Ridley Famalia!
I hope by now you have received my envelopes with the letters and pictures. The pictures give you a little better view of what has happened. which is a lot! I have officially been here a month and am half way done. Soon I will be in Colombia. The days go by really slow, but the weeks go by really fast.
Since we're half way done here that means some leadership positions have been changed. Every companionship has switched the Senior and Junior companionship. Elder Maughan has been released. So now I am the senior companion, but I feel nothing really has changed. We are both in it together and are there for each other always. Also I have received another calling to be the lead of our district. I now have the opportunity to serve as the district leader til we leave the MTC. I pray my example can be an influence for good and pray that my heart is in the right place. I feel good and humbled but also worried. I feel good because I know I can make a difference. I feel humbled because I am new at this thing and I feel worried I won't live up to my full potential. I love my district and not much needs to change because the Elders in this district are amazing and know a lot more than I. Really I feel there is so much more to learn and there is!
Lately I have had the strongest desire to know more about early history of the church, my personal history and our lineage. It strikes me to know more about what got us here to where we are at. I have come to love reading too. It's because that's all I get to really do, but now I will choose to read when I get back. I want to read all those great books such as the Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. I feel my desires changing and I know what I want for the future. Not everything but most things.
I'll be honest....the food here really isn't that great, but you don't need to love the food to love it here. I feel lucky to be here and to have the opportunity to learn and focus on what most important. All the new elders have come in tell us our Spanish is amazing, when it really isn't. Thinking back to where I was the first day here, much has gone on and the improvement of each of our elders in the district has been great. Something I have heard is Preach My Gospel wasn't written to convert the people, but to convert the missionaries.
This past Sunday, my president, President Watkins taught us about our lineage. He went into details with scripture readings and drawings about Abraham, then to Jacob to Joseph to Joseph's son Ephraim, then to the splitting of the Jews and the Gentiles. That brought us to Nephi and his family going to the Promised land. Jews went to Europe while the Gentiles went to the Americas. Are you getting all this? Now that promise to Abraham given is what Spanish speaking missionaries are fulfilling. It was amazing to hear him explain all this.
During sacrament meeting was the first time I got to bless the water in Espanol. I can speak Espanol just fine. Okay, the writing and spelling, but the listening and having a conversation is tough.
Oh! Something I just remembered before I forget is a funny story. The story is short but Elder Maughen knows Lensie or Lensy, Isaac's cousin. We figured this all out because she wrote him a letter and sent a picture of them which he showed to me. Also I saw one of Skyler's buddies from school in his ward who works here. Forgot his name but I did recognize him immediately. He took a picture of us and sent it to Skyler so I hope he enjoys that.
I did get the packages with the New Sweet Nikes. THANKS! Helps to play basketball and 4 square which is huge and a big competition her in the MTC. Elder Maughan and I had a set work out schedule until the other Elders go us hooked on 4 square. It does take talent!
Anyways around the "hall" it's been weird cause friendships are created but then they have to leave and so because we are all slowly leaving friendships end too. Even the MTC president, President Smith, is leaving. Someone new is coming this week. My district will be the ones who have been here the longest, but we still have a lot more weeks to go. This week with the new Elders coming in I think will be the only ones for a while. The Elders leaving our district tomorrow are USA Spanish speaking and the ones replacing them are going all to New York Spanish speaking. So AJ might be in the Zone with me. So a lot of changes which I like, but others not so much.
It's crazy that what ever Mom talks about in her e-mails is exactly what I want to talk to the family about. Two things really and the first one is a commitment to each of you. Normally when we pray we ask and thank. Now I want you to try to report/follow up. Then tell Heavenly Father how you are doing and what has happened. He does already know, but we still need to tell him. Mom, you said earlier you talked about using and applying the atonement something I learned to help me recognize and understand deeper the atonement is, viewing it as soemthing he individually suffered for me, then yours, then Dad and so forth rather than for each specific sin. One of the greatest gifts is the gift of agency. Heavenly Father knew His son Jesus would have to endure all that pain and anquish, and Jesus knew He would have to endure it too. Heavenly Father allows our trials, He gives them knowing at some-point he would have to give His son to do the ultimate sacrifice so that we could endure them. Do you see the greater Love? It reminds me of my picture in my room back home. I do miss looking at them. A lot of doctrine has all come together since being here and becoming more clearer each day. The plan is of God and is a plan for His children. E plan es de deios Y es un plan for sus Hijos. I hope you don't mind me writing in Spanish on occasion. It's good practice.
Well I've got all my things done and didn't fall behind this P-day. But there is always more to do, more to study.
Love you all-Amore, amore is to love congerated 'You all" with the "an" that simple Can't wait to speak the language in full. I know I won't be fluent but to understand it is what I need. It is the language of love they say. Everything coming along and progressing. I hope the family is all well.
Speak to you soon.
Elder Ridley`
No comments:
Post a Comment