Well, hello to everyone! How is everything? Mexico is a good place. We went to the temple today and a miraculous thing happened to me... anyway, I will tell you later in the email!
I have had some better insights down here. It is amazing how much being a missionary helps. I will always be a missonary for the rest of my life. I can't wait to go to Panama to share with those people the gospel. :) I don't know what all of the other elders are thinking when they say that they don't like the MTC. The MTC is the best place ever! I have learned so much here, so many lessons I wouldn't trade or change for the world! It's amazing how I can say that and be serious about it haha. I feel pretty good. I sometimes feel very discouraged because I am not good enough, or I feel like I am just a speck of dust and can't do anything, but with God, he can make me strong (Either 12:27).
Alright, so I guess first I will talk about the weather. The weather is always pretty hot, not really bad, but bad enough. It is alright though, I like it. It used to rain about every afternoon, but for the past week it didn't once until yesterday. It rained so hard that the gutters are like rivers. It rains so hard, it is amazing. I love it in Mexico City. I would never live here ever, because let's face it, some Mexicans are just crazy. But anyway, this is a great place.
Laundry, it is nice, just some elders don't do their whole loads and keep up with it! We do our laundry in our own casa, house, and it is so nice. Anyway, my health is great, I am getting so much stronger. I feel like I can do a lot. Sometimes I am tired, but I pray that God will help strengthen me so that I might stay awake and have the capacity, as Elder Bednar said, to keep going and work as hard as I can. The food is alright, I don't think that I am losing weight, haha don't worry, I just said that because I thought It would be nice to lose weight. I have been doing about 150 pushups a day. 50 in the morning, 50 during the day, then 50 at night. It is a good way to help you to look good and to stay healthy. I am getting along with my companion okay, I can see he is growing which is so awesome. Keep praying for me please, I need it so very badly, especially with the language. Even though it is ok, I still need all of the help I can get because I am weak. My toes and feet are doing well, I have bruised my right foot toes because of soccer, but I will be more careful.
I feel like this week was another bipolar week. I go from highest of highs, to lowest of lows, back to highs, and then back to lows. I feel like I am so inadequate. How could anyone be worthy to represent Christ, especially some of the elders out here. It blows my mind when I hear some things that some elders say and some of the things I see them do. You are on a mission to serve, not to have fun and relax. Oh the joys of missionary work. I only have 2 and a half to 3 more weeks in here. ISN'T THAT CRAZY? Oh how I need your prayers every day. Oh how I need your support. I am sorry I can't help any of you with any chores or anything you need help with, but I am needed here. I miss you all so much. There is such a thing as knowing something from just a feeling, because I feel it now. I wish I could hold my niece. I wish I could hug all of you and laugh with you, talk with you, be with you. I miss you all. I feel so emotional. Ha more than I have ever been. I think that it is a good thing because I am learning how to become a man. To be more mature. The Lord is shaping me. I was reading in The Book of Mormon, oh what a wonderful book! Oh that everyone would read it over and over all day! In 2 Nephi 2:2 it says that the Lord gives us trials for our benefit. Read it. Tonight, or even now. The scriptures are amazing. (2Nephi 32:3) DO it! The Book of Mormon is so important. I love it with all of my heart.
So we went to the temple today, and I went into the temple feeling... no bueno. So I prayed and went through in all Spanish, it was so hard. But while I was in the the session, an amazing revealation came to my mind. "The Lord giveth no commandment unto you, save he has prepared a way for you, to accomplish his commandment." 1Nephi 3:7 Oh what a wonderful scripture! I have been so discouraged and this scripture, the one that you have been taught since you were in Primary, helps me to see that I am not alone. The Lord is helping me through all things. If you are going through a rough time, read the scriptures. Think of how trials are for our benefit, and that God doesn't give us a trial that we cannot do. We Can Do It. We Can. Look at those scriptures I have written in this email. Trials help us learn the most valuable lessons we can. With my companion, even though it was so hard, I would not trade him for any other companion. He has taught me so much, and is helping me strive to be more like Jesus.
CONFERENCE WAS AMAZING! This conference was the best conference I have ever listened to. How amazing, that God speaks to us through his prophets (Amos 3:7). My favorites were Elder Oaks, President Eyring (In Priesthood), Elder Dube or however it is, because of the simplicity, and his plain words. There were so many others that were amazing, but these are the ones that come to mind. There was one other but I forgot his name. He talked of President Monson and exclamation points. I loved President Eyrings in Priesthood because of how powerful his testimony was. How amazing was that? I loved Elder Oaks because he just gives you the Lord's words and doesn't fear man, but only fears God. He tells how it is, and will not be moved. How amazing he is. We truly do need to obey the commandments, and give no way to any worldly things. Read them over and over. IT is living scripture! There are so many things that they promised if we would do them, so many blessings would come.
Oh how I love you all. It is with a love that I cannot express fully. I love you so much, that I want others to have the knowledge that they can be with their families, forever and eternally. I need to declare with a loud voice upon the rooftops as Jacob longed to, and sound with a trump of God, that Jesus Christ is the only name under heaven whereby salvation can be obtained. Jesus Christ is the way. Baptism is the gate by which we should enter, and start on the strait and narrow path toward the tree of life. Hold to the Rod, the Iron Rod, tis strong and bright and true. It is the Word of God. Scripture power keeps me safe from sin, scripture power is the power to win. Hold fast to the Iron Rod. When people mock you, give them no heed. When you are tempted, be as Jesus was, and give them no heed. Rise up, RIse UP O house of Israel. Stand with your God. Be strong like unto Nephi. When you are hungry, and there is no hope in sight, and you break your bow, ACT. Make a new bow, ask the Lord in prayer which way you should go, and go that way with Faith that he will help you obtain your needs. This whole life is a test. We are to be tested and tried. So how can we not expect some bumps on the road on the way to heaven. I testify that we are given trials to help us become like Jesus. I know it. I know it with all of my heart and soul. God is so merciful, that he gives us trials to help us to improve ourselves. He answers our prayers. I have prayed to become like him and develop greater faith, and what did he give me? A companion that would help me realize how much of the natural man is still in me. How, in order to become like him, I have to love somone who is so hard to love, who sometimes puts me over the edge. Jesus forgave those who took his life. He gave his life for me. I can go through a few trials for him, but in reality, it is for me. I know God loves us! Oh how I wish I could speak to you all with the energy of my heart. With all of the energy of my soul as Nephi did with his brothers. I exhort you, with all of the energy of my soul, to read the scriptures, to pray to God with sincere prayer, pour out your heart to your best friend. I love you all so much. Liken all scriptures unto yourselves that they might be for your benefit and learning, as Nephi taught his brothers that, and also about Moses. Read about Abinadi. Oh how wonderful of a man! To give his life for his God, for Jesus Christ! What an amazing heavenly sacrifice! I love that prophet! He shows me about what I should be! He shows me that I need to declare with a loud voice the message of the Restoration, and to not fear man, but to only fear God.
My God, my wonderful Father in Heaven. He loves all of us with more love than we can even comprehend. Invite all to come unto Christ. Become as a child, and put off the natural man, becoming submissive, meek, patient, full of love, willing to submit to ALL THINGS the Lord seeth FIT to inflict upon him. God knows all, acknowledge that his ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts higher than our thoughts, do not complain when you are given a hard thing or trial. But come unto our Savior, for he will make your burden light, take his yoke upon you, that you may be lightened, for his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. Come unto Jesus, Come unto Jesus. Stand as a witness of him in all things, at all times, and in all places. Declare what you know to be true upon the rooftops! Do not impose, but INVITE. Invitar a las personas a venir a Cristo. Invite all people to come unto Christ. That they may taste of the fruit, and choose for themselves whether to choose eternal life through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil. He desires all men to be miserable like unto himself. If this is so, then give him no heed. Do not let him have 1 lick of power over you. Do not partake of that which is evil. Give temptation no heed. Do not let the destroyer of your soul have one cent of power over you. Put off the natural man, and come unto God, for salvation is free.
I love this gospel. I am sure you can tell that by the paragraph above this one. I know it, with a burning in my soul, in my chest, a yearning to help my brothers and my sisters return to our beloved Father, even our Creator, who loves us with an incomprehensible love. As Jesus has loved us, let us love one another. Love, have CHARITY toward all men, for charity never faileth, and is kind. Love those that hate you and despise you. To them that slap you on the cheek, turn to him the other. God wants us to become like him, what other way to do that than to exercise the LOVE OF GOD to all men. I know that the scriptures are given to us for our help and benefit and to help us grow our faith and testimonies of Him. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. He gave his life, and also his brother did, for God. I will do the same. I will try to be like Abinadi, and Joseph. I will try to be like Nephi, and Amulek. I will try to be like John Tanner. I will try to be like the pioneers who sacrificed so much, when I don't have to sacrifice even close to that much. I will try to be like Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer. I will serve Him till the end. But I will not know then any better than I know now that he is God's Almighty Son! And some day, I will wet his feet with my tears, I will feel the prints in his hands, wrists and feet, and thrust my hand into his side. I love him. Let us always serve Him with all of our might.
I love you all so much. I love you. Invite all. Forbid them not. I love you guys so much. I know that because I am sacrificing part of my life, when in reality it is so little, he will bless me with more than I have room enough to receive. Stay strong. Keep the faith. Have faith. Be strong. God be with you till we meet again.
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