Austin: 12/8/2014

Hola Familia!

 

This week...has been a serious trial of my patience. I have been trying really hard to be patient, which is not one of my strengths. But it´s hard. It´s really hard. Every day i pray to the Lord and ask Him for help to be more patient. Well, He has answered my prayer. This week was a trial of my patience. The Lord needed me to learn, so he gave me a trail. which sometimes kinds of blows, like we say in spanish, No pasa nada, but it´s really important. We worked really hard, but it was all a trial of my patience, but I know that the Lord is helping me.

 

The best news this week is about Teodomiro, the dad of a less active recent convert. I think I talked about him last week. He´s awesome and super excited for his baptism, even if he´s old and blind. He´s really good. As my ward mission leader said, we can feel an angelic innocence from him. Not an innocence of a child, the innocence of a changed person, a person who has truly come unto the Lord. It´s a blessing to teach him every time. He´s progressing well, we have some members with cars that take him to church. We´re really happy.

 

I´m sorry this letter is crap. Like super crap. But I really have a mind block right now and I can´t remember anything we did this week...

 

What really I think I learned this week is like I said about patience and humility. This morning, I felt that I needed to read 3 nephi 14. Yesterday, honestly, I got SUPER annoyed and angry. I was fumming. The kind of anger that I haven´t felt in years. I was pretty annoyed with my comp, which is something that happens in the mission, but I was more annoyed than normal. I said some things in my anger that I shouldn´t have said...nothing truly bad, but nothing good. (that chapter even teaches the Golden Rule) I was trying to pick the speck out of my comp´s eye when there is a beam in my own eye. I was really annoyed for a really stupid reason. Really stupid. i got mad at him for something that was my fault, which really makes no sense at all. I felt I needed to read that chapter so that the Lord could help me feel the spirit and repent. If somebody has the spirit of contention, they can´t feel the spirit, it´s impossible. But as I read, I was able to feel the spirit again, ask my companion for forgiveness, and keep going. So I guess what I´m trying to say is Be happy, don´t hold grudges, and contention is crap. Just follow the spirit.

 

Mom - the packages came. i´ve got them. My comp LOVES the mint m&ms that you sent (me too obviously). I´m glad you liked my letter. i´m excited to read my letters someday after my mission, to see the changes and the spiritual moments that I had. Good luck with your lesson, it´s be great.

 

Dad - I asked how tall you are and how much you weigh because I remember on mothers day you looked really skinny. Like, super skinny. And I wanted to know if I weigh more than you or not. i think I´m still like 3 pounds less than you...jajaja. what is this christmas program that you sent me pictures of??

 

Johnnyboy - thanks for the little letter. Hope all is good.

 

Jordan - vives?

 

Tashita - I liked the joke. your letters sound like a news report.

 

Shaylee - how are ya?

 

Love you all, I know this church is true and that this gospel changes lives. Yesterday, as I was walking through my area, a car stopped by us and it was one of my converts from Independencia! Guilliana, if you all remember her! She was the first person that I met, taught, and baptized in my mission. I saw her and her husband, and talked to them for a bit. They´re doing great, they´re getting ready to go to the temple, and it was such a blessing to see the light in their eyes, the light of Christ. I know this gospel changes people and is the greatest blessing that I can give to anyone.

 

love

Elder Schouten