Sister and Elder Hintze: 7/17/23

 

Monday, July 17, 2023

It’s a beautiful day in Thomaston, Georgia! For our P-day (preparation day) today, we packed up

a picnic and our portable grill, went to a nearby, beautiful state park, and had grilled chicken

sandwiches, pasta salad, and watermelon with the Elders. We had our picnic lunch sitting next to

the river. It was so nice to spend a little time in the outdoors. We went for a short walk on a

hiking trail and saw dozens of little baby frogs like I used to catch in the woods behind our house

as a child. We even saw an incredibly beautiful, tiny little lizard that had a bright blue tail (photo

included). Another day this past week while we were driving the country roads to visit people,

we went to see one of the many covered bridges that still exist in Georgia. Red Oak Creek

Covered Bridge was built in 1840 by a freed slave and noted bridge builder, Horace King, who

constructed many covered bridges throughout western Georgia. This is the only one of this

design still standing today (photo also included). We enjoy the opportunities we have to see

some of the local sights.

For anyone who has ever served as a missionary, you know that the results of your efforts can

frequently be 90-95% rejection. At our District Council this past week, Elder Hintze shared an

important message with the Elders. He talked about Stephen, whom we’re presently reading

about in the book of Acts. Stephen was only a leader in the church for just a few short days and

may have likely felt like he accomplished nothing. However, a seed that he planted during his

short service resulted in the apostle Paul having a complete change of heart and becoming the

greatest missionary ever. One of the Elders shared that this was the exact same message his

father had given him on the phone just the previous day. It’s so important for us as missionaries

to remember that we are planting seeds, and we will not always see the end product of the

harvest. I am a perfect example of this. I spent an entire year learning and studying the gospel

before I was ready to act in faith on the conversion that had taken place in my heart. So, the

original Elders that taught me may have gone home thinking they accomplished nothing while

teaching me. But they planted the seeds that eventually flourished.

And yes, while we experience a lot of rejection, every once in a while we have very rewarding

experiences. This past week we went to visit the home of a couple named Austin (the wife) and

Jordan (the husband). They come from a large, local family who has been in the church for

generations. Jordan’s father was a former bishop of the ward before he passed away a few years

ago. We had been there twice before and found no one at home. This time when we knocked on

the door, Austin answered. She came out on the porch and engaged in a friendly conversation

with us. At the end of our short visit, we asked her if we could come back when Jordan would be

home. She told us we could come back the following evening when Jordan would not be at

work. It was not the reception we were expecting, and we were very happy. We returned the

following evening with a message prepared for them.

We have shared this message numerous times now. It’s based on a talk given by Vern P. Stanfill

at our last General Conference this past April. He opened his talk by telling the story of growing

up in Montana on a farm. As a child, he watched his father harvest the grain and walked along

the combine, always checking to make sure that as much grain as possible landed in the holding

tank and was not thrown out on the ground. But he always found kernels on the ground. He held

some kernels in his hand and showed them to his father with a critical look. His father replied, “It

is good enough and the best that this machine can do”. For many months Vern pondered the

imperfections of this harvest. But when the winter months came, he watched as thousands of

swans, geese, and ducks descended on the fields to nourish themselves on the leftover grain for

their annual migration south. And he realized that the harvest was not imperfect. God had

perfected the harvest and not a kernel was lost.

The message that God will perfect our imperfections is such an important message for us today.

It’s so often a temptation in our world to obsess about perfection while comparing ourselves to

others and being overly self-critical. Unfortunately, many people here in the area where we are

serving (and I’m sure in many places) stop coming to church because they feel they’re not good

enough, or for some reason think they cannot live up to expectations that they imagine are

present.

So, the message we shared is that perfectionism, usually, guilt and anxiety-producing, is based on

self-inflicted standards and is never uplifting. But being “perfected in Christ” is based on

standards set by a loving Heavenly Father. It is the process of being guided by the Holy Ghost to

become better every day. God measures us only by our personal devotion and our efforts. As we

accept the Savior’s invitation to come unto Him, we soon realize that when we do our best, it’s

good enough and that the Savior’s grace will make up the difference.

So, during our visit with Austin and Jordan, they told us that they’ve been discussing coming

back to church. But Jordan has to work every other Sunday, and they’ve just been away for so

long, and have gotten out of the practice of coming to church. We told them that all they need to

do is their best. If they can only come every other Sunday, then they can start by doing that.

They can read conference talks or listen to Come Follow Me podcasts on Sundays that they

cannot attend. They accepted our invitation to do their best while they confided in us that they

would like to return to the temple. Jordan had to work this past Sunday, but we are hoping to see

them at church next Sunday.

We shared the same message with Wyett and Kelli, whom we have talked about a number of

times. We’ve been visiting them for many months. Wyett served as a missionary and they were

married in the temple. But they have distanced themselves from the spirit and have consequently

lost their testimonies of the gospel. Wyett told us on a visit months ago that all he wanted was to

find the truth. We asked him why he thought that he was able to spend two years teaching others

where to find truth but no longer knows where to find it himself. They tend to church hop, going

to various churches where they have friends. We invited them to focus their efforts in one place,

and when they go to church, to come to the church where they once found truth. Up until this

time, we have rarely seen them in church. But after receiving our message, Wyett brought his

two young daughters to a fun primary activity on Saturday and to church on Sunday.

Unfortunately, Kelli has taken a job where she will be working every Sunday. We are thrilled

that Wyett seems to have also accepted our invitation to do his best. But we hope that he will not

be taking this journey alone.

We miss you all at home, but we love this opportunity we’ve been given to serve the Lord in

encouraging people to return to Him.

Have a wonderful week.

Much love,

Elder and Sister Hintze