Friday, September 16, 2011

Email 8-29-11

1 MONTH MARK… YEY!!!

Yeah… hello all!! Just to give you a quick rundown of what happened this week.

So this week it has been getting progressively hotter so Elder Hewitt and I didn't know what to do; so we probed around a little bit.  We finally found an old old old cooler that we jimmy rigged up to the wall so that we could have some sort of cooling system.  Oh wow!! I didn't think that a cooler that old could crank it that fast.  WOW!!! Of course, you can see our brilliant moments came, when we were stacking a very very large heavy cooler on a very old a rickety table.  Ok, yes, but I wouldn't give it up for anything. That thing means the world to me now!!!! Also we have been kind of having a sort of war with the other elders that live next door to us.  They were making fun of us for not having any air conditioning and so we thought “what would the practical thing to do?  We decided that we could humble them a little bit, so we "borrowed" the other elders remote for their cooler.  It just so happens that we didn't have any use for it at that moment; but really who could have known that. :D  

One funny moment that happened this week.  As usual, at 6:30, we rolled out of bed zombified.  I just grabbed my towel to take my "coffee" shower (the shower that wakes me up).  So as I went into the shower, usually what you’re supposed to do is to turn on the water and then hit the knob that turns on the heat. I just accidentally; in my zombie mode, hit the switch first and when I went to turn on the water I was shocked!  It was probably more than just your normal everyday shock.  I fell over in the shower and just laughed!! Hahaha fun times!!  Don't worry I'm fine.  There’s nothing to wake you up better than a good shock every morning. :D 

I have officially not lost any weight after 1 month in Paraguay.  I don't know if that should be much of a declaration as to what is to come in the next two years.  The heat is just getting started and I sure hope that I can handle that, plus the humidity.  Elder Hewitt and I are doing our part in trying to stay fit, I would have to say.  We are doing pushups every day.  Oh and I'm not just talking about regular pushups everyday.  Ya, we get our variety in through the p90X workout routines (that I remember) ..... Thank you TONY!!!!!!!!  No, but it’s cool, we have fun with that as we get laughing about how wimpy we are.  But hey the prophet said to exercise and I'm going to follow his council.

I have just finished reading 2 rather spectacular books this last week.  One book by Henry B Eyring: “To Draw Closer to God”.  I really like the book because it helped me; as I read it, with the perspective of a leader.  He says that if we listen to a speaker with the intent to do whatever he tells us to do, it will be easier for us to listen.  I really like that because of the so many conferences that I had to attend before my mission in my UVU leadership program it was hard to pay attention sometimes.  Now I wish I would have; because I could have benefited so much from their knowledge.  The second book that I liked was called “Commitment” by Vaughn J. Featherstone.  I liked this book because it helped relate principles of the Gospel into leadership perspectives.  

So we had a Zone conference this last week and we had Elder Arnold of the Quorum of the Seventy come and speak to us.  WOW....  He taught what we could use as missionaries to help better us.  I thought that my favorite part was when he was testifying at the end.  He said to us speaking of his witness of Christ.  "You don't need to see him to know him."  I have pondered that phrase for hours on end since he has spoken those words to us.  While walking, sitting, eating, teaching, resting, showering,... ya you get the idea.  I don't think another phrase has ever touched me that much.  Often times we as humans need a witness.  We need that special testimony that he lives, that he is with me.  We want that special witness that he lives.  But one thing that we easily forget that the witness is not going to come in a manner that we are not ready for.  It is going to come in a way that we find little, maybe even insignificant but it will be there.  

Another thing that I have been pondering about from the conference is love.  We all need to have more love. Seriously! Can you imagine what it would be like if a guy came up to you and did some random act of service without you having to say anything.  That’s love.  Can you see your child just doing their chores because they just want to help you out? That’s love.  If we all had more love it would be so much easier to live life.  That’s what I have discovered here.  When I have love for the people I’m teaching, when I’m out doing service to help others feel closer to Christ, I feel love.  They feel love as well.  It’s the greatest feeling in the world when you go to an investigators house and they tell you… they are always waiting for you to come by.  That’s because they like you, and that’s because you have shown them love.  

Service is the fruit of love.  I challenge you all to try and do a little more service.  I can promise you that as you strive to do more service that people will begin to show love to you and that you will feel that love of the Lord in your lives.

I wish you all well

amo a mi familia, para siempre

-Elder Beatty

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