Hola Familia!
This week I saw the importance of the little things. The Lord has given us so many things to make us happy, and we just have to choose to do them or not. If we do what He wants us to do, we`ll be happy. But if we don`t do it, we won`t be happy.
One of these little things is scripture reading. This week, we had some trails. We were going to move, because we live in a super tiny, super crappy house. We were going to move Saturday, so Friday afternoon we passed by to make sure everything was alright, and they said it was all good. So, we got ready, and we were going to load everything in a truck to move, but we decided to go tell the owner first that we were already on our way. Well, we got there, and the owner told us that he wasn`t going to rent us the room anymore because his mom (who is not the world`s youngest lady) threw a fit and doesn`t want us to come. So...we lost the house. And we were slightly annoyed, with good reason. But yeah. It`s alright. I`m over it. But when all that happened, it was before 8, study time. So when I got back to my house, I started to study. When I started my study, I was annoyed. I`m not going to deny it. I was annoyed. But when I finished my study, I was calm. The scriptures really help us be happy, and feel the spirit. I was not happy, but after reading, I didn`t care anymore. I just accepted it. I let it go. The Lord filled me with His spirit which helped me keep going, even when I was annoyed.
On Thursday, I had a super spiritual experience. It was so spiritual that what I write won`t even begin to describe what we felt. So I want to be like Mormon in the BOM when he says he`d rather not write anything instead of just writing a bit. But...I`ll try. On Thursday, I was with one of my Zone Leaders, Elder Aoki, he`s from my group. I`ve known him my entire mission, and we`re good friends. We were in my area. We went to a less actives house, Hno. Nicolas. He is the smartest guy I`ve ever met. He has more knowledge of the scriptures than almost anyone I`ve ever met. When we teach him, he actually teaches us. He reads his scriptures everyday, he always prays, he just doesn`t go to church because he has faena. (which is like a town meeting every sunday morning in peru. If you don`t go, they give you a 50 sol ticket, every week. If you don`t go for a month, you will be like 250 sols in debt and they won`t let you do anything in this country if you`re in debt). So, he goes to his faena. We went into this lesson, and we didn`t know what to teach him. He knows everything. So, I decided to teach tithing. I don`t know why, but tithing is a great lesson, possibly my favorite. So we read a scripture about tithing and then he taught us everything about tithing. And then I asked him "what blessings have you recieved in your life for going to church?" And then he gave a bit answer and he burned himself. He talked about how the Lord helped him change his life. Before his baptism, he was a drug dealer, and since the day he got baptized, he hasn`t touched drugs. Nothing. He used to be so dedicated to the church, but something changed. And then he read a scripture that I had never read before. Revelation 2:2-4 "2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are spostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name`s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." (that scripture is WAY better in spanish.) He told us, "I`ve done it all. I`ve been patient, I`ve suffered many things for the Lord`s sake, and I have been blessed, like it says in 2 and 3. But I have left my first love. I used to go to church every Sunday. I used to be at every activity, I was always there. For 15 years. But the last 5 years, bit by bit, I`ve pulled away. I started by not going to the activities, and now I don`t go to church. I have left behind my first love, and I know that`s not ok. What I did before doesn`t matter, if I don`t do it now. I have begun to love other things more that I love God" That hit me so strong. I told him that he wasn`t the only one, we`ve all done that. We`ve all left behind what we used to have. I told him how when I started my mission, I loved everything! I loved working! I loved to wake up at 6:30, do my exercise, study, and then go to work! I didn`t like P day because it was a waste of time. I loved the Lord so much, and I loved missionary work so much, that I didn`t have time or the desire to think about anything else. But now, a year and a half later, I don`t feel that same fire, I don`t feel the same love. I still love my mission. I have no desire to go home, but I don`t have the same passion. I have left behind my first love. I realized that was my problem. I always try to tell myself that I`m tired because my body is breaking down, which is slightly true, but it`s not everything. The true answer is that I have left behind the feelings that I used to have. And this week I fasted to ask the Lord to help me to love again. To love my investigators. To love my companions. To love my mission. To love Him. To be able to love. I know He will help me and that help will motivate me to keep going and to keep feeling the spirit. I don`t want to have any regrets. When I look back at the first 18 months of my mission, I don`t have any regrets. I honestly don`t. And I don`t want to regret my last 6 months. I don`t want to look back at my mission in 5 years and think "wow. My mission was great, except for the last 6 months" I want to look back with happiness forever. and I know if I come back to the love that I once had, I will have that happy memory, forever.
This week, Moises is going to get baptized on Saturday. He`s doing great. He`s super excited. And then the 14th, Joel is getting baptized. He`s even more excited than Moises, which is awesome.
mom - I liked that story about your visiting teaching. If the visiting teachers and home teachers would work in this country, maybe we could have the same experience with the members here....and what is this white and blue cube you did in PTC?
Dad - wow. You run a lot. I`d die. I can`t run more than 50 feet without getting tired. I can walk 50 miles without a problem, but 50 feet running kills me.
Johnnyboy - why are you always up at 3 in the morning sunday nights? You always right me super late. Thanks for the letters, but I don`t understand why you`re up so late...the mission schedule is the best!
Jordan - good luck
Tashita - wow. Lots of energy and love for your brother....
Shaylee - hi
love you all!
Elder Schouten
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