Understand Your Purpose!

This e-mail will be short, but I hope you learn something from it.

I've been thinking a lot about what I need to do to be the missionary the Lord wants me to be. At times it's hard to forget that all of you back home are enjoying Super Smash Brothers and Five Guys. I'm deathly afraid of not being able to do the work here, but I've felt very unfocused at times, and find it hard to want to teach lessons to our "investigators."

Here's what I learned: I will overcome that when I understand my purpose.

My purposed here is to invite others to come unto Christ. To have faith in Him and His atonement and the plan that God has prepared for us so we can live with Him and our families forever. When I truly remember all the things God has done for me, and the love that I've felt from Him - because it is real, and don't you ever forget that, and if you don't know it yet, pray to Him and read his words and you will feel it - when I remember that, I can remember my purpose here. To share that with others.

Then, I can do anything. That isn't to say it won't be difficult, but when I understand my purpose, I will want to go out every day and leave everything behind. It's why I came here in the first place. Because I want to show others the love God has for them. So many, as the scripture says, have been kept from the truth because they know not where to find it! It´s very daunting, at times, to be a missionary. All my life I've looked at them and said "wow, I can't believe they do that. It must be so hard to do what they do, and they are at the center of so much of what our church can offer." And now that has to be ME.

I need to devote all my time and energy here, and in Quito in a week! I can't wait! This might be the only e-mail for two weeks - I leave from Mexico City early Tuesday morning, and I don't know if I'll get to send anything when I get there. There are 20 of us going. Can't wait!

Also, we got to visit the temple grounds this morning. It's a pretty sweet temple. Check out the pics. Sadly, we couldn't go inside, because it's under construction, but we got to go through the visitor's center this morning. It was funny for me in a way - I've been to the Washington DC temple and visitor's center. It's really crazy how different these two world capitals are! And yet, it is the same Gospel.

Oh, one last thought: goals and planning are awesome. I'm starting to learn that. Actually, I might've talked about this before. So I'll share a goal with you: when I get back, I'm making it an ACTUAL GOAL to learn Japanese! We met a Sister missionary here at the visitor center who speaks Spanish, French, English, Russian, and Castellano. how cool is that! Set some goals, and achieve them! It feels pretty great.

Mexico City

Mexico City Temple

Exchanging ties with an Elder in the CCM