Hello All!
Here is Elder Troy's latest letter!
He's still in Spring, Texas. As always, thank you for your love and support. He appreciates all the letters and emails! If you'd like to send him a Christmas card or package for the holidays, it would be so great! You can send it here:
Elder Derek Allen Troy
26325 Northgate Crossing Blvd., Apt. #1510
Spring, TX 77373
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Hey Y'all!
What a weird week it has been in Texas.
"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."
"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?"
One of the more interesting guys we ran into this week I just have written down as "Bo & Luke Duke" in my planner since he wouldn't give us his name. I guess his second wife came into a lot of money after a lawsuit and the guy has spent tons of it on safaris. He heard I'm a hunter after shooting the breeze a bit and invited us in. It was like a Cabela's in there. The guy had a stuffed baboon, two black bears, a grizzly, a porcupine, a ten foot Gator, a seven foot shark, a zebra, a kudzu, a whale baleen, a couple bighorn sheep, and some other critters stuffed or skinned around his living room. Claimed that the coyote he shot while sitting at his kitchen table. Just where I was standing from I could see two pistols and a shotgun laying around, not including the pistol he was surely carrying, and the guns he was using as decorations!
As we left he traded us our Book of Mormon for his copy of 'God is not Great'. Ha! We found him because we made a huge push this week to go and meet 15 new people to talk about the gospel with every day. It was a lot of knocking on doors when we're already super busy and most people don't even come to the door, but man has it paid off. We went from having two flaky investigators to ten flaky investigators! Now we need to get them to stick to their commitments! This is a slow but rewarding process.
We met with a woman named Linda last week who really is trying to be the best person she can. She is just struggling to find the right path in a world that is increasingly complex. By the time we left her doorstep she was in tears she was feeling the Spirit so strongly. How I wish that everyone was listening to the Spirit so sensitively! She craved a knowledge for herself of the Bible, and to personally know the truth - whatever it may be.
As we left he traded us our Book of Mormon for his copy of 'God is not Great'. Ha! We found him because we made a huge push this week to go and meet 15 new people to talk about the gospel with every day. It was a lot of knocking on doors when we're already super busy and most people don't even come to the door, but man has it paid off. We went from having two flaky investigators to ten flaky investigators! Now we need to get them to stick to their commitments! This is a slow but rewarding process.
We met with a woman named Linda last week who really is trying to be the best person she can. She is just struggling to find the right path in a world that is increasingly complex. By the time we left her doorstep she was in tears she was feeling the Spirit so strongly. How I wish that everyone was listening to the Spirit so sensitively! She craved a knowledge for herself of the Bible, and to personally know the truth - whatever it may be.
Last night we met Jerek, who was similar. He was our last door of the night (Which is always a good one for us! Blessings!) and loved how our Christmas initiative at Mormon.org was about serving others the way Christ served them - helping the blind to see, and healing the sick. He really wants to serve and bless his fellow man.
But they are sadly in the minority. It is said that 10% of people will want to hear our message no matter what we say, 80% must to be given the message that their souls are searching for to want more, and 10% will turn us away instantly. Almost everyone is genuine and kind, but a few people who claim to be disciples of Christ call to mind Matt 15:8
"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."
Because they've been led astray by the "grievous wolves" preaching at the local mega churches! How I resent those great and abominable churches! They say Jesus' name, but do nothing for Him.
Almost everyone we meet claims a faith in Jesus Christ and a church. When we ask them what they're doing to actually draw closer to their Savior every day, or ever, they rarely have an answer. They've been told by wicked pastors and priests that there's nothing righteous for them to do but to pay and listen to them, because they're already saved and now they have their hearts shut to James 2:
Almost everyone we meet claims a faith in Jesus Christ and a church. When we ask them what they're doing to actually draw closer to their Savior every day, or ever, they rarely have an answer. They've been told by wicked pastors and priests that there's nothing righteous for them to do but to pay and listen to them, because they're already saved and now they have their hearts shut to James 2:
"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?"
"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"
So many people depend on someone else to read their scriptures for them! It's shocking to me how poorly people understand their Bibles, and how blindly they follow the pastors they pay to make them feel justified! They want to Bible bash on their doorsteps and then when you answer their question and give them one in response, they say 'I cannot tell' as if they were in Mark 11.
Read your scriptures. Pray. Find the truth within them for yourself. Don't waste time letting someone else tell you how you are saved or not.
Matt 7:15
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."
Love,
Elder Derek Troy
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| Elder Troy & his companion at the Festival of Nativities. |
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