th of September. She is putting her life together, teaching her
4 children, feeling the peace of knowing who God is and his plan for
her, and quitting smoking. Seeing this is a testimony to me. I know that
she will continue to gain confidence in herself and control over her
life as she keeps the commandments of God.
There is another guy who honestly believes that it's
either Islam or Mormonism that has it right - and I can see where he's
coming from - but more on that later.
I know that
this letter has alot of God in it, but that is my life now and it is
fantastic! I love you guys and I thank you for everything you have done
that has made me who I am today. I thank both of you for the oppurtunity
to find my own way. I pray for all of your safety as I know that you
all worry about me. I love you so much and promise that any homesickness
is not making me sad, but is instead being enveloped in this glorious
gospel, the people of Rapid City, and the Godhead.
Much Love,
Your Son,
Elder James Reinhardt
My new companion, Elder Plitt with Elder Edwards
James with his Mission President and Sister Anderson