Tuesday, February 2, 2016

#diesouth!

Hello friends, not a whole lot of excitement I feel like this week to report. I guess that's a good thing though because it means that I might actually get to finish writing this to you without having to rush. I guess the biggest missionary things is transfers. And the verdict is.... #diesouth! Ha, I'm still here in Hondo Pass going on transfer #5 and at least 8 months in El Paso before I leave. If I ever do that is. It's a good place though and good things are really starting to happen here though so I'm excited. This time for transfers the district all met at our apartment and our District Leader gave everyone a candle. If you left, he blew out your candle. He had way too much fun with it but it was fun and different. Only one person from the district left though so it was a little anticlimactic. I was really surprised though how few changes there are going to be in the district/zone, especially considering the new stake that we're in but hey, it's fine with me. 
  
In other exciting news, we went with Charles to a baptism in Spanish this last weekend. Since only 1st ward and us speak English almost all of the baptisms are in Spanish. Despite only being able to understand every other word it was pretty great, and I think that he liked it. When we asked him what he thought he said "Well, the water will be cold and I need to bring a change of clothes." Um... yes... I guess so? Ha, he is doing well though so I'm excited to be able to be here for his baptism in a few weeks. 

Speaking of Spanish, we had exchanges this week and I got to go to Rio Grande. It was kind of fun to be back over on the West side. Don't tell our friends here in the North East but the west side is the best side! The north east has freak weather. Like yesterday when it was 70 in the morning and sunny and snowing in the afternoon. How does that work? 

We were able to pick up a really cool new investigator this week named Erika. is interested in the gospel has had a rough and interesting past, but she seems really eager and open to learn, which is awesome of course! I'm excited to be able to work with her more. 

At dinner the other day our ward mission leader and his wife were telling us about the possible places that they might be sent to by the army and they said "Hey, you're from Washington. do you know a place called Marysville?" Ha, yes, yes I do. So they might end up living there or in Everett. I've never heard of someone going to Marysville because of the military but who knows! So, if the Maenhardts end up in your ward you people back home say hi and know that we hung out first in El Paso. 

Other exciting news of the week, we had some authentic Jamaican food. It was pretty good; I have to say that I am a fan. I saw on the menu that you can get ox tail there so maybe I'll try that some time. The member that took us, who is originally from Jamaica said that Ox tail is only good if you have someone who really knows how to cook it right so... there you go I guess. 

This week I have been studying a lot from last year’s Relief Society and Priesthood book because I realized that I have it but never really read it so now I am. Anyway, today I was reading about "follow the prophet". One of the things it said is that the most important prophet is the one who is alive today. And to beware of people who would put a dead prophet over a living one. He also goes on to talk about how people praise the prophets of old but mentally or emotionally reject or crucify the current one. We see that a lot of course with people who don't believe in prophets but I think that if we are not careful we can also see it in ourselves. A prophet tells people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. And if they say something that we maybe don't like or pricks us in the heart, maybe we should consider 1 Nephi 16: 2-3  "wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center. And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth.Now, does that mean that you are a terrible person if you are doing something wrong? Or if you don't agree exactly the second you hear some council? I certainly hope not because otherwise I'm a pretty bad person. But it is important to remember who knows best? You? Or Heavenly Father's servant (btw, probably not you in case you were wondering)?

 Something that really called me to consider my attitude towards the prophet was when Elder Bennett was talking to us about inviting to baptism. I asked what to do when you invite someone and they freak out and don't let you meet with them again. He talked a lot about why it's important and how to do it and all of that but at the end of the day the bottom line was this. The call to invite others to be baptized at the first lesson the majority of the time and no later than the second lesson the rest of the time comes from the prophet. If you don't support that principle, you don't support his council. Sorry, that's just the truth. Now, does it always "logically" make sense? The way that it appears to our natural eyes? No. But neither does tithing, or fasting, or so many other commandments that don't 'add up" if we scientifically analyze them. But they are true, and they are from God. And as we do them and do his will, we will be blessing, including being blessed to understand why. So, when you have a fork in the road ask yourself, who knows best? Anyway, sorry for the ramble. And lest you think I am contradicting myself by my last ramble about scripture study, prophets say to study the scriptures so there! Ha, just don't put them above the living one =D 

Anyway, I hope you all have an amazing week! 

Love, 


April     

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