Elder Scanlan Gets Transferred to Paradise‏

Hello From Esmeraldas!

The envy of the mission. The majority of the missionaries who get sent here say it was their favorite sector, and at the very least I haven't heard anyone say that they straight out didn't like it. And I'm quickly figuring out why!

Esmeraldas is situated on the coast of Ecuador. Unfortunately, my sector doesn't include the ocean, but it DOES have an island sitting in the middle of the river (I think it's the only one, but I don't know the name) that feeds into the Pacific. And of course as missionaries we aren't allowed anywhere near the beach, so...sorry! The only pictures you people will get will be from verrry far away.

The people are pretty different. Lots of African descent here. They also generally speak a lot quicker and if there's slang I of COURSE don't pick it up, but it's fun. It's easy enough to get into a house just by contacting - so they tell me. We haven't contacted a ton. Our focus here is mostly less-actives - there are plenty. My ward, Barrio Paraiso (Paradise Ward) is teensy - even smaller than my last one. Actually, it should be a branch, and they're working to get people to come back. We'll work with them as much as we can. For the first time my companion and I are the only companionship in a ward - I'm used to having two.

Anyhow, the coast - it's generally a little bit more dangerous here. We leave a little bit earlier in the morning and come home a little bit earlier at night - at 8:00. That's when we do our language studies. I love that, because it's dastardly difficult to get people to do language studies...it's always the first thing to get cut. I'm making good progress on my Book of Mormon in Spanish. They don't send sister missionaries here - they used to, but don't any more. I'm not sure why. I'm sure one got robbed or something.

It's also unbelievably hot. I'm usually swimming in my own sweat an hour after we leave. I'm so glad we have fans in the apartment. The bugs bite here something nasty as well - thankfully I haven't had it too bad so far, but I should really be more careful. My last companion had a mosquito bite that, almost a year afterward, was still there. And bleeding. Yeah, I should be more careful.

But what else makes the coast amazing? The FOOD. Good heavens I will never find this again and need to take advantage of it. Practically every two blocks there'll be a place that sells "encebollados," a fantastic fish soup. It's eaten with fried plantain chips crushed up and tossed in (in the Sierra, Quito, they add popcorn as well) and condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayo, hot sauce...which sounds strange, but it's just great. Plantains are also in about every corner. Although for some reason I've had trouble finding the good old normal bananas. It's a bit frustrating. I'm betting they're super cheap here, too...oh, and there are coconuts. We bought some today - the guy just hacked off the shell and stuck a straw in it. And it was pretty darn delicious. And for just $1.50! Oh and CORVICHES. I tried my first one this week as well. It's plantain flour (I think) made into a little oval and fried, which they then cut open and like a sandwhich stick a fish filling in and whatever condiments you desire. To die for.

As for my sector specifically, we live down in the more commercial area, where there are actually a good number of shops and whatnot. But most of the people live up in the hills. I thought that because I was out of Quito I was done with hills. Lies. My companion tells me that the only place in the mission where there aren't hills is in the jungle. Well, we'll see. Not many go to the jungle. But I'm not going to say I wouldn't miss the hills.

Questions? Comments?

Oh, and companion is from Guatemala. Elder Equité. We get along real well - so well sometimes I forget he speaks Spanish and I start talking to him in English. I guess that's also a good sign my Spanish is in a good place.

Here, way more than Quito, everything truly screams foreign third-world country.

Up almost at the very top of our sector here.

My first encebollado here. A very happy moment.

Did I mention I'm in the coast?

 Me and Ezequeil (sp?), one of my bestest pals from my old sector. Gosh, I'll miss that family. I was there when we got the dad to propose officially to the mom, I was there the day they got married...good times.

 

 

A Bit Of A Change

This is Jeremiah's short post from last week. Apparently he had a 6 hour bus ride to his new area, so he didn't have time to write.

I'm in the coast, in Esmereldas! What does that mean?

That I have no time to write you people! See you next week! :)

A (Possibly Very Premature) Boot-Eulogy

I think that's how you spell that word. I think I'm going to be completely unintelligble when I get back. Now that I've had a Latino companion I can't speak English nor Spanish competently.

Anyhoo. Transfers are next week, and I'm guessing that I'm going. They change us fairly frequently here in this mission. It's not very common to have a companion for more than one change. Even in the middle of training the switch us around. It happened to me.

And that's what I'm going to write about a little bit. Because looking back I understand, I think, why it was that I had to come here to La Bota.

They say there's two things you should be very careful to pray for: Patience and Humility. Because if you pray for one of those - or worse, both - you're GOING to get it. So it was that one day here in La Bota I remembered that quote and realized that I had been doing exactly that for about a month and that it was for that exact reason that I was here. The epiphany was of that genre of comedy where you have no idea whether to laugh or cry hysterically.

My training was rough. I think it is for every missionary, first of all because of the adjustment. To strange foods that are at times questionable (as to whether it is still living or not), walking in the dust and fending of dogs in unbearable heat - or pouring rain, not understanding a thing anyone says, and coming home only to have to do paperwork before you can finally throw yourself in bed only half-undressed because there wasn't time and your companion is one of those - heaven forbid - obedient ones. For me, the adjustment to all of the work wasn't actually incredibly hard, but for perfectionists the real trouble is in that House of Mirrors like a mentioned last week. And I can tell you, I looked in a lot of distorted mirrors.

I figured out, and my trainer helpèd me figure out, that I needed to take it easy, relax, because if I kept it up I was going to explode. I realized that too and started to pray for patience, patience to get me through until the point when I felt comfortable with myself and my abilities. I don't remember if I started to pray for patience at the end of that first transfer, or in the second, but I do know that it was my main goal for my second transfer. I remember when I learned I was going to leave Moran - we did the nightly call out in the middle of the street because that's where the pay-phone was conveniently located outside our apartment. We learned that the transfers were already coming in and we were told to call back in about 5 minutes. We waited, then called. I don't know what I was expecting, but I do remember my companion listening into the phone that his face lighting up in surprising then him telling me, "You're going to La Bota!"

I was sad to go, but also excited to get to know a new sector. I was also excited as I arrived - my companion was great, we got along incredibly well, and I was ready to work.

Then we got to work and it was incredibly hard.

I'd come from Moran - one of the highest-baptizing sectors in the mission. Here, to La Bota, where we've had only a handful in the past year. We didn't have a ton of people to teach, the sector was tiny and already contacted several times over, and I got sick on top of it. I prayed for patience practically every night and got more and more frustrated as appointments fell through, we had to contact constantly, and I doubted more and more my ability to do this. Many were the times when I looked at the day in front of me and just didn't know how I was going to do it.

It was, as Nick Arvanitas put it, "the desert of my afflictions."

And so it was that one day I realized I had been praying for patience this whole time and that I was here for that very reason.

But the point of all this is now I have a much stronger faith in the Lord. Hope that everything will get better. And a little bit more patience to wait that out. Because this second transfer here I've come to love it! I no longer have so much fear to go out and work. I feel like I can do what needs to be done. And more and more I'm wanting to do it, too! Nothing more than to go out and do the work of the Lord every day. I still have a looong way to go - I often look at the e-mails of other missionaries out there and feel a bit overwhelmed seeing their awesome example. But I'm also more certain I can do it.

We have such a small perspective. How often do we think about how the things we are doing right now, in this tiny moment, will impact us for all of eternity? Maxwell explains it better than I in his talk "But for a Small Moment:"

An eighth trap to be avoided, brothers and sisters, is the tendency we have—rather humanly, rather understandably—to get ourselves caught in peering through the prism of the present and then distorting our perspective about things. Time is of this world; it is not of eternity. We can, if we are not careful, feel the pressures of time and see things in a distorted way. How important it is that we see things as much as possible through the lens of the gospel with its eternal perspectives.

I should like, if I may, to share with you on this point the fine writing of your own A. Lester Allen, a dean and scientist on this campus. This is what I have come to call the “Allen Analogy” about time. Let me read you these lines, if I may. Their application will be obvious. Dean Allen writes:

Suppose, for instance, that we imagine a “being” moving onto our earth whose entire life-span is only 1/100 of a second. Ten thousand “years” for him, generation after generation, would be only one second of our time. Suppose this imaginary being comes up to a quiet pond in the forest where you are seated. You have just tossed in a rock and are watching the ripples. A leaf is fluttering from the sky and a bird is swooping over the water. He would find everything absolutely motionless. Looking at you, he would say: “In all recorded history nothing has changed. My father and his father before him have seen that everything is absolutely still. This creature called man has never had a heartbeat and has never breathed. The water is standing in stationary waves as if someone had thrown a rock into it; it seems frozen. A leaf is suspended in the air, and a bird has stopped right over the middle of the pond. There is no movement. Gravity is suspended.” The concept of time in this imaginary being, so different from ours, would give him an entirely different perspective of what we call reality.

On the other hand, picture another imaginary creature for whom one “second” of his time is 10,000 years of our time. What would the pond be like to him? By the time he sat down beside it, taking 15,000 of our years to do so, the pond would have vanished. Individual human beings would be invisible, since our entire life-span would be only 1/100 of one of his “seconds.” The surface of the earth would be undulating as mountains are built up and worn down. The forest would persist but a few minutes and then disappear. His concept of “reality” would be much different than our own.

That's the most clever way I have seen time and intimations of eternity dealt with. It is very important that we not assume the perspective of mortality in making the decisions that bear on eternity! We need the perspectives of the gospel to make decisions in the context of eternity. We need to understand we cannot do the Lord's work in the world's way.

I just want to testify that the Lord knows us and answers our prayers. He gives us exactly what we need - and sometimes He has to yank us kicking and screaming out of our comfort zones to do so. In fact that's exactly what He does all the time. I know that only through that method we can become who we need to become - and God knows exactly what that is and how to do it. We just need to trust in Him! I'll probably have other hard trials in the future, but I know better now that by relying on him I can get through it. I've loved La Bota and because I'm writing this eulogy I'm probably going to stay here another 3 months or something. Love you all! I'll close with a scripture I love. In this passage Alma and his people are in captivity and in dire straits. So what did they do?

 12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

 13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

 14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

 15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

 16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying:Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.

On the morrow! It may seem like forever, but it's not much, in the end. And we'll all look back one day have a laugh at it.

House of Mirrors

The continuing saga of the Boot-Crew, because I really enjoy writing about these people:

El Cubano: The Cuban. That's how everyone knows him because he's, well, Cuban. What does that mean? I can't understand a thing he says, that's what that means. The accent is awesome, just unintelligible. Anyhow, he was a taxi driver around here but it looks like he's left that vocation to open up a restaurant. Pretty much anyone can open up a place here in Ecuador and sell what they'd like - don't worry, we only eat at the trustworthy places. And since this guy is only a few minutes down the road from our house we go there every once in a while. For $2 we get a normal lunch - a soup first, and then a plate afterwards of some kind of meat, rice, and veggie, plus juice. I always walk away pretty darn content. And he gave us free pizza the other day. It was good pizza. Most of the pizza here is pretty lousy. One day we're going to have to teach this guy.

Manchitas: The most over-fed dog I have ever seen. She's the property of a recent convert and I think the first time I saw her (the dog) I nearly died. Some people I'm sure have actually mistaken her for a cow on occasion.

And a few words for you:

Machete: When somebody in the church needs to correct someone else it's called a machete. The verb being machetear. I just love the imagery. I've been present during a couple pretty rough machetes and even given one or two myself. I'm not very good at it because I'm too darn nice but some people really are. Sometimes we just have to be direct with the people we teach! But it has to be done with the Spirit, as explained in D&C 121. And it can be really effective and useful. It just has a brutal name.

Apostatar: As missionaries we can't always employ the kind of humor we used back home and so we eventually turn to a scripture-nerd type humor. One of the most delightful things to accuse someone of is apostasy or apostasia. Literally it is the turning away from the truth. It's something we teach about as missionaries. But we also love to accuse each other of it. It's really only funny to use because we can't be funny about other things I think.

House of Mirrors

This week we had interviews with President Richardson, which was great! We have a great mission president and he does a lot for us. I'm going to be trying harder to follow his counsel. Sometimes we think, "Man, the ZLs have really gone bananas this time" or "Seriously, why do we have to be trained in this, the APs know we know it already" or "That's a cute initiative idea" and discard what our leaders tell us. But we know this church is directed by revelation and if we accept that and also accept that our leaders are put there for a reason, then we'll want to follow that counsel. Because if we ignore our leaders that's....apostasy. Huh.

We need to commit to doing the things asked of us. We need to make the ward's goal our goal, not just something we have to sit through and applaud for at the end of ward council. Or the stake's goal. Or the prophet's. And as we do so we can really find success.

Anyhow, Hermana Richardson is another awesome example for us in this mission and as I talked with her waiting for my companion to be done with his interview I learned a great deal. One thing she explained is an example that really stuck to me and I think it might be the best analogy I've heard yet for mission work.

It's like a house of mirrors. One we can't escape. We walk in and are surrounded by mirrors - some normal, some distorting what we look like, but the consistent thing is that we CAN'T. LOOK. AWAY. As missionaries we have to constantly be looking at ourselves and reevaluating ourselves. Outside of the mission we can go for a car ride, watch a movie, listen to music, but here in the mission there is no escape. We have to face ourselves. And for perfectionistas like myself it is an incredibly painful experience.

But, I can tell you, it is also the greatest opportunity to shape yourself into who you want to become. The only place that a missionary can look to for help is really the Lord. And so with all that one-on-one time you get to learn a lot about yourself and can truly learn incredible things. And become an incredible person.

I hope that made sense. The way she explained it to me really struck me. I can't wait to see the kind of person I am when I come back. We've all seen it in returned missionaries. It's a difficult experience at times, but one of the best, in the end.

Love you all, hope you all have a good week!

A blurry photo of the one and only Manchitas.

The Boot-Dwellers

I'll continue a bit describing some of the people we work with here in La Bota, which I only recently realized translates hilariously into English. At least, for me. Slowly I think that everything about English is becoming hilarious to me.

Oh remember the Manual Belief-Destroying I mentioned that the missionaries used to use? I got some questions about what exactly that is.

It's exactly what it sounds like.

They actually had a book with scriptural references and everything to tear apart the beliefs of anyone they came across. Whether they were Jehova's Witnesses, Catholics, Evangelists, the manual took care of them. They taught with the manual open on one knee and the Bible on the other. The missionaries actually waltzed in to other churches on occasion and preached there. And baptized.

Of course that's the exact opposite of what we do now. It's because we're more chevere now. And spiritual.

Anyhow, to continue:

Edison Lopez: The Elder's Quorum President. A fantastic example for the returned-missionaries here. He served about 8 years ago and now works as a math professor as he studies. He may not live in grandeur but he's really living the commandments of the Lord, getting an education, and everything. The only thing he's lacking is getting married. Our district leader won't let him live that down. Curly hair, always joking and animated, always willing to help. A good teacher.

The Salas Family: I always enjoy visiting them. The dad is less-active and has been for some time, but the son and especially the daughter are more active in the church. As a family they have a pretty good dead-pan act that I enjoy a lot. We're trying to help the son especially to get excited and involved in the church because soon he will turn 18 years old and thus qualify for a mission. So hopefully we can get them there!

The Ruano Family: Recent converts from a change or two before me. The kids are the recent converts and the mom was reactivated. She's an awesome example, really trying to help her kids get involved in the church. When we ask "did you read the scriptures this week?" we rarely have to worry about them. The oldest kid recently turned 12 and we're getting ready to give him the Priesthood next week. I can just see the boys becoming great missionaries one day! It's really awesome seeing the progress in a family like that.

I heard y'all wanted to hear a bit more about the people that aren't members I'm working with...will, our investigators aren't doing too hot right now. We have part of the blame too because we've been focusing a lot on less-actives and recent converts...hopefully I'll have more to report in the coming weeks.

Also, I thought I'd share a bit about the mission life that's good fun: the vocabulary. Just like any profession or hobby it's developed its own vocabulary. For instance:

"Fech:" Apparently this is a Utah thing. It's funny though how the latinos always get rather American-ized and pick up odd things here and there. Fech is one of those words we like to put in place of worse ones. There's probably a name for that but I've forgotten it. Fech. (I don't say it much because, one, it's apparently from Utah, and two, the white bible tells us to avoid slang. I think part of the reason I find it so funny is because if it IS from Utah, it's such a hilariously cute Utah kind of thing.)

Morir: To die. But in the mission it means to go home. whether at the end of the 2 years or before. The sector you start in is where you were born. Until 6 months you're a "guagua," or baby. From then until 12 you're a "joven" or youth. At 12 you become an adulto and at 16 an old person. I don't know how much of this vocabulary is standard across all missions, but I imagine this is one of them. It leads to funny sentences though. I remember one of my ZL's talking about this once and saying, "With my first companion he told me, 'Yeah, three of my companions have died' and I was like, "Fech...!"

Ok enough of that. On to more spiritual things.

I learned this week another part of the missionary purpose: to help everyone. Not just investigators, not even just less-actives! Everyone. I noticed this as I was able to have some awesome experiences this past week with members. In several instances we went to appointments, they fell through, and we ended up going to either members or recent converts that we thought - and ARE - strong members but discovering that we were able to share with them in that exact moment exactly what they needed to here. 

For instance, a small example is when there was an appointment we were excited to go to - actually, it was with the Salas family above, and we were going to bring Edison Lopez. But they weren't there. I was pretty bummed, and didn't know what to do - we were far from any other investigator or less-active, it was late, and we didn't have time to travel to anybody else or we wouldn't be able to teach a lesson and get back home in time. Then my companion suggested we go visit a recent-convert family nearby that we already had an appointment with. I thought, "We already have an appointment, so what does it matter? We can just visit them then." but because there wasn't a better option, I said, why not?

We went there, taught the lesson, it was alright (all of the electricity had gone for some reason so we had to do some shenanigans with Edison's phone to have light to read the scriptures). We asked one of the little kids to close with a prayer. As she did, she mentioned something about her dad (who lives somewhere else and isn't a member) and I didn't catch all of what she said, but something about not letting him go very far. Huh? And then after the prayer the mom explained to us that they were all passing through a bit of a rough patch, that the father has cancer that can't be cured. The kids were all crying. It was completely unexpected for me.

Edison shared his testimony and many words of comfort. He promised them that he felt that their dad was going to be ok. I believe him. I hope they did too. I think they felt a little bit better afterwards.

But what a strange turn of events that put us there! And I can't help but think that that's why our other appointment fell through. That only Edison Lopez could tell that family, in that moment, what they needed to do. And that my companion had the idea to visit them.

It's a work of miracles out here! I'll keep trying to love it! Love what you're doing, wherever you are! And find something useful to do. Miss you and love you all lots!

The Rag-Tag Crew of La Bota‏

Lamentably I don't have pictures of hardly anyone - I'll try to procure some for y'all next week. But today, because I've realized (i.e. Mum's always asking for) that I never talk about the people I work with I'll do that. I can't believe I'm only in my 3rd change! Lemme tell you I'm really getting to love the people here. At first I didn't like this sector a ton, but I've truly come to love it, and the members, and everybody else. So here's a little insight into the people of La Bota and Ecuador:

Obispo Orrala: From the coast of Ecuador, and so he talks really fast and I have trouble understanding him sometimes. But it's probably my favorite accent I've come across here. Has an interesting twist and turn to it. He works for CES here in Ecuador and is relatively young (his oldest kid is about 13 or 14 years old I think). That means he actually gets paid really darn well for an Ecuadorian, so his kids have tablets, they have phones, a nice, well-built apartment, and are looking for a car. Of course, the tablets and phones were all bought in Peru or the US because technology is ridiculously expensive here. May I remind you that a PS2 (The pathetic competition to the Gamecube? Yeah I forgot it existed too before I came here.) costs over $200? Anyhow the Bishop is super pilas and always willing to help. Great guy. Always cheerful and laughing, and a bit on the tuco (chunky) side.

Hermano Lopez: The second counselor. Also rather well-off as he works in the petroleum business here. That unfortunately means he's often in the jungle working so he's not here very often. Also friendly and hilarious. A fantastic story-teller. He had a great time telling us about his mission, which he served in Guayaquil about 12 years ago. Did you know the missionaries used to have a Manual of Belief-Destroying? Oh man, good times.

Los Herrera: The primary president, her son (the ward mission leader), and her daughter and son-in-law (the first counselor). A great family. I think it's funny how so much power of the ward is concentrated in the hands of one family. As Hermano Herrera is the ward mission leader we are constantly bothering them and in their house.

Hermano Cabrera: Another super pilas member. I really like this guy a lot - he's an architect and a such also well-off. I admire his collection of classic rock. He has a sporty red car that we get plenty of rides in when he sees us walking in the street. He's really embraced a pattern of learning in his life, always studying and trying to get better. Here in Ecuador it's truly important, and he's an awesome example of how to rise above the rest. He learned a good bit of English through a BYU program called Pathway. I remember one time when he asked us to revise an essay he'd written for Pathway and smiling to myself as I read his railings against the left-wing Ecuadorian government. Funny how the members of the Church are similar even in other countries.

I think I'll add more next week! This was actually fun to write. Hopefully I'll have pictures, too.

Why Don't You Just Get It?

For me the more and more I study the Gospel and the church I belong to, the more and more it just makes sense to me. I absolutely love teaching the first lesson to investigators because I love teaching how the church came to be and why it's important that there is this church. Of course, I need to work harder, because people still don't get it. So I'll practice a bit here. Check it out. Hopefully I can explain it so that you get it, too. How much for me this all makes sense!

God is our Father and He loves us: Of course a lot of this making sense takes for granted a belief in God. So that's fine if you don't believe in God, but pretend that you do so that this will all make sense (by the way you can also know he exists, but we'll leave that for another e-mail). As Mormons we believe God is literally our Father in Heaven. We're creations of Him and as such follow the same pattern. He's just like us in the sense that he has a body just like ours, but perfect. We're here to become like Him, to learn and progress. And because He loves us and that's what He wants, He's given us the Gospel, or in other words, the path we need to follow to find happiness and progress in this life. But how did He let us know this plan, this Gospel?

God Reveals What We Need to Know Through Prophets: Prophets are just men called of God. Not any average joe can be the prophet - they have to be chosen. Prophets have the power of God, the Priesthood, to communicate with Him and receive revelation, or, the knowledge that God needs to give to the world. A classic example: the prophet Noah, in the Bible, received the info that there was going to be a lot of rain in the coming days. The people rejected him, but at what cost? They all died.

Now, do you think a prophet is important in our day? Think about that for a second. We live in a world off-kilter. Many people are searching for the truth. Do you think we need someone that can guide us? God knows everything, but of course WE don't. How can he tell us what we need to know without a prophet?

This Is How Christ Organized His Church: Christ also organized His church with prophets and apostles when He was on the Earth, as it says in Ephesians 2:20. With the ability to speak with God, the prophet and his apostles could correct error as it says in Ephesians 4. They could guide the church to go where it needed to go, and not change the doctrine of Christ, the specific Gospel we need to follow. But wait, if Christ established one church in the Earth, why do we have many different Christian denominations today? With so many different interpretations and ideas? Why didn't the prophet keep everyone in line?

The Prophet and Apostles Were Killed: And they never had transferred the power of God, the Priesthood, to anyone else. Without this Priesthood there was no revelation. There was no power of God in the Earth. And as such the Church went astray. All that was left was the scriptures, and with just the scriptures, people began to misunderstand and change the doctrine. Without somebody to tell them exactly what God had meant in such chapter and verse, they got confused. And so doctrines such as indulgences, the confusion of the Holy Trinity, and many such other things came to pass.

Why doesn't God speak to us today? Why doesn't He make everything clear for us?

Well, the message we as missionaries carry to all the world is that He has! He's called prophets again, beginning with Joseph Smith, and established the same Church with the same doctrines that Christ taught again in the Earth. Pretty cool, huh? Check out the prophet that lives today! https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/guided-safely-home?lang=eng

Anyhow I'm out of time. Ask me questions please! I love hearing from all of you. I hope this all made sense. The missionaries who've taught this before will probably note many things I could have taught better here, but let me just say: I know this is true! And you can too! Love you all!

Some pretty sweet graffiti at the bus stop.

Pay to play takes on a new meaning here. You can actually pay to play PS2 by the hour. It's hilarious to me but deep down incredibly depressing.

Star Wars 7 Is Literally of the Devil‏

I had my suspicions before, but now I'm sure of it.

As missionaries, we have to avoid every type of worldly entertainment. Obviously, this is to help us stay concentrated here, in the mission, and in the work of the Lord. In a book by Hugh Nibley a read a while back (and never finished) he explains an interesting pattern of how the righteous many times are commanded to flee into the desert and establish the church. For example, Lehi and his family, or Alma (the first), and many others. I think it's similar for missionaries. We have to flee from worldly influences. For instance, our mission President recently imposed a new rule that we can listen to music ONLY from lds.org or mormontabernaclechoir.org. Goodbye, my collection of every single Mahler symphony.

It's difficult, sometimes. And the most horrible temptation yet was when, waiting for some people to arrive, in the corner of my eye I saw something on the TV. A temptation from the Fallen Son himself.

A teaser for Star Wars 7.

I'm sorry everyone. I failed. I looked. And maybe squeed a bit. I'm working through the repentance process now, listening to "Called to Serve" on repeat every morning and night. Sometimes the missionary life is HARD.

Do You Know Who You Are?

I don't know if I've talked about this on the blog before, but if I have, I'd like to talk about it again. Something I've learned in the mission that I'm really trying to apply. Something incredible, at least for me.

It begins with God, our Heavenly Father. There's a lot to be learned when we remember that. And what, exactly, our relation to him is. In Acts 17 we read:

 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone,graven by art and man’s device.

We're the offspring of God! As such we need to realize that “As man now is, God once was; as God is now man may be.”

Think about that: We are literally Sons and Daughters of God. We have DIVINE potential. Our ultimate purpose here on this Earth is to be able to become like Him. We have, in each of us, something incredible.

We all have agency, the ability to choose what we do. As Lehi says in 2 Nephi 2:

 27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

It's important to realize that we ALWAYS have a choice. We can never blame others, our circumstances, nothing for what WE do. It's rather liberating to understand that, I think. You ALWAYS have a choice! Whatever thing you want to overcome, whatever obstacle there might be it CAN be overcome. Because we've all been given the power to do so. This is important for the plan of God; without this ability to choose, we couldn't progress. And our ultimate goal is to become like Him. In the end, when we're standing before the final judgement, we're going to be judged essentially on who we became in this life. And it can be incredible who we do become!

Of course we're going to make mistakes. That's why Jesus Christ died for us. To give us the opportunity to try again, and again, as many times as we need to.

Don't give up! Seek, through prayer and the scriptures, the person that you can become. God knows exactly who you are and who you can be, so He can help you along the way. Really, it can't be done without His help. I want to say again: you can do it! Everything is within your power!

I hope you guys enjoy the blog. Thanks so much for all the e-mails and I'd love to hear from every one of you! Love you all!

I think it's supposed to have something to do with earthquakes but this is way better.

 Me and my comp!