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| The Commons at Izapa |
As you might be aware, Thursday this week I complete a year in the field...sad. ha. So I thought it would be good to reflect upon some of the lessons I´ve learned out here. First of all - just be obedient. There is no other way to be happy. I knew that before my mission but now I understand better. Second, You can have whatever you want. I love to teach this principle. If you want to go to the celestial kingdom you can. If you want to baptize as a missionary you can. If you want to change your life you can. You just have to be willing to make the sacrifice required. Also, excuses are the nemesis of progress.
In Matt 5:48 Jesus commanded us: Be ye therefore perfect. I´ve learned to take that commandment very seriously. I believe in a God who gives commandments that we are capable of keeping. Obviously we aren´t perfect right now, but we would do well to make that our goal and work towards it tenaciously. Expectations are everything.
Roy - haha, I´m proud of you for finding a way to blame it on me...well done ha. Man, I don´t ever want to graduate BYU, its the best! But anyway, I liked your experience in Wimbledon. Believe me that I feel the same all the time. I´m starting to understand the words of Paul a bit more when he talked about glorying in his weaknesses because when he is weak then he is strong. I´m just not good enough on my own, but have found that the Lord has always rewarded my true effort.
Carly - I´m amazed... Yeah the police are super sketchy here. This morning we were walking to the chapel and about 85 police officers passed us going the other way. I just thought to myself, I am soo glad I´m not going to see what they are about to do haha. Working like donkey´s eh? here we say trabajando como negros (working like blacks) but I wouldn´t recommend using it in Florida ha. Thanks for the email! You´re the best!
Mom and Dad - sorry to combine you but I´m a bit short on time and you ought to be one flesh right? Anyway, I´m so proud of Michael D. - Chihuahua! Everyone here makes fun of them but that's ok! ha. I´m glad to hear that Quest panned out well. Your story reminded me of President Monson's story about the cultural event for the Kansas City temple. You just do the best you can and its always enough. As for the grass, I totally understand. I have a goal to model my future home after the temple. The temple is the most beautiful place on earth but it is exquisitely simple. It doesn´t matter how rich or poor you are, you can have a clean house, filled with the spirit of the Lord, if you put in a bit of effort. I´ve been in some poor homes that were far more heavenly than any house on PV Boulevard. That reminds me - we had an awesome sacrament meeting. A very sick member gave a talk somewhat similar to Bruce R McConkie's last talk. He said, "I´m not sure if I will be here next Sunday, but I want you to know, that I know with certainty that Jesus Christ lives. I trust in him. I cannot wait to see him." It was amazing. I am convinced that some of the most powerful spirits are housed in the weakest bodies.
Sorry I don´t have time to answer all your questions, I´ll try to next week.
A to the D - hahaha. When you said that Roy would never get to anything dressed or fed on time an image of a Roy showing up to work in his underwear flashed across my mind. haha, I too. I´m quite convinced that if he didn´t have you, he´d be a shaggy man indeed. Hahaha Roy with his "I am a man of constant sorrow" strikes again. I forgot how funny that kid is. When I go home we´ll have to do some shenanigans again. Thanks for bringing back memories of PDBio 120, that class was the worst ha. But we got through it. Have a rocking week.
Well in 15 minutes I start proselyting again, and I still haven´t washed my clothes, cleaned the house, or bought food. This week might be a bit rough ha. I love you guys and hope you have a fantastic week. When I email you next week I will officially be an old man in the mission.
Elder Roth
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