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I guess it's time I right the weekly letter! Half of my Internet time is already up. Man the time just goes by fast!
I just wrote this to Spencer, but I thought I'd throw it in here too.. time flies by SO fast! I remember 6 months ago when I called home for Mothers' Day I was thinking about the Christmas phone call and how it was an eternity away. Well, guess what. It's coming in THREE WEEKS. That's basically tomorrow in missionary time! Times just keep going by faster and faster and faster. Although, from what I hear, the time period of 9-12 months in the mission is the slowest. I say "casaca" (lie in Guatemala). Anyways...
To talk about the week... On Sunday afternoon Elder Barahona and I did divisions with members. He went with the bishop and I stayed at the church to do an English Book of Mormon reading which was pretty legit! The bishop wants all of the members to read the Book of Mormon in the "language of the Restoration, exactly how Joseph Smith translated it" which I think is a really cool idea! I found power in the Book of Mormon no matter what language it is! (assuming I understand more or less what is going on.) So I did that for an hour and we had a decent turn out of about 8 people! Hopefully that number increases this Sunday! We were also able to teach Javier Cotero (has a baptismal date of the 17th of December) more about prayer using Enos as an example and the importance of praying to our Heavenly Father and closing in the name of Jesus Christ. Sundays are good days.
As a missionary you try to leave out negative things in your emails, as mentioned in the Missionary Handbook, so I don't want to mention specifics, but more about the learning that comes from these experiences. It all focuses on one word. COMMUNICATION. This word has a meaning of transmitting thoughts, feelings, and ideas through speech, writing, simbols, signs, etc. (Definition according to Elder LaPray). Communication can bring about many terrible things. However, when used correctly, it is a very powerful tool. Here in the office we have what I like to call a LACK of communication. With the exception of the communication between finance elders (my comp and I) and the poucheros (Elder Francks and Elder Cantillo) it's pretty much everyone to their one stuff. We're a team in the office and we need to communicate. It's a simple matter of "Hey, we have these things planned for this time and we wanted to let you know so that there are no conflicts in schedules and so that we can work better". Or "Could you call us a taxi to take us from A to B at X hour for such meeting?" Done. Here in the office I am learning A LOT about myself and how I can become successful in all aspects of life, like this communication stuff. Yesterday the poucheros needed some help with the packages and materials they were moving. They told us at 2 p.m. "Hey, around 3 we'll be coming back with all of the mail packages and picking up the materials to send out to the various areas. When we call you could you bring the materials out into the hall and load them in to the elevator?" our reply "Absolutely". Then, at 2:55 we received a phone call "Hey, can you take the stuff out to the elevator, it will be waiting?". Done! We took the stuff out there, loaded up the elevator, got in, took the stuff down, unloaded with the help of the poucheros, loaded up the taxi, put the packages from the post office into the elevator, went up, and took it out. Job completed in a matter of 10 minutes with COMMUNICATION. The poucheros alone would have taken at least 30 minutes to complete the job alone.
Now, this communication business isn't just a work thing or a human to human thing. It works on an even grander scale. Personally, one of the most important communications I have is with my Heavenly Father. This communication is absolutely NECESSARY to success in life. We can communicate with our Heavenly Father and He can communicate with us if we are willing. He has given us the wonderful opportunity to pray, communicating our thanks, desires, questions, and needs to Him and He will communicate with us through thoughts, feelings, the words of a friend, one of His servants, or thousands of other means. When this communication is a in work, life always seems to go just that much smoother, with that much more tranquility and calm. What a wonderful gift we have in communication.
On Wednesday our District Meeting focused on sharing the Book of Mormon. That was also the message in our "Noche de Hermanamiento". There are so many blessings we receive from the Book of Mormon and it is so easy to share with a friend. "Hey, Jim, I know that Christmas is coming up and I was thinking about you. I love Christmas because it gives us a chance to reflect up the birth of Our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love that about the Christmas season. But it's not just about the birth of Our Savior, you know? He did so much for us! He performed miracles, He established His church here on the earth, and more than anything, He paid for our sins. What a wonderful gift our Savior has given us. You know, Jim, one of the best ways I can remember the gifts of my Savior is through the Book of Mormon, I know you've heard a little about it. But really, it's one of the most beautiful testimonies we have of Our Redeemer. I'd like to give you a copy I bought, just for you. There is one scripture I would like to share with you, that helps me remember Jesus Christ at this special time, it says......."
What a wonderful opportunity the Christmas season opens to share OUR testimony of the Savior of the World. What have you done this year to share YOUR testimony of your Savior, Jesus Christ?
Love,
Elder Andrew LaPray
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