Celestial Material

O* and G* got cold feet about the WHOLE THING a couple days before their baptism. They don't want us to visit them anymore. It was SSUUPPER sad. Kinda frustrating.

Meet E*:

E* is a Schizophrenic. He has abused just about every drug in just about every way. He said he's been born again and has seen visions of the future. He believes that the social security number is the mark of the beast and refuses to accept any number of any form of identification in any way. He believed himself a prophet and was coming to san felipe to save the world. he was called of god to share his message and boy has he been trying to do it. He says that cars are the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and will be destroyed. We taught him about the importance of a prophet and of following him, and he seemed to accept it. It was kinda weird. he seemed to genuinely seek the truth but just be WWWAAAYYY too over enthusiastic. he is still kinda smoking and is working on some personal parts of the law of chastity. he believes in the Book of Mormon and is kinda progressing. All in all, we're kinda just waiting.

Quick lesson I've learned here in the past week and kind of the whole mission: Never confuse what you have with who you are. M* has an addiction to the cigarrette, but she IS a child of God. I don't have too much patience, but I AM a child of God. We are made of CELESTIAL stuff, not just a cumulation of chemicals and happenstance.

Plus, received a cool thought from my mom that came from pres. monson:

Courage may be necessary for you to believe; it will at times be necessary as you obey. It will most certainly be required as you endure until that day when you will leave this mortal existence.

I have spoken over the years with many individuals who have told me, “I have so many problems, such real concerns. I’m overwhelmed with the challenges of life. What can I do?”

I have offered to them, and I now offer to you, this specific suggestion: seek heavenly guidance one day at a time. Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Each of us can be true for just one day—and then one more and then one more after that—until we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a lifetime of good deeds and righteousness.

The Savior promised, “Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.”

Last thought:

Alms 12 29 struck me an odd way the other day. previously it talks about our fallen state in this world. Alma tells us God's solution in 29. When was the last time you contemplated His glory? How? When has someone inspired you to contemplate this glory? When was the last time you helped someone else contemplate it? How do you think you could do it today? I realized that THAT was the purpose of missionary work. We help our friends, family, investigators and others to just think for a minute, REALLY think about the glory of God. Whether it be with our spirit, with our thoughts , or with anything else. THAT is what we really are invited to do.