Letter September 20, 2010

Dear World,

 

I'm fairly certain that Élder Bryant has sleep apnea...unfortunate thing is that there aren't very many treatments for it...he could lose a little bit of weight... :P

 

Other than that, all is well.  Today ended the first 6 weeks of being in Cuatro Vientos, which means the end of a change, which means one of us could go...but we didn't :).  Two elders and a sister left from our zone, but that's about all. :)

 

This last week was mexican independence day.  It was the Bicentennial of their independence and the Centennial of the revolution (during which, I believe, my great-grandparents were run out of the country).  Due to the possibly dangerous situations that could arise from having two americans preaching a gospel that many associate with the United States, we stayed home wednesday and thursday last week.  Due to the festivities, Tuesday was rather slow, Monday we never get much done because it's our preparation day, Friday most everyone was still half-drunk, and Saturday we were instructed to stay inside due to the possible danger of the hurricane (nothing happened...barely even rained here...at 2 in the morning... :P).  I celebrated by reading the scriptures and wearing my fake mustache :).

 

Due to our staying inside 3 out of 7 days last week, we don't have a ton of news.  Things are going well, just slowed down a bit.  I hope we can do some good work this week.

 

This morning we went by a restaurant, the owner of which a few elders know.  This restaurant is a little unique in that it has two lions, two tigers, and a panther in cages next to where you eat, a climbing wall and a zipline.  It made for an interesting morning, but it also made us late. :(  That's about all I have by way of stories.  Enjoy the picture :P.  I'll try to send more stories next week.

 

I started reading the Old Testament again.  I'm actually rather enjoying it.  I'm using the Institute manual to help me out.  It's actually very interesting :).  All is well.

 

One last thing.  This week we watched a movie called "Gordon B. Hinckley: a giant among men" and many things hit me.  One of which was his desire and covenant he made with God to forget himself and go to work.  That is my desire and covenant.  I hope I can live up to it. :)  Another thing that stuck out to me was a lesson President Hinckley learned as a boy.  He and a few classmates took a day off school and called it a "strike," and the principal wouldn't let them back without a letter from their parents.  President Hinckley's mom gave him the note and told him, essentially, "off to school with you, remember who you're trying to be like."  President Hinckley said it lifted him to higher ground while correcting the problem.  I need to learn better how to do that.  A few lessons recently learnt.

 

This week's letter brought to you by the song Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

 

Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.
 

I know I'm far from perfect, and I know, like most of humanity, I am prone to wander and be a mediocre servant and person, but that is not my desire.  I want God to take my heart and seal it His.  I want to be His servant to bring about His work.  I want that because I know it is true.  I know God lives, that he is there, and that He answers!  I know that it is only by His grace that we can be saved after all we can do.  I know that I have been saved, rescued, and redeemed countless times in my life and I cannot help but be eternally grateful for that.  This church is the Kingdom of God on the earth.  All who seek the blessings and covenants of God can and will find them within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I know it's true, because I've prayed and asked after properly investigating myself.  I invite you to do the same.

 

All My Love,

Élder Sudbury