SO WHAT'S UP FAMILY & FRIENDS!
This week I did divisions with my missionaries from Frontera, super rich area. When I had lunch with the members they sat us at a table with napkins, 2 forks, 2 spoons and..... a BUTTER KNIFE. My areas for the most part are, sit on the floor and use your hands to eat while the hermana is making your food over the fire pit. I felt SUPER out of place and majorly uncomfortable. To be completely honest I would much rather have the floor than a chair at a table and the utensils have become completely foreign to me ha-ha. To say the least I am super happy to be in my old area.
I've completely integrated to a Colombian lifestyle. I love it. I'm having the best time. I can now tell people I'm from Antioquia and they believe me. I have received so much help with my Spanish. My life here is great. Colombia is awesome. I've only been here 8 months and I feel the yellow blue and red staining my blood. Don't get me wrong red white and blue will always be my flag but Colombia is pretty awesome.
This week I did divisions with my missionaries from Frontera, super rich area. When I had lunch with the members they sat us at a table with napkins, 2 forks, 2 spoons and..... a BUTTER KNIFE. My areas for the most part are, sit on the floor and use your hands to eat while the hermana is making your food over the fire pit. I felt SUPER out of place and majorly uncomfortable. To be completely honest I would much rather have the floor than a chair at a table and the utensils have become completely foreign to me ha-ha. To say the least I am super happy to be in my old area.
I've completely integrated to a Colombian lifestyle. I love it. I'm having the best time. I can now tell people I'm from Antioquia and they believe me. I have received so much help with my Spanish. My life here is great. Colombia is awesome. I've only been here 8 months and I feel the yellow blue and red staining my blood. Don't get me wrong red white and blue will always be my flag but Colombia is pretty awesome.
Friday David Erazo (15 yrs old) and Karen Burbano (17) got baptized. Both are the only members of their families. Something awesome happened with this baptism. Christian Vidal who got baptized in December baptized Karen! What an awesome moment. David is the only member of his family in the church as well. He lives with his 7 brothers and sisters in a run down shack close to our house. His dad was murdered and his mom is in Jail. He knows this is true and that’s why he has continued in the gospel because he is receiving no support from his siblings. A few of them don’t even talk to him now. He is so awesome and so incredibly brave and he is only 15 years ld. Karen as well doesn’t receive too much support either but it’s not quite like David. Karen’s mom works in Ecuador every Sunday. Her Dad too died and her brother doesn't want anything to do with a church. So she also goes and does everything alone with her littlest brother, Byron.
It's called El Placer. But it's super awesome and reminds me of Timbio in Popyan.
This Sunday we learned something about Angela, who got baptized in December. Her husband has always been a piece of work, he abused her he would always get home late and she would ask him where were you and he would simply respond "with the other pretty lady". Saturday night he started drinking and started to hit her, and called his mistress and all of that and Angela attacked him with her key. She put him in the hospital, how I have no idea, he’s a policeman and the policemen here in Colombia know how to defend themselves. She is now completely alone with her 4-year-old daughter, Karol, with absolutely nothing. So yesterday we spent the day with them and made her lunch. Sometimes its crazy to think that this is my life and it feels normal helping others when they are in serious problems. Only 8 months ago I would have been so overwhelmed with the situations I deal with every day and what I need to do. It’s truly amazing the help, wisdom and maturity we are given as missionaries just to help others.
So today I wanted to talk about tribulations, we all pass through them in our lives. When Joseph Smith was being persecuted by all the men that wanted to kill him he wrote something to help us through difficult times.
We've spent a lot of time in the middle of NO WHERE.
This Sunday we learned something about Angela, who got baptized in December. Her husband has always been a piece of work, he abused her he would always get home late and she would ask him where were you and he would simply respond "with the other pretty lady". Saturday night he started drinking and started to hit her, and called his mistress and all of that and Angela attacked him with her key. She put him in the hospital, how I have no idea, he’s a policeman and the policemen here in Colombia know how to defend themselves. She is now completely alone with her 4-year-old daughter, Karol, with absolutely nothing. So yesterday we spent the day with them and made her lunch. Sometimes its crazy to think that this is my life and it feels normal helping others when they are in serious problems. Only 8 months ago I would have been so overwhelmed with the situations I deal with every day and what I need to do. It’s truly amazing the help, wisdom and maturity we are given as missionaries just to help others.
So today I wanted to talk about tribulations, we all pass through them in our lives. When Joseph Smith was being persecuted by all the men that wanted to kill him he wrote something to help us through difficult times.
Doctrine and Covenants 122
Read the section
Also we read in the book of Mormon of the story of the son of Lehi who was born in the wilderness and suffered many trials and hardships in his life.
2 Nephi 2:2
2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.
The hardships that we have in our lives will help us, they have a purpose.
Look at what else Lehi had to say to his son Jacob about trials.
2 Nephi 2:11-13
11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.
13. And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness there be nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is not God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.
We also have the story of Amulek and Alma incredible missionaries from long long ago.
Alma 14:9-11
9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God, which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
Can you imagine what these men felt in this moment and the wisdom that Alma had and his ability to fully understand the Plan of Salvation for all. It truly is incredible.
Well, I love you all
I leave this challenge with you:
READ DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 122
I want to hear about it.
I love you all and leave this all with you with one last scripture:
Alma 60:13
13 For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God.
I love you all
Have an amazing week
In the name of Jesus Christ
Amen
Elder Lyle
No comments:
Post a Comment