The Armor of God

Hello, hello!  Well, another week gone!  The weather is getting HOT and HUMID!  Much like Florida during the summer, but different. There's no air conditioning, we're not riding in a car where we can roll down the windows, and there's no drainage system.  So, if it rains, it all just sits there and humidifies the entire atmosphere.  So yeah, it's kinda hard sometimes.  Makes laundry a pain on Monday because of all the shirts I go through during the week, but whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I've had some really good experiences this week.  For example, a HUGE storm came through Tuesday night and throughout Wednesday.  The rain calmed down enough Wednesday morning so that we could go out, but it was a poncho and flip-flop kind of day. We had to cross several puddles (some of which had just become a lake hahaha--no drainage), which made it a kinda fun day.  Elder Nkanza and I certainly did not miss out on all of the perfect rock skipping opportunities.

As we were going home in the evening, we noticed a car that was stuck in the middle of the lake.  Thankful for having worn flip-flops that day, we rolled up our pants and went out to push him.  It was pretty easy to get him out, but his car just didn't have any power after being drowned.  Once he got out ok, his car was fine.  He got out and thanked us graciously.  He then asked what we do and so we presented ourselves and our message. He was very interested, so we took his number to give to the other Elders (he's not in our area).  Just another miracle worked by service!

I called Elder Silvas to take some pics of us in our rain/ puddle

gear from our balcony as we were getting back to the apartment for

lunch. 11/05/14

"Are you sure this water's sanitary?  It looks questionable to me."  11/05/14

On our balcony 11/05/14

Another impressive experience that we had this week had to do with the Priesthood power.  I will not go into details, but I can testify that the Priesthood power is real and that God is infinitely more powerful than Satan.  I can testify that miracles are worked by faith and that it is by small and simple things that great things are brought to pass.

I'd also just like to share something that I loved from my studies this past week.  In studying D&C 27, I had another great opportunity to study "the armor of God."  With the background that I have now, I took this study to really apply it to myself and what each article represents for me.  Here's a little bit of what I found:

"Loins girt about with truth" - raising our posterity in the truth, or at least building the foundation necessary to be able to raise my children in the truth.

"The breastplate of righteousness" - protecting our vital organs (the precious testimony given to us by the Holy Spirit) with a foundation of consistent righteous living and repentance.

"Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" - two scriptures that came to mind are D&C 11:21 and D&C 31:11.  When we prepare ourselves with gospel study, we are promised that our feet will be guided and that our mouths will be filled with words.

"The shield of faith" - faith is and always will be the ultimate antidote to fear and doubt, two of the most commonly used tools of the devil.

"The helmet of Salvation" - keeping our eye single to the glory of God and our mind centered on Eternal Life--D&C 25:10.

"The sword of the Spirit" - the only offensive tool among the whole armor of God, a sincere testimony borne and received by the power of the Holy Spirit will strike down and render speechless the most vile of aggressors.

Voilà!  I've gotta go so I can finally send some pictures, but I invite all of us to build more firmly and more specifically our armor in God so that we might go to battle against Satan and stand triumphant over him.

Have a great week!

Avec amour,

Elder Jenkins

The baptism Saturday.  Not our candidates, but I was able to do the

interviews for all three of them, and they are three prepared

people!!! 11/08/14