88th Week Out, Week 8 Garupa "S.hort writes short emails...not"

I really try to think about what I write! That's a main reason why I don't write a lot :) haha! I'm still in Garupa. I probably wont be leaving untill I end the mish. Our mission president has put the big goal of getting 1 baptism EVERY WEEKEND! So that's the memo of here.

I'm not really struggling with anything. I've been just noticing a lot. Reflecting on the fact that I learn a lot of things all the time. I write them down, I re-read them often. It's really neat. I am 20 years old.. I don't know if I'm an "adult" I guess I don't know the definition. I don't feel like a teenager though. I give more attention to everything.

I'm so ready to take on the world! I bet it's going to hit hard! But regardless I'm excited!

One thing I get brought back to a lot is who I was before the mission. Oh how great the difference. I was an object. Long story.

You know what, I thought of a great question one time: How can everyday be like Christmas? I remember EVERY SINGLE CHRISTMAS being so profoundly set at awe and beyond my ability to recieve all of the JOYOUS feelings overflowing my SOUL when I woke up, each and every Christmas day. The night before I'm CRINGING with excitement! Even as I became more mature, I couldn't change the way I felt about Christmas! Although most of the excitement came from the fact that there were presents waiting for me, I do think there is such a feeling as this that is spiritual, and not just temporal.

How can you come close to this feeling not just because of adrenaline and temporary pleasure of material things? How can you wake up everyday maybe with just the solid, optimistic attitude to take on whatever the day has to offer, and with a strong desire to discover what you will behold?

There's probably a lot of answers to that, and a lot of obstacles too. But as the scripture says that "men are that they might have joy." Realistically it is going to have to do with things that aren't temporary maybe not even material, but that doesn't mean we have to exclude them from our search for happiness. For example, going to the beach with the fam. You are, in a technical sense spending temporary time and temporal money to get there at the beach with your family. But you also know that you are gaining an awesome experience and memory that will be carried beyond time.

Life is a balance of both your treasures on earth, and your treasures in Heaven. But you also cannot serve two masters. I'm not saying focus on saving your treasures on the earth, but to taking advantage of them, and using them while they are available in a prudent way. While also doing all possible to take advantage of eternal treasures that never will perish.

But yea. I don't know. I would just love to wake up everyday like it were Christmas! Haha!

Pictures some other time! CIAO!

Impressions of Garupa:

-Well, maybe this impression isn't from Garupa, but I noticed that a little Coca-Cola bottle over in Paraguay is 20 cents..... And here it's about 1 dollar and 20 cents.... :) ha!

87th Week Out, Week 7 Garupa "10 WEEKS LEFT!"

I don't have a lot of time! So I'm just going to say hi, and I hope all you guys are ready for General Conference coming up! It's going to BE THE MOST AWESOME OF THE AWESOME CONFERENCES! Because

It's my last one EVER during my time as a missionary! 10 WEEKS LEFT!

I love to be a missionary!

Here's a story:

A man goes to get his haircut! The barber is an atheist. The man is a member of the church! The barber is a good talker so they talk a LOT. They talk about politics, about the world, about history, about life in general. And then they get onto the theme about God. The barber says:

"I don't believe in God."

The man asked him why. He said "There are so many people in the world who suffer, with earthquakes and other disasters, even to unjust governments and drugs and other sorts of problems. I can't see that God can exist because of these things."

Then the man thought, and he responded, "Well.. You know what? I don't believe in Barbers."

The barber thought (how could this be?) And the man spoke again and said, "I see many people walking around outside with horrible hair! They suffer having their hair looking bad and different forms of weird shaped hair! People are in the street and can't afford their hair cuts and so they sit in their poor hair just like that."

Then the barber said, "But I am here! I am a barber! I can cut their hair! They just need to come to me !"

And thus the man helped the barber understand how to come to the knowledge of God.

We need to come unto Him, to know that He is there.

86th Week Out, Week 6 Garupa "New Companion Elder Houston from Houston, Texas"

6 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God? (1 Nephi 11)

What is Condescension? Condescend means: to humble one's self insomuch as to descend to a lower plane to help someone or something.

Jesus Christ is the "condescension of God."

He came down here, a perfect being, put himself on our level by becoming mortal. He came here not as a super hero, nor a powerful king with legions of armies. He came as a lowly servant; suffered like us, with us, and by us. And performed a work so infinitely necessary to our race.

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Can we just take two seconds here and remember who this is? This Jesus Christ is He who descended to our plane. "Even below all of us. And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten." (Moses 1) THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS!

THE GREAT JEHOVAH! This is the man we are talking about! Who is this who has come down and oppened the doors of the higher plane to us?

God is likened unto the parent and the child in a household: When a parent wants to help his child he doesn't speak to him in a way that is stern and hard. For example, a small child of 5 years of age; when the child asks his father a question, the father will KNEEL DOWN AND DESCEND TO HIS LEVEL to speak to him FACE TO FACE. So that the child can understand and KNOW THAT HE LOVES HIM!

I testify that God is a God of condescension. He loves us. He waives rank, and raises his repentant, righteous children up to Him. These things I write in the name of that omnipotent being, Jesus Christ, amen.

Impressions of Garupa: I got a new companion, His name is Elder Houston. He's from Houston Texas ironically. My companion Elder Barrios just became assistant to President. (3 of my companions have been assistants) ( I feel like i was called to this mission to strengthen and edify leaders!)