Seeing Beyond the Mortal Limits of Time and Space

Meeting the mission president: honestly, I don't have any profound words on the subject, but I do have a personal confirmation that he has been called of God to direct His work in this area. He has His inspiration and His power.

I was reading in Mosiah 24, 15-16 the other day, and I realized that the people of Mosiah submitted cheerfully and patiently to all their afflictions. How crazy is that?! they submitted CHEERFULLY to SLAVERY! how did they manage that? I'm not completely sure, but they must have understood and truly believed that their trials would be a blessing for them. They had to have had their eye set on a grander picture. Even though they miraculously had the strength to support their labors, they were still slaves, and for more than just a couple of weeks. probably about a year. What becomes even more surprising is that in Mosiah 25 10, the scriptures say that Mosiahs kindgom was surprised at the IMMEDIATE goodness of God in delivering them. a year in slavery doesn't seem that immediate to me, but in the eternal perspective, its very quick. On top of that, God immediately answered their prayers with extra strength. That's a very special type of gratitude. :)

The Last Five Pushups

Guess what?! I know it probably doesn't look like it, or maybe I just don't send pictures, but I'm doing exercise, and serious exercise! I've learned something really special from the exercise: the last five pushups are the ones that count. If I do ten pushups, the last five ones are those that build strength, endurance, and bur calories. If I do 50, then pushup 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50 are the ones that made the difference. All the others were simply preparatory pushups. They prepared me for the growth I'd receive in the last five, the hardest five.

What does that mean? that gives whole new meaning to my pushups; before, I did pushups until I was tired. Now I understand that the only real pushups I do are when I'm tired, when everything burns. We may be able to go days, or weeks, without certain errors, and that is wonderful, but the only time we truly perform is when things start to burn. The harder the decision, the greater the growth that comes from it; the greater the blessing it truly is. That is the very moment that the Christ works His miracles through the atonement.

Being on the mission, it's the same. The last few months are where the character is developed. In the beginning, many skills are developed, many things change, but the character is changed in the last five pushups, the last months, weeks, and days. Seeing investigators, it's the same; K* and J* have seen changes, but in the very moment where it burns, they back down, they wait.

I'm gonna meet the mission president on Wednesday. :) I'll probably have a picture too. :)

Changing of the Guards

How are things going with the new mission president coming in at the end of the week? Do you notice much changing of the guards, if you will?

Changing of the guards: Pres Garcia read kings 2, where Elijah goes up to heaven and passes the mantel on to Elias. He said that that is what will happen this 29th of june.

We had a zone conference with president garcia last week and he put on the movie UP, showing us the missionary implications in it. At the end, he passed us all a card that said, "thanks for the adventure, now go and have a new one!"

After the zone conference, he and his wife came to each one of us and gave us each a hug. :,) #SoSpecial