This has been another amazing week for me! I feel so much progress, and everyday I see the Lord´s hand guiding my life a little bit more. I´m so glad to hear how well the family is doing! Can´t wait for Riley to get out in the mission field, she will be great! Wish her luck for me! Savanah, I commend you for choosing to be healthy, that´s great! However, after tasting the authentic Mexican foods and spices here, I´m not so sure I could ever give up meat! I´ll have to show you how Mexican food can change your life when I get home. I´m also glad to hear about Airbnb. That is such a fun thing, I wish I got to be a part of it for more of my life, but I´m pretty much doing the same thing over here. So many elders and sisters left this week, it makes me excited to get out in the field. I still have a lot to learn, but I´m so excited to find the people in McAllen being prepared by the Lord to be patient with me and my Spanish!
Our Latino roommates were absolutely amazing! They left yesterday, but this last week was so fun! Elder Marrero, from Puerto Rico, decided to start a new religion based on the gozo that comes from food. He set him self up as Prophet, and actually got like 20 or 30 other elders to pay 10% food tithings to him everyday! Can you believe that? I had to rebuke him a few times for his "apostate" ways, but he was such a fun guy to have in the house! Elder Vazquez didn´t speak English, but I could feel his love for me and my Companion, and we tried to talk with him in Spanish as much as we could. Everytime we walked in the house they always came up hugging us and telling us how much they loved us, and spent their entire night spending time with us. I´m so glad I got to see their example of truly loving others at the beginning of my mission. I am striving and praying to become more Christlike everyday, and there are so many good examples around me to guide me in the right path.
This Sunday was probably one of my most favorite days in the CCM. Every Sunday is, but I don´t think I´ve ever felt the spirit so strongly and for so long. I think the Lord pours his Spirit out here on Sundays to build our testimonies, and especially to help us stay motivated through the week. Anyway, this Sunday we went about our regular meetings, and it was great. Then the leaders let us watch two movies that night," Legacy " and "Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restauration". I will quote my journal entry from that night, because I feel it best captures my true emotions at the time:
"I absolutely love Sundays! I feel so close to my Savior. I desire to have this Spirit with me always. My mind feels so open and inspired when I feel the Spirit, but often my fear of other people hinders my ability to listen and share as he would have me do so. Nevertheless, today I felt the Spirit so strongly; I know it came from God. I saw and felt the evidences of Him so much today. The Book of Mormon, the Prophets, the Doctrine, Jesus Christ, Everything! He has provided us with countless examples of physical evidence, but so often, in our own human weaknesses, we overlook these many obvious evidences and put our trust in those things that drag us down, pull us away from God, and ultimately perish. It really is very sad, but that´s just part of the test of mortality. We must shirk the natural-man tendencies that we all have and put our trust in Heavenly Father and the Lord; the sources of all life and light. Sunday is the Lord´s day, and my favorite day!"
This week and every day has been tough, but not in a discouraging way. Tough in a way that´s similar to how you´d feel after the first week of Football practice, or after running a long exhausting race. It´s hard, but it is worth so much to you. I often get discouraged after lessons and with my imperfections in the language and gospel. Every day is so full of work, and everyday is so full of mistakes. Sometimes it´s hard not to get down on myself. Everyday I experience these emotions, but everyday the Lord shows me in some way that he´s there for me and watching out for me. I feel the spirit so strongly everyday, and I feel happy most of the day. As long as I am doing my best to be obedient and seek the Spirit, the Lord is always there to help me through the hard times. I was particularly frustrated last night as I sat alone at the computer to start my language study. Before and after everything here we say prayers, so I began my prayer for that study session. I just forgot about the world around me as I prayed and just poured out my heart to the Lord. I sat there for nearly 10 minutes, and for the first time in my life, I actually felt the Spirit come to me while I prayed. I´ve felt the spirit in my life many times before, and very strongly, but never so instantaneously. Almost immediately I was buoyed up and had the motivation to work hard and do my best happily the rest of the night. Such has been my experience nearly everyday here. Sometimes it may be hard for us in life, but truly the Lord is always right there sitting with us through every trial we face.
I love you all so much, and I´m so grateful for my amazing family. I wish I had time to write all the many amazing things that happen through the week, but the things I write are the most important to me. I hope you guys feel the Spirit at home this week, I will pray for you every day. Keep being the amazing family you are, and trust in the Lord with all your hearts!
Con Amor,
Elder Jenson
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