Hola
Stepping on dog disclaimer
I got some concerns that me and my companion were stepping on the dog in the photo last week. No se preocupe, we were just rubbing his belly. Normally I don’t like dogs but this dog was being funny so I had to get a pic.
Sore Legs
My legs were totally wrecked this week from the mountain hike. I was walking like I didn’t have knees. And I hated it when we’d start walking downhill. My legs hurt so bad and I couldn’t stop walking. Also we were contacting this lady and I almost fell over because my legs wanted to give out which was embarrassing.
I’m a visa…?
There’s a video here in the DR that went viral of these two elders in one of the Santo Domingo missions jamming out to some song. A ton of people showed us the video while we were out proselyting and we were kind of popular. But that also made us a target. We street contacted some people and they were like “are you the Elders from the video?”. I said no, but then they pulled up a different video on tik tok that is literally of us. We were just walking around in the video so it wasn’t very exciting but apparently it was going around too, and the caption was something about us being visas. Probably because all the dominicanas want to go to the U.S. and if they marry a gringo they can go. It was interesante.
Bucket Shower
Since I’ve been here in Puerto Plata, I’ve been taking bucket showers. In my shower the water just comes out of a PVC pipe from the bottom of the shower so I just fill that up and use it. But I found out recently that it actually works. I just have to twist a different knob and then the water will come out from the top. So basically I’ve been taking bucket showers for a month for no reason.
El Regreso de La Sombrilla
After church yesterday bishop gave us a ride, and I was chilling there in the back seat. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the handle of a familiar object…could it be? I reached for the silver handle and pulled it out. It was my umbrella. I could not believe it. I almost cried with joy. Apparently I left it in bishops car when he gave us a ride last month. But it was crazy and I am so happy.
Spiritual Thought
For my spiritual thought today I’m going to add a section from my journal from this week. Enjoy-
1/8/21 - Sábado
"Today was alright. My legs are super freaking sore from the hike that we did Monday. I’ve been walking really weird all day because of it. But it’s whatever.
My personal study was so good. Lately it’s just been so great. The Book of Mormon is so powerful. I feel so much power while reading it. I just feel so good and so happy.
My mind has been pretty clear lately. Like for instance it really just kinda hit me recently that wickedness really isn’t happiness. I’ve started to lose the desire to do any kind of wrong. It never has and never will make me happy. I have always loved the truth.
I’ve also started praying out loud in the other room at night for my personal prayers. It has actually helped me a lot.
I know I will always be faithful to the gospel, but I wish I was better about it sometimes. I don’t want to be like Laman and Lemuel who do the same thing Nephi does but with the wrong attitude, making it better if they had just not done it at all in the first place.
I am so grateful though for the mission and what it’s doing for me. Living the gospel is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
I was feeling annoyed lately at the idea of extraordinary things happening. Like angels appearing to people, Moses parting the red sea, etc.. I was feeling doubtful and that it’s all just a tall tale. But then I remembered a part from a talk I listened to again recently (Lawrence C. Corbridge, “Stand Forever”)
“Believe “with God all things are possible.” We may all be taken back from time to time by the extraordinary—such as walking on water, multiplying bread and fish, raising the dead, translating gold plates with special lenses or a stone and hat, and the visitation of angels. Some people are hard-pressed to believe extraordinary things. While it is understandable that we may be challenged by the extraordinary, we shouldn’t be, because ordinary things are actually far more phenomenal.
The most phenomenal occurrences of all time and eternity—the most amazing wonders, the most astounding, awesome developments—are the most common and widely recognized. They include: I am; you are; we are; and all that we perceive exists as well, from subatomic particles to the farthest reaches of the cosmos and everything in between, including all of the wonders of life. Is there anything greater than those ordinary realities? No. Nothing else even comes close. You can’t begin to imagine, much less describe, anything greater than what already is.
In light of what is, nothing else should surprise us. It should be easy to believe that with God all things are possible.
The healing of the withered hand is not nearly as amazing as the existence of the hand in the first place. If it exists, it follows that it can certainly be fixed when it is broken. The greater event is not in its healing but in its creation.
More phenomenal than resurrection is birth. The greater wonder is not that life, having once existed, could come again but that it ever exists at all.
More amazing than raising the dead is that we live at all. A silent heart that beats again is not nearly as amazing as the heart that beats within your breast right now.
That one could see on a stone or through a special lens the modern translation of ancient text written on plates of gold is far less amazing than the human eye. The wonder is not what the human eye may see, rather, that it sees anything at all.
How can you believe in extraordinary things such as angels and gold plates and your divine potential? Easy, just look around and believe.
I don’t know if pigs will ever sprout wings and fly, but if they do, flying pigs will never be nearly as amazing as the ordinary pig in the first place.”
And it’s so true! Like, look at the sun!? What the heck is that thing!?!?!? It’s a floating giant condensed ball of something that also gives light and heat and just like what?! That’s insane! How does it even work? Who put that there? Who made it?
And the earth! It’s crazy! What are the odds that everything here has been lined up so perfectly for human life. And look at humans! Where did they come from!?!? They are so weird looking! Reminds me of the part from Alma 30:44 -
“all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”
So I am deciding to accept that I can’t even explain how basic things work, like gravity, the sun, etc. So I shouldn’t be annoyed with the fact that I can’t explain how more extraordinary things work.
Like it says in the Book of Mormon at the beginning of 3 Nefi. There were tons of signs and wonders coming forth to testify of the coming of Christ. At first they were shocked by it, but quickly started to disbelieve the miracles they were seeing. 1 Nefi 1:22 -
“And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen…”
Anyways, there’s my rant.
I’ve also had the thought lately that God needs us to choose to come back to Him. He needs us to work really hard here. We have to want it. If we don’t get the celestial growth we need here, we will be physically unable to come back to Him in the next life.
“For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.” - D&C 88:22
I love my Heavenly Father. I want to always choose Him.
“And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept;
And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? How is it thou canst weep?
The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, and gave I unto man his agency;
And unto [them] have I given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;” (Moses 7:28, 29, 32–33,).
But yea anyways, I love being a missionary. If there was a plane outside that would take me home I would run the other way.
Actually assuming my legs are still sore I’d probably have to waddle away slowly and try not to trip over my own feet in the process. But the point is, I love it out here...”
I love you all! I have so many questions, but I know enough about life to know that I want to build it off of the truths taught in the Gospel. I am not kidding at all when I say that the happiest people I have met out here are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or people who are just living the gospel principles anyways. We are all free to choose eternal life, or captivity, hell and damnation. Shouldn't the choice be an easy one?
2 Nefi 2:27-29
27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;
29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.
Alright I’ll see y’all next week! Also both of my companions Elder McKee and Elder Crookston are getting transferred. Gonna miss those guys. I’ll be getting a new companion and also two other elders in our apartment so it’s about to get pretty crazy.
Love you all
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