Bienvenidos a todos! Well it's been a crazy week in the Baltimore Maryland mission. With transfers things have been chaotic but we're starting to get settied in. My new companion Elder Arnett and I have clicked so well so far and we've had an incredibly productive first couple of weeks.
As far as food goes, we've been cooking a ton. We've tried a bunch of new recipes and it's been fun to branch out my limited cooking abilities. I've found it can truly be fun to live on your own and take responsibility for your cooking, cleaning, and way of life.
We've walked so much this week. We've only had a couple hours this entire week in the car, so we were putting in almost 7 miles of walking in the dress shoes each day. (Yeah I know, we're still babies). At least it counteracts to a degree my love of eating.
We've worked so hard these last few weeks. In just this last week we've found 5 people which is really good for our area. We're looking to put a couple people on date in this upcoming week or so.
Tiempo para los Ticos. Tico refers to an individual from Costa Rica. I am convinced we've found all the Ticos in all of Frederick. We've found three different apartments with Tico families and one of which has what feels like 10 people living there. They are absolutely the nicest and greatest people I have ever met in my life and they could talk for hours with maximum energy.
Anyone who tells you a mission is easy is lying. And anyone who tells you a mission isn't worth it is also lying. While not applicable to all of you, I wanted to share a spiritual experience I had during a personal study this week. I was reading in 1 nephi 3 where Nephi and his brothers were attempting to obtain the brass plates. After being rejected, this is their response.
16 And we began to be exceedingly sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness.
15 But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.
16 Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord
In other words, when things get hard, it's natural to want to "go home." It's natural to want the alternative, the easier life, the easier path. The natural man and Satan tell us personal gratification will be a relief, a break, and a joy. This life is not easy. Missionary work is not easy, rejection is not easy, nor retention or continued faithfulness in the church. But as Nephi said, we will not go home, we will not give up, until we have accomplished what the Lord has commanded of us. My brothers and sisters and the people I stand shoulder to shoulder with on this path, it's worth it. You're worth it. To give up on a righteous desire is to ignore and abandon what could be. And I can tell each and every one of you that you can be something great. A role model, a teacher, a friend, a servant. Humble, meek, submissive, full of love and charity, patient. My friends, the adversary can't win unless we let him.
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