I loved all of the pictures you guys sent me and the video that you sent me, Charise. Oh how wonderful our family is. I love all of you guys so much. I love you Mom, Dad, Ryan, Lynnae, Channing, Kyle, Charise, Damon, Jonas and Lyla, Brian, Alisha, Jayce, Halli and Maycee, Aubrey and Landon, and your unborn boy, Brooklyn, Chris, and your precious little Mia. Cambria, how I love you. Breanne, I love you. I love you all so very much. I pray for you all. Keep the faith. I think that one thing I have learned from being out here is how much I really do love all of you; every single one of you. I miss you and pray for each of you. But how is everything going? How is the weather?
I love my companion. Oh how much he helps me to improve. I love all of the Elders here. We are immature, but God is helping us and shaping us into the tools we need to be, so that the Lord can use us to build his kingdom :)
Hymns are so comforting. They keep the Spirit with you and help you to have virtuous thoughts always. Hymns are scripture also. Sing to our God praises:) Sing and pray in your hearts. The hymn at the end of this email always brings tears and feelings of deep love to my heart.
I miss you guys, but I wouldn't trade this experience, this mission for the entire world. There is nothing that I want more in this world, than to be on my mission right now. There is a hastening, I have been called, and I hope that I can be humble enough to qualify as one being chosen. I think that I have already told you this, but there are three other elders in my district that are going to Panama. Elder Kinghorn (my comp), Elder Sergeant (he is from Utah), and ELder Sumpter (the one that Sister Coleman talked about). I also found one other elder. I forgot his name, but he talks very... different. Not being rude to him at all, but he talks in a... very feminine manner. He is cool though, and good at Spanish too. We found a random sister going to Panama too, she is way short. So I think that she will fit right in ;) anyway, can you believe that I only have 2 weeks left in the MTC then it's on to PANAMA! I am so excited to meet Pablo, and Ricky, and Pedro, and Jose, and Juan and share with them the message that I have!
So has everyone taken the Conference challenges to heart? I am also talking to the people in our ward if they are reading this, especially the Priests. Have you invited someone to church yet? Have you been being a missionary? If you haven't, I strongly advise you to follow the word of the Lord, from living prophets, and start to spread the gospel! Not in an overly overbearing way. Just share with all those that will hear. It is our responsibility as missionaries to INVITE others to Come unto Christ. So INVITE others NOW! I am not yelling if that is what it seems like, that is just over excitement for the work.
We aren't allowed to listen to music inside the MTC. It is killing me, but I know that if I am obedient and show the Lord that I am willing to obey his smallest commands, although they may seem so harmless, he will see that and bless me. A lot of the Elders listen to music (all of them) during our TALL language study time while they are studying. This is a good thing, but we have been asked not to. This perspective has been magnified out here on the mission. So I strongly exhort all of you, to be exactly obedient to all of God's commands so that you can become as one of Helaman's Stripling Warriors. I have already been taught by my wonderful mother to have faith in God. I have already been born of goodly parents, and now it is my turn to act. Let us be exactly obedient, so that we can see miracles. Let us obey the words of God contained in the scriptures and in the living prophets words. I can promise you that you will grow your testimony and faith, and see God's love for you in a very special way. If you want a better relationship with God, pray to him continually, and have faith that he will answer your prayers, and have faith that as you obey his smallest commands, you will be blessed and rewarded openly.
It is so weird to think how much my testimony, and myself personally, has grown while out here only 4 weeks. It just blows my mind. If God wants you to learn something, then he can prepare you in the shortest time. With him all things are possible. But I can't believe how much more I know; how much more understanding is in my mind; how studying Christ-like attributes just helps you to be like Christ. It helps you in every way. I challenge each and every one of you to take a Christ-like attribute, study it in PMG, and then apply it. Read scriptures about it. Mark your scriptures. Pray to God to help you acquire that attribute, and I promise you that He will. There is no doubt in my mind that God answers every single one of my prayers. I know it. I know he is there. There is no doubt in my mind. He has shown me so many tender mercies, so many times how my prayers have been answered. Now it is my responsibility to share what I know with others. Pray, all day, every day. Continually, and you will see miracles. You will see God's hand more fully in your life. Sometimes, just stop and pay attention to what is happening. Have you ever thought that a trial is an answer to prayer? I have prayed many times to aquire a Christ-like attribute, and that day, God gives me so many ways and so many instances to exercise patience. Isn't it amazing? He won't just give it to you. We still have agency. He will give us choices, and then we can choose the right way, in order that we might grow in that aspect. For me it was patience, humility, and virtue.
So the food is good, but then again it's not... I drink milk every day. I love ice cold milk.. I drink this strawberry yogurt and eat cereal in the mornings. I eat an apple every day. I eat salad a lot. Sometimes the food just isn't good. I still eat of course, but it's just not that great. And guess what Elder Bitter has learned from this lesson? That I am one spoiled guy. I have a family that just makes the best food in the world, and I took it for granted. I am also just not grateful for what I have. There are people who work all day just so that they can have one meal. This just brings me to tears. It makes me never want to complain about food ever again in my life. There is always someone who has it worse than you do. This has helped me put things into perspective. Some people have nothing, one t-shirt, one pair of pants, one pair of shoes. Yet we complain that we have nothing to wear when we have closets full. I don't think that there is anything that makes God more unhappy with us than an ungrateful soul. And sometimes in order to make us grateful, we must pass through sorrow. Be grateful. Be prayerful. Be kind. Be like Jesus. Be grateful for everything that you have; for the windows of heaven are being opened unto you. We are so blessed. Never complain or murmur. But be as Nephi, not ever mumuring against God, but praising his name in gratitude continually. Study the chapter in 1 Nephi where they go into the ship to go to the promised land. I think that it might be chapter 17? Yo no se. But study it. Notice that Nephi was punished so that God could show forth his mighty power. When he was brought into tribulation, he did still praise God all the day long, although his physical and emotional pain were there. Let us be like Nephi, like Jacob, declaring the word as if an Angel on the rooftops, as Abinadi, testifying of the Savior until our death, as Job, never cursing God for our tribulations, always being strong in the faith. Let us be as the Pioneers, pressing forward. Let us be like Jesus Christ. Be submissive, and willing to submit to all things the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon you. You will be so blessed, I promise it.
I love you all so much. I do. I know that this Church is true without a doubt in my mind. There will come hard times in our lives, but our faith in Christ will allow us to look forward in faith, recognize which course should be taken, and faithfully move forward in that direction. God is there :) He is there. If we do not feel it, move out of the pavillion that covers you from his light. He is always there, waiting to comfort you. Ask and ye shall receive. He does love you, with a love that you cannot comprehend. Christ loves you, so much. He gave his life for all. Let us live our lives for Him.
I love being a Missionary. Please keep praying for the Missionaries, and for me. We need your prayers. Let us be united in purpose, by bringing souls unto Christ.:) Oh I love you all and want to hug you through the computer.
Read the scriptures. Read them. Please. They are filled with treasure, most precious above all other treasures. Have faith in God. He is our Father:) Keep firm in the faith. God be with you till we meet again. Hurrah for Israel!!!!!
Come come ye saints, no toil nor labor fear, but with joy, wend your way.
Though hard to you, this journey may apear, grace shall be, as your day.
And should we die, before our journey's through? Happy day! All is well!
We then are freed, from toil and sorrow too. With the just, we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again, to see the saints their rest obtain,
OH how we´ll make, this chorus swell!!!! All is well! All is WELL!
Love, Elder Bitter
We bought these on the black market. It has my name on the back. How SICK is that??????????
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