False Precepts

"Seek and expect miracles" is a quote often restated in the last few months in this mission. The premise is if we act in faith, we can expect God to do marvelous things in the work and in our lives.

Well, this is certainly something I have been trying to do, but I will say--

This week consisted of miracles that neither my companion or I were seeking nor expecting.

Something I have always meant to do, but never actually got around to trying, is watching 'The Prophet of the Restoration' as an activity. And we had the pleasure of doing so! Even if things don't go to plan, miracles occur.

We planned a lesson with our friend, David, who recently got baptized, an hour before the film. He lives quite a distance from Athens, so the opportunity to do a lesson in person was amazing.

He shot us a text just before the meeting stating, "I'm bringing a friend with me."

Great! That's amazing! As missionaries, we are always excited when someone brings friends because I've felt the discussions and opportunities are endless.

On the dime, David arrives at the Illisia Chapel and walks in with a woman with a friendly face.

"WAIT, you're a member?" I exclaimed.

"I'm actually from Utah, and yes."

Somehow, David being as social as he is, ran into someone at his hostel and found out she was a member through simple conversation. And not only that, she came to the lesson AND movie night!

The lesson went beautifully, and the movie night proceeded the same. I recall David even taking notes during the movie.

"I want to be better prepared if someone asks me questions," he reminds us. After which we explain that's what we do everyday as missionaries. It's a wonderful way to study.

I really believe that David meeting this member traveling through Athens on vacation was a moment prepared by God. It was a such a small thing and yet many good things came of it.

Participating or giving blessings is something very special to me and these have been times I have felt closest to the Savior. Having the opportunity to, once again, was a huge boost for me.

NOT EVEN A FULL DAY LATER,

we made a call with a man currently living in the States who premised our call with a text a day prior stating, "I've been in contact with two Greeks, and they are interested in the Gospel."

If I'm frank, I didn't think much of it. Sometimes, things sound too good to be true. Needless to say, I went into the meeting with a grain of salt.

Boy, how I was wrong.

We began the call at 8:30 pm anticipating the call to be about 30 minutes at the most. 9.30pm rolls around and he continues to tell us this remarkable story about how he meet these two on a language exchange website. For over half a year, they have been discussing the gospel. One of them, in fact, has read a big portion of the the Doctrine and Covenants already.

He told us these stories like someone hands you a lightbulb; carefully. I could tell, this experience has been very special for him. Despite speaking 30 languages and having invited many people of many places into the covenant of baptism, he affirmed, "I'm getting shivers talking about this!"

One of my favorite attributes of the Greeks is thoroughness. Yes, it might be hard to communicate the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ to those we meet, but if they are going to explore it-- they are going to try to get to the centre. But that first step-- or 'leap of faith'-- is the hardest door to walk through.

I think the spirit has affirmed to the member how special this opportunity has been for him to receive. Since he had prayed for the opportunity to share the gospel in his studies of the Greek language, God has delivered in a way I cannot even begin to explain how thankful I am.

Maybe nothing will come of it in my mission-lifetime. Maybe something will. But that's not the miracle to me.

The Gospel has the ability to touch the hearts of every person receiving it. Even if they think they already have it.

That's enough ramblings from me on that. This email comprises two weeks, so I will apologize in advance for the mess. I'm trying my usual transitions from one topic to the next, but it seems communicating in English is just as difficult trying to say anything in Greek! Haha.
That's a joke.

In reality, this transfer, has been a big chance of personal growth, and I've felt that reflected across this mission.

I will speak honestly-- my Greek is not where I would like it to be. Sure, I can communicate in Greek, and as well as I speak 75% of the time in Greek with my companion. This level of effort to learn the language has been a huge adjustment, but every day has gotten better and better. For the first time in my mission, I am enjoying speaking and studying Greek.

Despite the fact that Elder Crossley and I communicate quite a lot in Greek, it's an extreme difficulty for me to converse with others, even the other missionaries. Which I have always attributed to my lack of Greek. However, this week, my perspective changed.

I recalled a young Elder Hansen, in elementary school, could barely express his ideas in English, and struggled to communicate to others outside of my family. And it wasn't like I was speaking another language. It was simply since I had to gain the confidence to talk to people. To this day it continues to be a small limitation in my character to speak publicly to people.

Learning Greek has yanked me back to that young Elder Hansen that had to learn how to talk to people. My mindset has been, "Oh, I just need to study more Greek, then I will be more comfortable to speak to others." Yes, there is truth to that, but I think the correlation is smaller than I realized. There's a stronger connection to learning how to speak to others, despite the lack of vocabulary or grammar knowledge; learning to be comfortable using what you know.

A huge blessing has been how comfortable I have felt speaking with Elder Crossley in Greek. But it took a huge step in my personal development in order to do so. I had to let go of my pride and just let us learn. If I tried to enforce what I knew already, rather than taking the approach of "Well, let's just check!", conflict far too common would have arisen and progress for each of us, I believe, would have come to a near halt.

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I know my Greek isn't where I want it to be, or where I feel it has been if I maybe took a little more time into it before.

I could make up a hundred excuses, and some may even be valid, but that's what I am done doing.

I will be doing everything I can to get a little bit better every day.

I might not have the strongest Greek, the best Greek, nor will I ever have perfect Greek.

But I don't care what anyone else says or thinks of me, but God knows I am trying my best to have better Greek. That may have been not the case before, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is the now. That must count for something, right?

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I also just realized after writing all that, if you replaced 'Greek' with 'faith', it means almost the exact same thing. Funny that works sometimes.

Well, I've dragged this is little longer than I alread should have, but I thought I should conclude with something that has been affecting my missionary work the most for the last few weeks.

As missionaries walk down the street, they are thrown questions left and right. They can come in all shapes and sizes, and some are harder to handle than others.

A particular curve ball that is tough for missionaries is the simple fact the Bible is already a big, big, book. There's no way a missionary could memorize the entire book or explain every single passage in perfect detail. There's one person who lived who could do that, and we can draw upon the Holy Ghost to draw upon that perfect understanding of His own Gospel. But comprehension in it's entirety nearly set Moses ablaze, so I figure that level of understanding won't be happening to any of us missionaries soon.

The curve ball question comes in different sizes, but tends to all originate from one.

"Where in your interpretation of the bible does it say your faith is the most correct?"

There are so many go to verses that, even I myself, have used to explain how the Restored Gospel is Christ's Church on the Earth today. But I won't even go as far as to list them in this email because of one reason.

It's like comparing apples and oranges. How are you supposed to do so, if they are completely different?

By attempting to answer this question and 'prove' the faith, you are playing football against hockey players. Why even step on their field?

Much of the Christian world believes and understands the bible to be the final dictate of all things, thus nothing should be added or removed. That is why the Book of Mormon tends to be something very hard for those of other faiths to begin to understand.

But simply operated under a completely unique set of rules since we believe and understand modern revelation and prophets.

Everything Prophets and Apostles revelate should be in line with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, thus being in line with the scriptures. Amos 3:7 being a popular reference in discussion with this.

Through the prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon was translated for our day. And if you pray with a honest heart, you can feel by the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true.

Why even begin to 'prove' with our words that something is true with such a powerful guide standing behind us?

Our words invoke the Holy Spirit to reside. That is the purpose of our words. To aid others to come unto the knowledge of the Savior's Gospel through the power of the Holy Ghost. If the spirit of contention arrises, the Holy Ghost resides no longer. Why permit it to control anything?

I know through the Holy Ghost that Joseph Smith was a prophet and this is Jesus Christ's church. As I read the scriptures and share them with others, the spirit continues to confirm that truth to me, and I know it can to every person that reads with an open heart.

Why need I fear? God continues to speak to us. God continues to speak to me. The miracle that God doesn't only speak to me though a book 2,000 years is a truth that I could never give up. As I read these ancient books, I can have the fulfilling knowledge and understanding, from the spirit, that modern prophets are here.

I hope that all came out correctly and it makes sense. If not-- don't mind the babblings of a missionary. Sometimes we just need to get stuff out of our systems.

I love you all, and hope you have a wonderful new year! It's certainly been a warmer one here.

Πρεσβύτερος Ντίλαν Χάνσεν