"Give Thanks and Ask For Nothing" 8/25/13

Wow your emails were great, Dad you had me tearing up. thanks a ton, you guys are the best! This was a week filled with excitement and also filled with some trials. Our family this week was doing amazing! we had great fellowshippers for them and every lesson was powerfully packed with the spirit! oh it was so neat to see! we saw the light in them that came from them following the commandments and commitments. unfortunately the one daughter didnt come to church yesterday, it broke my heart because we had to move their baptism again. meaning i wont seem them baptized before i leave. it was hard to accept because we have done our best to help them, the mom came though and had a great time with her new relief society friends! i learned and had to accept that even though i wont be here for their baptism they will still be baptized, their dad will be the one to baptize them and they will still receive the gift of the holy ghost. We are all on the same team here and the most important thing is that they keep the faith! We had other really neat things happen this week, we did a lot of finding and found some really prepared people! it was amazing! we even had one family come to church yesterday and the ward did such a good job fellowshipping them! they loved it! haha i still call these extra 3 weeks the final refinement. Its hard to describe all the wonderful blessings we are receiving and all the trials that are coming. i truly do appreciate everyday i have out here and when time permits, i love taking the time to replay the day and really realize all that has happened. I have taken a new approach to my prayers that i would like you to try. Give only thanks and ask for nothing. it'll make you think a little harder and help the Lord fulfill his promise to us in D&C 78:19. i love you and pray for you always! thanks for all that you do! nagmamahal, Elder Machen