Sufrir con gozo

'Suffer with joy'. That's what Pres ends every one of his letters with and I am experiencing that right now, hahaha, but here I am. 

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON AT HOME

HOLY CANNOLI

EVERYBODY IS TELLING ME THINGS AND I'M LIKE

WHAT

EVEN

YOU PEOPLE

but anyway sorry lol got distracted

honesty hour:

sometimes the mission is just really difficult and I feel like I'm not helping all that much with what I do down here because the people aren't receptive or hard to get along with or because it's REALLY HOT AND I SWEAT LIKE 40 GALLONS EVERY DAY but I have a strong testimony that we learn the best when we are tried, and especially when we are tried in a way where we need to learn patience. I am learning patience here, but also going through a weird time because I feel like every week flies by so fast and they just keep flying by faster and faster and faster and it scares the heck out of me because I'm in a cycle of THE DAYS ARE GOING BY SO FAST AND NOTHING IS HAPPENING

but

well

that is the mission

sometimes it is really hard and sometimes you are really tired and sometimes you get discouraged and sometimes you just want to cry but you know what

that's why we have Jesus Christ. Maybe that doesnt seem like it has a lot to do because it seems like I'm talking about two very different things, but I have learned in the mission that the healing power of the Atonement can be applied to every situation of our lives. If we didn't have the Atonement, if we didnt have a Savior, our whole lives would be full of suffering and pain and sadness, but luckily enough, we dont have to worry about a life like that. We have an older brother that has paid for our sins, and for our sorrows. We dont have to wallow in self-pity all the time. We can get up. There is hope. There is a way to get out of the rut youre stuck in, I promise. And that is probably the biggest help and hope that we have in all of this life. I dont even want to imagine my life without my Savior as a part of it. I would be nothing. I would have nothing. 

But happily enough, that's not the way it is :)

I have a loving Heavenly Father and I have a family too; I have the gospel and I have a big brother that knows everything that I'm going through, and for all of those things I am eternally grateful. 

I may not be having the best of times right now or be having the most success of all the missionaries ever that existed, but I like to think of my good friend Abinadi. He preached the gospel in chains in front of the king and not a single person listened to him.

Except for yes one single person actually, one single person listened to him. Alma. 

And he probably didn't even know that Alma heard him and went home and changed his life because shortly after that Abinadi was killed, but HEY, we all know that Alma went on to change the lives of so many more people; more people than Abinadi probably imagined. 

I feel a little bit like Abinadi this week. Like I talk with a lot of people and try to help them but that nobody wants to listen ever and probably theyre going to burn me alive soon but IT'S OKAY

[To learn more about Abinadi and Alma, click here.]

Sometimes we have to go through our own little Garden of Gethsemane so that we can understand better the Atonement and better teach it to the people and better help others to use it and be cleaned from their sins. 

Really all of everything ever goes together and for me, it all leads back to the love of our Heavenly Father. He loves us so much. And if that is the only thing we know, we have reason to be happy.

And that, brothers and sisters, is why we suffer with joy here in the mish; that's why this week I am suffering with joy. Because Heavenly Father loves me and there is a plan and I have a Savior and because I LOVE THE GOSPEL AND I LOVE PREACHING IT even if the people don't always want to hear me. It's all good. They've got us covered. 

And that, even though it's a little scattered and everything, is my testimony for this week. God exists and he loves me and he loves you and he loves everyone and this gospel is true. And I leave that with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

also i am suffering with joy because i know the broncos are going to the superbowl GO BRONCOS WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

also this week was a week of really yummy chilean food

like watermelon everyday

that's not super chilean but we have it everyday lol

and also humitas [similar to a tamale]

and tomatican [honestly, it's described very similarly to Swiss Steak]

and also empanadas [small, fried meat pies]

and porotos masamora [a cold, corn-based chowder]

and that

BUT THEYRE KICKING US OUT OF THE CIBER [internet cafe] SO HAVE TO GO LOL LOVE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEK

LLLLLLOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEE YYYOOOOUUU

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