This week has been completely loco.
Elder Larsen got sick this week, which made
teaching 2-3 investigators a day really hard. However, we did get to take a little nap when
he was at the worst of it, so I let my brain take a snoozer. I seriously pray all the time. Here, if you’re going to do something, anything,
you pray- "please bless us with a safe game of soccer", "please
help us to have success as we check the mail room". Bromeando (means just kidding), bromeando.
Anyway, the scripture of the week is definitely
Mosiah 2:21-24.
21. I say unto you that if ye
should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you
from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do
according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to
another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet
ye would be unprofitable servants.
22. And
behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his
commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his
commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from
that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he
doth bless you and prosper you.
23. And
now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives,
for which ye are indebted unto him.
24. And
secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you;
for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath
paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and
ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?
Pretty sure I sprained my
toe in some cage soccer. I decided to
throw some prayer on it. It feels almost
better now.
Elder Young has been a
real homie this week. We are getting
closer and closer. I was feeling really discouraged one night as we were walking
back to our casa. felt like my Spanish just decided to take a
few days off with pay. It was frustrating.
Young then proceeded to tell me that he
looked up to me. He then said that he
knew that my Spanish was not at the level I wanted it to be, and that it may "seem" like all the other hijos in our district are 100% better at the language
than me, but they are just going through the motions like a regular student. He said that he admired how I rely on the
spirit to guide me as I learn and study, and how he liked how my testimony of
prayer guided him to do the same. This
probably was the start of the complete 180 degree change in my week.
The next day was Domingo.
I helped my district teach about
priesthood ordinances and blessing in priesthood meeting Sunday (all in Spanish).
We
also watched a video devotional from David A. Bednar. It was really good. His most inspirational quotes to all the
missionaries were- "you can do this, you can do this" and "God
requires us to be clean, not perfect."
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| Elders Young and Smart |
There is nothing extra
you can give than your best, so strive to do just that. You can do no more, nada.
Cool thing, I met some
people that know of me. One was an Elder
Matt Monson who went to Alta, and the other is an Elder Sperry who went to
Brighton. Both are pretty cool guys. I can’t
lie. We chatted about our mutual friends
and what not, and I am way excited for them to go out and serve the lord.
On a sad note, district
15D left on the 22nd for Chile and Belize. They had all become really close to Elder
Larsen and I, I dare say just as close as our district. I miss every single one of them (for the most
part). We used to play cage soccer with
them every day.
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| District 15 |
Oh! Timboy Parkin left the same day they did! Dang B2 rep’n it in Chile now! I'm gonna miss seeing Sam all over campus, but
I know he is out there and I’ll see him in LESS than 2 years. Ike is doing great too. I see him all the time, and we throw jokes at
each other a ton.
Larsen got destroyed in
cage soccer on the 22nd (bloody nose, bruised back, cut-up hands and arms). We play on cement. Some go-hard laid him out, I'm talking horizontal. Larsen played in high school, so he knows how
to flop, but this didn't look to floppy to me. Again, we prayed, and he was fine, despite
some bruising, the next day.
Another way good
scripture is D&C 9:14 btw.
14. Stand fast in the work wherewith I have called you,
and a hair of your head shall not be lost, and you shall be lifted up at
the last day. Amen.
On Tuesday (Pizza and
Devotional day), M. Russell Ballard gave a TV broadcast to all the MTCs. He said "You are a servant of Jesus
Christ, serve him, bring souls unto him", and it hit me really hard that I
will be doing just that in a few days in actual Honduras.
The best day so far on my
mission had to be yesterday (Wednesday the 24).
I was feeling real down and depressed the first couple of hours. I knew that I needed to pray for a better
mood. While I was praying, I was
impressed to pray for mail (what missionary doesn't want mail). Later, I was feeling a little better, but not
much had changed. Elder Shepherd then came in to our casa and told me that I had
received a package! The power of prayer,
I'm telling you right now it is the realest thing ever. It’s like the missionary "force" or
something. I don’t know, it’s like
something from Harry Potter, magic magic.
Seriously, I know my father in heaven is looking out for me while I am
out here. He truly does love each and
every one of us.
The package was so dope. I love you all, the crobatas (ties), y pictures
were amazing. I was just feeling like I should
have brought some pics with me, and then BAM! There it was. Oracion! (prayer) I almost cried, but I didn't because I need
to keep my street cred here in Mexico- bromeando.
After the package, was
TRC. This was our final TRC, so we had
to teach REAL investigators. Our first
guy was pretty cool, he was an active member, and served a mission, so it went
pretty smoothly, kind of like a home teaching appointment. Anyway,
the next lady we taught didn't know anything about the church, had 2 kids, and
no husband. She wanted to know what we
were all about, going around 2 by 2 and smiling for 2 years. We then taught her about the restoration. I have a hard time understanding the native
people speak in Spanish, because it is
really fast and they use advanced vocab. However, I could almost understand this lady
completely. She was so sweet and when I talked,
it was like I wasn't the one speaking, I don’t event know what I said, but she
liked it. She loved hearing about José Smith, so I recited the whole First Vision.
Which is really hard for me to do in
Spanish? But I felt the spirit so strong, and I know that
my companion and Hermana Lopez did as well. I loved
it.
After the lesson all I could
think to myself was, I can do this. Just
focus on the pinnacle moments like this and you will be fine.
I also scored 3 goals in
cage that day too, FYI.
AND, I've
gained 6 pounds. Elder Larsen and I both weigh the same, and when
we weighed ourselves again, after 3 weeks, we had both gained the same amount
of weight.
My main message for this
week is PRAY! It works every time with 100% efficiency, period.
Grandma-forever and
always in my prayers.
Just Pray It - LDSnike
#lesgo #neversaydie
Siempre Con Amor
Elder Smart
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| Andy's District |
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