Hey guys
So I was almost not gonna write this week but I feel bad so I’m gonna make it happen. First off, I love all the emails I get from you guys. I read them all. I’m sorry if I don’t respond, but I promise I read them. I read them when I get them during the week and then by the end I have a ton of emails and It’s a mess, but just know that I read every one of them and they are the highlights of my week. Really. Okay so this week has been a grind for sure. Still not sure what’s going on and not sure if I’m making a difference, but the changes are happening within so that’s good. Here’s what I’m gonna cover:
Homeless perfume
A woman?
Tent City
Dante
Spiritual Stuff
So, call me weird, but when I was younger I had a great epiphany- if girls like the way guy cologne smells, why don’t they wear it? And vice versa: if guys like the way girls perfume smells, why don’t we wear it instead of cologne? Believe it or not, this idea puzzled me in my youth. I would bring it up with family members and they didn’t understand my logic. So, fast forward to this past week, I was at a homeless shelter handing out food and stuff, and I heard this one guy talking outloud to someone and said “I wear girls perfume.”. I was shocked. Then I listened further: “because guys like the way girls perfume smells”. It was like a flashback of memories came flooding back. I literally remember looking up and I was just speechless. Anyways, that was pretty neat. Hey, by the way, I don’t wear girls perfume.
Another thing- so me and Elder Kimball were in a shoe store and put on some “hand sanitizer” but then when our hands got all sticky we realized it was this weird lotion. Anywho, so then we needed actual hand sanitizer to fix the stickiness so we went into an ice cream shop. We walked in, the little bell rang notifying whoever was working, and we went for the hand sanitizer by the counter. Then, the scariest thing happened. A member of the opposite gender came from behind the counter to assist us. We froze, absolutely petrified, having not seen a being so beautiful since before our setting apart. Let me tell you, she was gorgeous. Probably our age, tan, long brown hair, brown eyes, and a christ-like personality (probably). Still trying to get her out of my head. Anyways, she asked how she could help and we just stood there. Then, Elder Kimball said something weird like “hey” and if I remember right I followed up with a “howdy”. It was horrible. Then instead of letting her assist us, we grabbed the hand sanitizer and dipped. We probably looked pretty stupid, but again she couldn’t see our faces. If she saw my face she’d probably have asked for my number though. Jk haha. Well maybe. Who knows. Then, when we were outside, still comprehending the previous events, Elder Kimball turned to me and said, very seriously, “Did you just see what I saw?”. Then, I replied, “ A woman?”. “Yes.” he said. So that was exciting. Female from the ice cream store next to imos pizza, if you are reading this, I am sorry, but I cannot date you. I am serving the Lord. But HMU after the mish please.
So this week me and some of my boys went to the homeless shelter to do service. It was awesome. Lots of mission opportunities. Then after the homeless shelter we went to another place called “tent city”. And you guessed it, it’s just a bunch of tents where some homeless people live. Me and Elder Kimball were talking to some of them and talked to a guy named Rudy. He told us that he is the governor of tent city haha which is cool. We talked about the Bible and I asked if he knew about Christ’s visit to the Americas. He was like “whaaaaaaatt???” So long story short, we ran him a book of mormon and are going to go back to tent city tomorrow. So that’s exciting! I basically got my first non 0-0-0-0 week! Buttttt he’s in Elder Pugsley's area so we're gonna have to hand him over to them.
So last week I gave exciting news about that guy we ran into at the park! His name is Dante. He was asking us questions and stuff and we had gotten his number! So flashforward to this week, I gave him a call. Not sure what he was on or if it was a wrong number, but imagine a guy just yelling at you in straight gibberish. I’ll try to type out what it sounded like- “heno haya tinkle umbu futi papata”. That’s pretty close to what it sounded like honestly. I was like. “What?” and then he said it again “heno haya tinkle umbu futi papata”. Sounded like an indian accent. We were both really confused. Then, I, in my infinite wisdom, thought “well if he doesn’t speak english...he probably speaks ferb latin” so I was like “sierb istherb antederb? Tsierb heterb issionariesmerb.”. He hung up. Then the other missionaries started giving me crap and said “dude why did you try ferb latin instead of spanish”. Duh! So I called him back. He said the same thing - “heno haya tinkle umbu futi papata”. Then I responded in spanish. Then in ENGLISH he said “Who is this?” I was like “the missionaries” and he hung up. So, rip Dante. That was a low point of my week.
Okay fellas, spiritual time! Wow okay so this week has been really tough. The mission isn’t hard for why I thought it would be. I imagined myself knocking doors in a foreign land, speaking a weird language, eating weird foods, teaching and baptizing a lot, having cool experiences, etc. But here I am in a reassignment with nothing too strange. Everybody is rich, I’m getting fed a lot, and I’m not really teaching anybody. Kinda hurts. So I was reading in Helaman 7. This is where Nephi, the son of helaman, was really hurting because of all the sin going on. He says.
“7 Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have ajoyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, bfirm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord—
8 Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.
9 But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with asorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.”
This hit hard. I totally relate. Man if only I could have had my mission earlier. I wish I had been a missionary when my dad was, or when my grandpa was, or just something else. Right now, I’m struggling with the fact that these are my days. Also I’m super jealous of all the people who live through the millennium. So when I read this, I felt a connection with Nephi. Then, days later in a mission wide devotional I was listening to, the speaker brought up this same scripture and asked about “why did the Lord call you to serve in a pandemic?”. His answer was that “he called you at this time because he knows you.”. Just like he knew Nephi would work his best to preach the gospel despite the wickedness of the people, he KNOWS that I will work my hardest even in this pandemic. Maybe I would have more baptisms as a missionary in the Dominican Republic without coronavirus, but he needs me here right now because he knows I will push through it. He knows I won't give up. This has been my relationship with the Lord in the past as well. I just don’t give up on the gospel or the Lord. It hurts, but I have always had full faith things will work out. And, to this day, they always have. So I’m gonna keep giving this my all even when I feel like nothing is happening. Maybe I’m not changing others lives, but I do feel a change/conversion happening within myself. Reminds me of something my uncle said in an email to me. It really hit me. He was telling me about how there are some future missionaries out there wanting to serve missions but just waiting until they are more favorable. Hopefully he’s okay with me sharing this haha
“At face value, their attitude could make a lot of sense given how unpredictable travel/economy/etc. is right now. But they're forgetting the entire point - willingness to submit to the Lord's will and timing. You are called to serve - doesn't matter where, or how it may appear right now. The Lord needs people to step up and show up, not wait until it's "more favorable". You think the world and societal conditions are going to stop His work? No, nothing will stop his work and blessings D&C 121:33. Seems to me there may be some separation happening between the wheat and the tares. Grateful for your example of responding when the Lord calls, not only when it's "favorable" to respond.”
This gave comfort too, because it reminded me that I am here for the right reasons. If I wasn’t, I would dip soooo fast haha. It really does feel like a separation of the what and the tares. The Lord gives trials of faith to see who’s really on his side. The refiners fire is too hot for people who love the things of the world more than they love God. I want to go to the Dominican so bad, but I’m not serving a mission to go to the dominican republic. I’m serving to show the Lord that I will be where he wants me, when he wants me there. At the end of the day, that’s really why we are given trials: to prove who’s side we’re on. Reading the book saints, I kinda had a revelation that that’s one of the reasons why polygamy happened. The people who plotted to kill Joseph smith left the church over polygamy. The commandment was too hard for them, so they went from following the prophet to killing him. We are given trials to see if we will endure it well and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am getting better at knowing how I hear him. When I read from the Book of Mormon now, I have a little book where I write down impressions. It’s been super helpful. I never realized how much he speaks to me. I also hear him through music. My favorite thing is just to sit down at the piano and play. I literally feel his presence when I do so. This week we were listening to “Bring Him Home” from les miserables but performed by MoTab. It was good stuff. But while listening to it, Elder Kimball said that this song is like us and the savior. He is pleading to heavenly father to bring us home. I literally started bawling when he said that and i listened to the lyrics. Luckily I was wearing a mask and sunglasses so nobody saw the tears that were coming or my quivering mouth, but it hit hard. I need to work on my relationship with the savior, and as I do that I know he will help me find people to teach.
Guys, please do me a favor and study the Book of Mormon! IT CLAPS SO HARD. It will answer the questions you have. It is true! I can’t say it enough!
I have so many spiritual insights I wish I could just shove into all your brains, but you gotta work for it. The spirit will teach you as you put in the work. I love you all! Don’t forget that THIS IS THE WAY that leads to happiness. I promise that. Nothing else in life will bring the satisfaction, peace, and joy that the gospel does. Also watch conference. I’m so hyped for it. Literally just as hyped for conference as I was for avengers endgame to come out.
I had some other possible miracles I was gonna share this week that I was excited about, but then thought of the phrase “success is never final”. In other words, they are a good start, but it’s not enough. I will share some of those experiences once I know I’ve done everything I can to keep the work moving forward.
I think that’s it for this week. Hope everyone is chillin and having a gucci time. The church is true, I know that. Wish I could teach and baptize everyone in the world haha. But Jesus will help a lot when he comes so lets pray for that to happen soon.
Also I have to add how weird it is to have Elder Pugsley here. I’m in this weird new place having weird experiences and then my best man from high school shows up and it’s like my two worlds combine. From girls, to band, to SBO, to bowling, to walking around in unicorn onesies at macy’s, and then to the mission. It’s just wack, but pretty awesome. I bet we’ll be companions eventually. At this point, it wouldn’t even surprise me.
Adios muchachos
1. Me taking President Bells dog on a walk
2. felt cute. might dele
3. Me, Elder Kimball, and Elder Pugsley
4. After our spanish study I snapped this gem of a picture.
5. sunset
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