WOW.
I
could probably finish the weekly report up with that. Elder Johnson and
I are having the best of times sharing the gospel and spreading the
Lord's love. The experiences that we are having are far to
awesome to share over email! They will have to wait until we can share
them in person! Much more interesting! We are still kicking it in Vinces
and getting after it! Vinces is a little tiny District made up of 2
branches in Vinces itself and 1 branch about 2 hours away. Working with
branches is always a bit different but I love it so much. Some of the
most bright, loving, and dedicated members of Christ's church I have
ever met in my life assist the smallest of branches.
We are
living with an Elder from Bolivia and another Elder from Salt Lake so
that is a good time! Each morning we pump out some circuits, drink a
protein shake, and get after the study grind! It is so awesome! What I
love most is to see and feel the change that has taken place in our
relationship. There is nothing in this world that will bring a
friendship closer than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
One night
we ended up getting out of a visit a bit later than we expected. We only
had about 5 minutes to get back to the house to make it home in time.
It has been years since I have run head to head with Elder Johnson!
Haha! But we strapped on the laces and got after it. It was super late
at night and raining but it didn't hold us back! We made it in time! :)
We
are teaching some of the most amazing people. There is one woman and
her children that are progressing so amazingly! We left her with the
Book of Mormon and asked her to read the introduction. When we passed by
the next day she was already asking questions about Nephi and his
journey to Jerusalem to get married!! Haha! She is great.
If I start with the best stories I will never stop! So stay tuned for the next few months!!! ;)
I
have been thinking a lot about how I can become what the Lord wants and
expects of me. I have thought about what I want to become and how I can
get there. As I thought about what it would take to become what the
Lord wants of me, I soon realized that it is a process...a process that
requires patience, trust, steps, and practice. Those four words
(patience, trust, steps, and practice) define a 4x100 Meter relay to a
dime.
The baton in a relay race is what delegates change. We
must be patient as we wait for our baton or change. If we enter a race
with desires to receive a baton or truly search for a change in our
lives, change is what will come and better is what you will be. But some
batons take longer than others. Be patient with yourself and with those
around you as you become like your Savior. Change takes time!
A
4x1 is compiled of "blind exchanges". When it is your turn to receive
the baton you are not to look back. You are not to look to your left
nor your right. Rather, you are expected to trust in him with the baton
and that he will deliver it to you with accuracy and precision. As we
look to become "changed" or "converted" we must develop trust in
the Lord that He will deliver the change to our hearts and get the
baton in our hands.
If you have a desire to change - are your eyes
forward? Do you look back or to the side? Or are you set on who you want
to become and what the Lord wants of you? How do we permit the Lord to
deliver us the baton or the change? How do we permit the spirit to show
us how to change?
In the book of Matthew a young man is
searching for eternal life. He is looking for the baton and trying to
figure out how to receive this change. He has waited ever so patiently
and "he goes to the Lord", showing trust and faith in Him, and says, "all these things (the commandments) have I kept from my youth up:
what lack I yet?"
Returning to our 4x1 relay...In order to have a
perfect hand-off you have to measure steps. Each runner comes in at
different speeds and whoever is receiving the baton has to find the
perfect point to begin to run. For this reason it is required of
whoever is going to receive the baton, to take an exact number of steps,
depending on his speed and the speed of his teammate - to discover exactly
when and where he should start running to receive the baton. This is a
brutal process. As a track runner, I remember asking myself the same
question that the young man asked the Savior. "What lack I yet?" As I asked myself this question, I ALWAYS KNEW. ALWAYS. I knew how many steps I
needed to take off or how many I needed to add. After practicing and
practicing and asking myself "what lack I yet" time after time a
perfect exchange was developed. Brothers and Sisters, if you want to
hear the voice of God...if you want to feel of His perfection...if you
want perfection, eternal life, and glory...one simple question will get
you there.
"What lack I yet?"
Time in Guayaquil 
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