November 8, 2015
Re: Letter 49 of 3
Dear Riley:
The weather has turned cold and mornings are increasingly in the low 30’s. Just the other day, Timpanogos was covered with snow, though it didn’t last a day. It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Tuesday we’re sending a small care package with a Mom of a Thai missionary. We’re a little pinched on weight and space, so a Christmas package will be coming later in the mail. Just so you know, your mom is missing you terribly and two years is beginning to seem like a very long time to her, even though the weeks literally fly by.
We’re getting over a bout with some sort of flu. Today, only Elise, Aleah, and I were at Church. Elise went home right after Sacrament on account of not feeling well. I fairly skated on this one. I didn’t feel well Friday evening and really didn’t feel well on Saturday. I had a bit of a rough night but by this morning I was back to 98%. I think the secret for me was home cultured buttermilk which seems to calm and restore an unsettled stomach. I don’t usually even think about buttermilk and hardly ever drink it, but for something like this… it’s magic.
So, ingrown toenails are a frequent thing? I never had trouble with them, but apparently it was enough of a problem on my mission that they covered how to prevent them at one of my mission conferences. We were instructed to cut our nails straight across and not trim the corners close to the toe. It’s worth a try I guess. Certainly potentially more comfortable than getting your toenail ripped off.
I’ve been thinking about what else I could share from my mission which may be helpful. I apologize if you’ve already heard some of it, since I can’t remember telling you about certain things. Many events were such formative elements of my mission; it seems unlikely I didn’t say something about them somewhere. Anyway, I plan on sharing significant experiences in roughly chronological order.
My first companion in Brazil was a native so I was quickly immersed in the Portuguese language and culture. After several months I felt I could communicate fairly effectively and was confident at least with the lingo of proselytizing. Around this time, my companion was transferred and I got an American senior companion with considerably less grasp on the language than I had. I’m embarrassed to admit that this went a little to my head. However, after a short time of basking in what I then believed were my abilities, the Lord saw fit to humble me with a vivid lesson I remember to this day.
We were going house to house, and it was my turn for the door approach. A lady came to the gate, but suddenly communication was next to impossible for me. It was only through extreme effort and repeating that I was able to convey that we had a short message to present. She invited us in and after much effort I was able to communicate that we wanted to open with prayer. As soon as the prayer was over and we began to speak, I saw the furrows across her brow disappear as she no longer struggled to understand. She nodded her head, answered questioned, and commented on what was being taught by both me and my companion. It was a wonderful discussion; the Spirit’s presence was strong, and everyone was edified. The time came to leave, we closed with prayer, and the lady walked us out to the gate. Before parting, I extended her the invitation to attend Church on Sunday and proceeded to give instruction on how to get there. Once again communication was next to impossible and I felt her frustration as she struggled to understand. I felt ashamed of myself as I realized that I was completely dependent on the Lord for the gift of tongues and had failed to recognize it. Since then I have been more careful to recognize God’s hand in all aspects of my life.
And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not theSpirit ye shall not teach.D&C 42:14
We love and miss you, but are so pleased with the experiences and growth you’re going through. Take care and continue to work hard.
Love,
Dad
No comments:
Post a Comment