All Kinds of People

I think I´m in denial; every time I write in my journal I want to write 2016. Uh oh. =)

Being on the mission I see sooo many people. Some are walking to work; some are running. Some are so zoned out of the world they almost forget to eat. Some are so consumed by the ¨daily´s¨ that all else fades out. But through the fog comes the Savior´s question: ¨Is not the life more than meat?¨ I know, it´s kinda a weird sounding question, but think about it. ¨Isn´t your life more than the newest phone?¨ Isn´t your life more than the nicest clothes, or than just being comfortable? Is that really the most important thing here?

I get to walk up and down this little hill every day

On Friday, we were walking to an appointment, when a member invited us to a glass of water. His wife had been in the ICU the Sunday before, and was now on her way to full health, but that´s not the important part. She was admitted to the hospital Saturday night, 3 or June because her vitals were all shutting down. By Sunday morning, she´d completely fergotten who she was. She couldn´t even recognize her own children. Because of a priesthood blessing from her husband, a faithful member of the church and a temple worker, in a matter of hours she was up and well. She´d regained her memory, her personality, her family.

On Thursday I met a 94 year old woman named P*. She´d lived her whole live a catholic, and when her children converted to the church, she maintained her faith and legacy, to the best of her ability, even after her husband passed away. Lately, over the past months, she said that her husband has been visiting her in her sleep. ¨Get baptized,¨ he says, ¨If you don´t get baptized now, you´ll have to wait for a looong time with me before you get another opportunity.¨

She told that to her now LDS children, and they happily helped her prepare for the opportunity. She got baptised Wednesday June 7th, by her grandson. The church is true. The work for the dead really does exist. There are billions of our ancestors waiting.

K* and J* are a young married couple who’ve had their fair share of difficulties. J* left them for a weekend to go drinking with his friends. Unfortunately, he forgot to send his young family enough money to get by while he was gone. After that rock-bottom event, he´s been coming round. He came to church, he´s been praying, and he´s been reading with his family. Their family isn´t perfect; no family is. But they´ve made some long strides. You can feel a difference in their home.

You´ve heard a few tings about S*, but this week her older sister bailed out too. W*, her older sister, left home in search of ¨greener pastures¨, whether they be real or not. S* stays in her house all day, every day, hoping her sister comes back. Imagine that! middle child of four, three of them under the age of 18, but left all alone, abandoned. Nothing but the ticking of the clock for company. And how is she able to progress, not just hang in there, but progress? by the gospel of Jesus Christ? And how would she and her mom have learned about it if it wasn´t for A*, a friend who invited them to church one day?

Yes, life IS more than meat.It´s not all about getting by. It´s not all about our dreams of tomorrow. It is greater than us. Elder L tom perry once said, ¨If we live live all wrapped up in ourselves, we will make a very small package,¨ but if we allow our hearts and lives to open in the service of God, we will begin to truly blossom. He will open our eyes to hope and happiness never before considered. We will begin to cherish the true meaning of Christ´s words:

¨He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.¨

Matthew 10:39