From Christmas until New Year’s you find a lot of people are very busy with family, preparations, or partying so we had a little bit of a different week. One of these days we had a zone conference and that meant I got to see my cousin for the second time. This conference was more spiritual and uplifting. We talked about the accomplishments of the year and the goals for the upcoming year. We talked about our own personal goals and our visions as missionaries. It was a great conference!
Every other day this week we just kept finding people in need of service. Little things like helping someone take their beer and soda cans to the recycling deposit, helping an elderly man with his phone and how it works, moving a fridge up a notoriously tall flight of stairs and removing his old fridge back down a different flight. (I made a pack that I will never live on a hill like that one unless there is an entrance for a car), filling up a tank of gas, installing a new curtain frame and so on. I always love the service that we can provide in our neighborhood and in our communities. Many times the opportunity to serve may be an inconvenience or not sound fun, but I have found that in my life nothing makes me happier. Even when it is hard work and when at times you don't immediately see the fruit of your labors. I am always filled with a deep joy as I roll up sleeves and just dive in. I have had very stressful and frustrating days become enlightened by providing service or receiving the service from others. I promise that you can find the same joy as you look for service.
This week we also had divisions with the zone leaders. Elder Quel and I went to their area and Elder Arriaga and Elder Kuhr stayed in Nuevo Mexico. Wow, is there a difference when you don't walk on those rolling hills and hike up those mountains of Panama to talk to your investigators. They have a very flat area and oh' man theirs is a dream. Elder Quel has great energy and works hard. I don't know if we sat down once that day. Well, okay only one time and that was for a baptismal interview. The interview was with a man who is deaf and so they had their entire conversation on a whiteboard. A lot of stick diagram pictures and the rest of the conversation was really heartfelt.
You could see in his eyes that this was something that he deeply desired, it was a really nice opportunity and testimony builder that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is in fact for everyone. My favorite scripture about the atonement is found in Alma 7:11-13 in the Book of Mormon. It tells us that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that we may live again in heaven. However, it goes deeper and explains how he suffered for our sins, pains, afflictions, temptations of every kind, sicknesses, infirmities, and for our transgressions. Jesus Christ died for us so that we can return to the presence of God. He died as well to give us comfort and joy. Then in our times of trouble, we can know that we are not alone. In our troubles, we will be able to receive comfort by feeling peace. Like this man we met with, we are all entitled to have the comfort that the atonement brings all of God's children.
You could see in his eyes that this was something that he deeply desired, it was a really nice opportunity and testimony builder that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is in fact for everyone. My favorite scripture about the atonement is found in Alma 7:11-13 in the Book of Mormon. It tells us that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that we may live again in heaven. However, it goes deeper and explains how he suffered for our sins, pains, afflictions, temptations of every kind, sicknesses, infirmities, and for our transgressions. Jesus Christ died for us so that we can return to the presence of God. He died as well to give us comfort and joy. Then in our times of trouble, we can know that we are not alone. In our troubles, we will be able to receive comfort by feeling peace. Like this man we met with, we are all entitled to have the comfort that the atonement brings all of God's children.
When Elder Kuhn was in my area with Elder Arriaga, he became the third person from our group at the Missionary Training Center that has now gone and visited Aldea, and the beautiful Embera-Quera tribe. The river seems to have something against us as it has now tipped all three of us in this river. Elder Tenney was the first to have gotten completely and utterly soaked, which ruined his scriptures. On a later date, I was the second to fall in and was left with a junky agenda and hymn book. And this week, Elder Kuhn, unfortunately, fell in the river when it was about 6 to 7 feet deep and even though he is around 6'3 he was sopping wet the whole day. He lost his wallet, probably the worst of all the losses. Luckily, it was the end of the month and he did not have a lot of money left, but still a loss.
