Missionary WORK

Obladi oblada life goes on yah on and on and life goes on. Wow missionary work is work, and sometimes you don’t get your pay check :) ha-ha. We spent the whole week working as a super better companionship. Diligently studying, making specific plans, making a huge effort to have sweet lessons with members... and it all happened. Except for the whole showing up for church part. Ha-ha… For members the early church is a way to have your whole Sunday free, for investigators it’s a way to have an excuse not to go. But we had a great week and had fun together. We contacted a few references that were in the mountains, and I think there are more dogs than people, and the dogs aren’t that fond of people either - or just missionaries. But we felt like Jackie Chan and Jet Lee back to back with rocks in our hands surrounded by dogs. I’m glad my comp is a bit chunkier than I am because I think they got scared of him and we got out of it alive. If there is one thing I have learned on my mission it is to be committed.

Commitment starts with desire. I think the first few words I learned in Mexico were "si dios quiere." Translated is "if God wills it". God lets us choose, but we have to have the desire to choose. If I want to put on a pair of shoes, I’m not going to wait at the edge of my bed to see which shoes God puts on my feet. I’M going to put them on my feet. At first it might sound like faith "if God wills it." But I feel like it’s the opposite. God is willing to let us choose, and is happy when we choose the right, but WE have to do the choosing. I don’t want to sound like we are independent of God. That’s not the way things go, but what would Jared have done if when he asked how to have light in his boat and God responded what do YOU want... and Jared would have said "you know what God... I’ll just let you do the work."
I like the representation that a few times we have done in lessons. We ask the people if they think that with our faith we can move something in the room... they of course get way excited and nervous ha-ha, and we ask them to shut the door so no one sees, by this time they are antsy, we pick up the object and move it. Ha-ha they laugh but it shows a correct principle. In Alma 37:44 it says that "pues he aquí tan fácill es prestar atención a la palabra de cristo, que te indicará un curso directo a la felicidad" (…it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point them unto a straight course to the promised land). It’s talking about the Liahona in verse 43, but I love the words at the end of verse 44. It will show us a course. But it WON’T take the course for us.
Commitment can start with very small decisions, premeditated choices. And we can choose now what will happen in the future. I forget where the scripture is that says something like "if no; no, and if yes; yes" it made me laugh the first time I saw it but it’s true. We must "fix in our minds a firm resolution” Alma 47:6 and with commitment comes blessings. It has changed me completely... Instead of saying maybe or I’ll do all I can... Commitment means saying yes to what you know is right.
Even with the trial of not having investigators at church I am happy. I WAS in church, I fulfilled that commandment and I do not regret the YES that I fixed in my mind about serving a mission. I love the church and I love that I’m still here having some definite learning trials.
Mom thanks for the update. I love your letters. I actually love all the doctrinal e-mails as well; I print them all out and study them in my personal study. Thanks for everything and for all I know my companion is keeping his promise and it’s showed a bit, he helped fill out progress sheets and is dedicating himself, that’s been the success of the week. Love you.