Sad and Depressing turns to Fire and Motivation

What is up oh wonderfully amazing family!!

I’m so glad that I was able to talk to you guys last week, I loved hearing your voices and hearing that your all doing so well and that you guys are moving along strong. P-day moved to today because today is temple day so yeah.

But the project on the bathroom looks amazing, I love you guys some much. I see those pictures and just a place in my heart that just melts with love seeing the hours that you guys put into that. Tell Grandpa and Grandma that my heart was in the project too. But really I can just feel the love that went into that project just by looking at the pictures; it's amazing what happens when you stop thinking about yourself and serve others, regardless if it's easy or hard and that point in time. Service is necessary to enter into the kingdom of God! I’m grateful to be surrounded by a family that is all about giving "self" up for others. I love my life, my family (including extended) and my Savior. I’m so lucky, I wouldn't want my life any other way; it's perfect (well as perfect as a life could get without being actually perfect)! Thank you guys so much for the amazing attitude that you have, and the example that you guys give me. I love it so much, this is why at family parties I always enjoyed hanging out with the grownups, no not because I was mature, because I was anything but that, but because I got to study your example and learn and grow from you guys, also got to sit in a loving atmosphere with all the grownups and talk about life. I love family parties, I love all my aunts and uncles, and I love sitting down with them and just talking. There is nothing better than a soul to soul deep talk, that's how you develop solid relationships. I believe that I’ve built those relationships with all my aunts and uncles. It's a wonderful thing to be in families that are so caring and unselfish. It's what I strive and live for; to see a loving atmosphere where we can all learn and grow. Thank you

(Put yourself in this situation, and really try to understand, and picture it…)

Let me give you a little description about the weather right now (sorry if it's not pure and clean but it will help you understand). Because of the air conditioner I wake up to a cold surrounding, more comfortable than ever. I walk into the other room to find out that was just a fleeting feeling. I begin sweating little by little as I get into the shower. But, it's okay because I take a shower and it feels great. I’m clean and ready to start the day. Problem is, I step out of the shower and the sweat seems to come, slowly but still comes. I hurry and turn on the AC so we can have that cool atmosphere during our studies. After a good study, we head out the door. The adventure begins right there when you step into the hallway. You suddenly feel as if you are going to suffocate because of the humidity and stuffiness in the air. Right then you know what the weather outside is going to feel like. I’m riding down the street on my bike with sweat dripping from my nose and face. I contact a guy on a scooter pull out a tract to give him, but the problem is a wet, damp tract does no good. I go to pull out another tract and come to find out they are all drenched in my sweat. I take of my helmet to get a drink of much needed water, when I find a waterfall cascading down my face from my less then dry hair, which has been heated up under my helmet all day. The feeling of my shirt stuck to my skin is more than uncomfortable. The feeling that my pants too are stuck to my legs is even more uncomfortable. You sometimes get a random headache because of the heat and humidity. Worse part comes, you get stuck behind a bus, and the exhaust adds another 100 degrees to your body and the dirty nastiness level also increases by 50. You have a lesson at 2 and 3 so finally you get to go inside for a little while. Then you get the horrible call, "I can't come." "The 2 o'clock canceled," my companion said. Five minutes later another dreaded call, "I’m busy right now." "The 3 o'clock canceled," my companion said. Well the thought going through your head at this point is I’m tired, my feet hurt, it's so hot, where’s another 7-11 so I can buy water, I’m hungry, won't just one person accept this message. But then, with a humble prayer of gratitude for what we have, we ask Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to help us through this. Then we remember the atonement of Jesus Christ, we think our life is hard! We think twice of the healing power of the atonement, which is to even overcome the feeling of tiredness and others alike. We prayer, and all of a sudden those things become small now. They are not even thought up in the capacity of our brains anymore, the only thing that fully encompasses our brain is, who needs the gospel? Where can I go to help someone change their life? Quickly the situation that was sad and depressing turns into a situation with FIRE and MOTIVATION that the human mind and heart can't comprehend. It's a heavenly gift to have fire and motivation to do the work. You don't even know what is happening you just go and do. The day ends and you look at your planner to see who you contacted that day. I find names of 3 families, 2 kids that invited us to the side of the road (yeah they contacted us) and many others who are willing. Is that a successful day? A successful missionary is measured on the commitment to find, teach, baptize, and help strengthen the ward members. Was I a successful missionary yesterday, I would say YES! The Lord accepted my work, even though it wasn't all perfect, that's what the atonement is for, to help us reach the realm of miraculous or the impossible. In the sight of God impossible doesn't exist in the dictionary, and as far as I’m concerned it doesn't exist in mine either. I came to find out that "it's not the situation that affects our decision making or attitude, it's our decision making and attitude that affect the situation and creates the desired outcome"-Elder Rasmussen
Now: "Just have FAITH and go DO"-Elder Rasmussen

(I hope that this description helped you understand yesterday of my life, I'd try to depict it to the best of my ability)

But things are going great. I’ve learned so much this week that has changed my life forever. I love this gospel. We've met with a lot of our baptismal dates; they are all doing very well. One though wasn't able to come to church because the military called him up early, so we are hoping he can still make his date. We just set another date yesterday which puts the baptismal pool at like 8 people or so because we had one just drop-off. But we need to keep moving forward, and find, find, find. Because nothing can happen until you find people to teach and share the restored gospel with. But that's about our situation is just trying to do the best we can and letting the Lord take the rest as His work. It's an amazing thing to see people just change because of the Spirit, and are willing to set baptismal dates, and get ready for baptism, I love it!

"Another thing I’ve been thinking about that will help you now and any time in the future is to take ownership of whatever you are working on. What I mean by that is to think in terms of this is yours so you are going to treat it as if. But we all live and learn. Learn this early, right now." That is an insert from dad’s letter that he sent me. I’ve taken that to heart and it's changed my mission and I know will change my life. I’ve been doing that and it's making things a lot more solid, and I’m more involved in understanding what is going on in the ward and area, instead of just being the junior companion. We've been talking more closely with the bishop and getting things straightened out with the ward missionary stuff, I’ve been talking with God, how I can more fully sanctify myself to his work, and how I can become a better example to those around me. It's really made me into my personal leader. What I mean by "personal leader" is along the lines of mastering one’s self. We master our self, only then can we be a real blessing and leader to those we are sent. So I’ve been really striving through the atonement of Jesus Christ, to master myself and do all I can to be a leader and submit my will to the Lord. I know I’m walking in a newness of life. I’ve got far to go, but I have seen myself change and become a servant of the Lord! I love sharing the gospel, and seeing people with smiles on their faces when they figure out that through the gospel, they have found that piece that fills the hole in their lives.

I know this gospel is true, and I wouldn't want any other life right now. I’m grateful for you guys and all the support that you give me, thank you so much.

Christ lives; He lives and leads this church today. I am a messenger of Jesus Christ; I represent Him on this earth today. I will do everything I can to do what a servant or disciple of the Lord would do for these 2 years and the rest of my life. I’m sanctifying my life to Him, because He gave his whole life for me. I love Him, I worship Him, and I praise Him. In His holy name, even Jesus Christ, amen.