Elder Kyle Reynolds: Through Trials, We Develop a Relationship with our Father in Heaven

Elder Medina and Elder Reynolds

~Latacunga Ecuador~

Well this week was a wild one. I've learned something from the mission. God doesn't accept anything less than our best. This work requires every ounce of our being. And if we aren't in the place to give Him our all, He sure has His way of getting us into giving our all. Trials are super hard. But they are there...always always always for our benefit. It was interesting because in our District meeting this week, my companion bore his testimony on the love he has for Jesus Christ. He said a phrase that hit me, he said "It's through his trials that he came to know his God." I love that, because in no other way do we really come to know Him. I have experienced that this week. I won't bore everyone and go into detail, but it was quite a week ranging from physical pain, stomach pain, emotional pain...etc. But I really came to know my God. Rather my Father. I feel there are different levels of prayer. Ones that barely reach the top of the house, others that go a little bit higher but don't quite get through the clouds, and then we have the pleadings. The ones that are urgent that go right up to Father. Basically like the prayers of the brother of Jared. In Spanish it is suplicas...I don't know in English lol (pleadings). But this week it's been a lot of suplicas. But thanks to these trials, the personal relationship with me and my Father has grown tremendously. I think the more vivid our prayers get, the more vivid the answers come and the more vivid the relationship comes. Obviously we should have a huge amount of respect for Heavenly Father, but often times I don't tell Him the real desires of my heart...what I really want. But as we learn from John the Beloved and the 3 Nephites, He grants to us what our desires are! He really does! It's kind of an intimidating power we have because I know He listens and grants us according to our desires. I love the scripture in Jacob:
"But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble."
I hope that we all develop a personal relationship with our Father because He is literally our Father. Everything that happens in our life is to help. All He is trying to do is help. I love Him. I love you all so much. So much. Go get em this week.
Elder Reynolds