Hola a todos! I hope you're doing well. This last week was the fastest week of the entire transfer. It just seems like days are flying by now and they don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Can you believe we are officially into spring? It's been so beautiful to see all of the cherry blossom trees blooming across the state of Maryland. Spring could be my favorite season if it wasn't for the insane alergies that are coming. I'm still excited though.
Ever since daylight savings time, lots of more people have been getting out to enjoy the later hours of sun which has made it nice to try and stay out a little longer and talk to people. We had exchanges with the trio down in Frederick and it was so much fun. I was with my old companion Elder Nelson and with his companion, Elder Jones. They're both such great missionaries and I learned a lot from both of them.
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you got to enjoy it. We had a pretty good St. Patrick's day, but from 9am-5pm we were in a meeting with some other missionaries. But we all wore green ties which made up for it. This week was the last full week of the transfer, so Elder Smack and I have been trying to get as much done as we can and say goodbye to everyone we need to.
This last week I've started a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in as many days as it was translated. Since, I've restarted the Book of Mormon from the beginning. I came across a verse you all have heard and I'm sure maybe chuckled at in the past. "And my father dwelt in a tent"(1 Nephi 2:15). Super simple, super short, but why? We know every single verse was hand-selected by the ancient historian Mormon according to the spirit of the Lord to be in this book. So why this one? As I sat reflecting, I recognized the drastic change in circumstance that had just come to pass in the lives of Lehi and his family. While in Jerusalem, the prophet Lehi lived in quite comfortable circumstances. The scriptures teach us he had exceeding wealth and lived a very lavish life. Now for him to leave behind everything; his gold and silver, his large house, safety, and comfort all to go live in a tent must have seemed a little crazy to some people. And it certainly appeared that way to Laman and Lemuel. To me this just shows me how much he really loved the lord. He loved Him enough to leave behind literally everything. And that's why Christ asked Peter in John 21 "Lovest thou me more than these?" There have been multiple times in my life when the Savior has asked me the same question. And each time I have been confronted with a challenge of my faith. My dear friends God tends to demand the best of us, and he asks we leave behind our habits, our natural man, our desires, our silver and gold, and follow Him. But you cannot do it unless you love Him. The path of discipleship and the path of a missionary are not easy. You cannot and will not be able to sustain yourself based on selfish desire. I myself am guilty of saying "I am here so I can be blessed." Or "I am here because I don't want to disappoint my parents." While not bad, these motives will not sustain you through the sacrifice and challenges that will come. I testify to you that you cannot be who you have to be and go where you have to go unless you love Him. Please, ponder and prayerfully ask God what it is that He would require of you. Then plan to do it. You will find that your testimony will grow and you will have a firm knowledge of the love that God has and feels for you as His child.
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