Discovering

Sometimes I wonder if God makes everything work out perfectly for a while to soften the blow of hard things that are coming around the corner. Maybe it`s a fault of faith, but sometimes I fall into the fear that things are too good to be true. Something bad must be coming. We were so blessed this week in so many ways. I can`t even begin to express how happy I am. We worked our butts off this week, but we worked smart. Sometimes in life we get caught in the trap of running so much faster than we can handle. Maybe we start out fine, but pretty soon we are too exhausted to put another foot forward, and the finish line is still really far away. We`d all be wise to take a lesson from long-distance runners who are masters at pacing themselves. So we worked diligently, but didn`t run so fast that we tripped over ourselves, and the Lord blessed us in indescribable ways. He taught me things personally, led us to amazing people to teach, and helped us get people to church. He showed us little miracles every single day that reminded me how this work is His. I am so far from being a "great missionary", yet somehow His work here goes forward.

Example: Sundays are the most stressful days of the week for missionarise. We are supposed to pick up all of our investigators for church, but usually we show up an they have either disappeared, don`t want to go anymore, or aren`t ready. But yesterday we had a miracle. We picked up two families. One was ready and waiting for us when we stopped by and the other got ready in 10 minutes. By some miracle we arrived to church early with two rows full of investigators. And then this young couple, Alexandra and Jorge, that we taught 5 weeks ago just randomly showed up by themselves. Hermana Needham and I couldn`t stop saying "I can`t believe this is happening!"It was way humbling to see God`s hand in everything. All we did was show up.


I had a lot of discoveries this week. So...here you have them.

1. You know you`re becoming one of those really frumpy missionaries when you spill bleach all over a skirt and instead of throwing it away like any normal person you just decide to flip it inside out. Good as new. Maybe frumpy isn't the right word...thrifty.

2. Good people exist everywhere. Some gave us crab (we are becoming expert crab eaters) and soy milk. Others tell us how they like how we speak spanish and invite us to sit down on a crooked bench in the shade to rest for a bit. Sometimes we have the mindset that people are selfish and that the world is corrupt, but I am convinced that the majority of people are actually good and sincere.

3. All people have needs. The gospel is always the underlying solution.

4. The Ecuadorian version of Gilmore Girls exists and I met them. The mother-daughter duo of Ivon and Maria del Cisne is just as witty and clever as the famous Lorelei and Rory. There are plenty of parallels, but I wont go into details. I feel like I am in a movie every time we are with them.

5.One of the greatest blessings God gives us is the Holy Ghost. As we seek to feel it in our lives all other good things follow. Why? Because being able to feel the spirit means we`re doing all we can to be obedient and put our will in line with the Father`s. It shows us where we need to go, what we need to do, and gives us comfort when we feel broke. In the Fourth Missionary, Lawrence E. Corbridge wrote: "The gift of the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift available to mankind in this life. It is the power by which you are sanctified and changed to become like God. It is the foundation and the only source of power, light, intelligence, hope, love, joy, peace, comfort, knowledge, confidence, clarity, and every other good gift. All of the wealth of the world combined is dust and dirt in comparison to this supernal gift made available to EVERYONE who is obedient to the lows and ordinances of the gospel."

6. Life and work and everything is so much more enjoyable when you have an amazing companion. Our favorite thing is to ask each other weird questions like would you rather drink a cup of this nasty pond water or eat a spoonful of dog poop.

7. Best s`more creation ever: marshmallow, dove chocolate with caramel center, and banana (all roasted over our classy gas stove) on a coconut cookie. So worth the overpriced american-imported marshmallows.
8. I am turning into a little kid again. It is amazing to me that our investigators trust us with so many issues that should be dealt with by people lots wiser than me. They tell us their marriage woes, problems with alcohol, and so many other things and look to us for the solutions. Little do they know we make forts out of blankets in our apartment at night.

9. Families are the best idea God has ever had. My eyes were really open to all the hard things peopel face here, and the more I think about it the more I realize that the success of a society is based on the family. (Yes, that seems to be a churchy catch phrase...but it is true. really.) Famlies with two married parents who don`t have severe marital problems due to infidelity or alcoholism or abuse are extremely rare. And ugly things like rovveries, scandalous behavior, drugs, alcohol, and gang fights are impossible to avoid. It`s everywhere. Most people have been deeply affected by one or more of these things. And so as their families suffer, kids never learn what a good, solid, loving home looks like. The cycle is perpetuated.

I have a thousand examples, but one that broke my heart this week was the familia Sigüenza. We contacted and taught the wife, Susana this week. She has a 4 year old named Paul and is 8 months pregnant. Her husband is a taxi driver and only comes home to sleep at night. On his only free day (Sunday) he leaves early in the morning to go get drunk. Susana has to wait at home all day to let him inside because he gets so wasted that he can`t even function. So she couldn`t come to church yesterday becasue she didn`t know where he was or when he`d return. We visited her later that night and he still hadn`t turned up. Paul ran up to us and told us excitedly how he was waiting for his daddy so they could play. I don`t think there are words to describe the pain I saw in Susana`s eyes as she thought of how for the hundredth time her son would be ignored and disappointed by a dad who is destroying all of their lies through his poor choices. She and her cute little boy and future baby are trapped and suffering in ways I can`t even begin to imagine.

I will never again take for grated by own goofy family. I am learning to appreciate them now more than ever. We have so many fun memories of family vacations like Cancun (remember those ice cream waffles?! and how we almost died in those speed boats?) and Portland (with Avett Brother concert bliss), after school trips to 7-11 for slurpees, family parties almost every weekend, weekend hiking trips, and playing games at the dinner table like "who can make the best elephant sound." To say that I love them doesn`t even begin to cover it. I have no idea how I got so lucky. The thought of becoming a parent someday and trying to do at least half as good of a job as my parents did makes me hyperventilate a little. Good thing I have another 10 months before I have to really start considering that. But for those of you who don`t have that time advantage...I highly recommend Elder Scott`s talk from this last general conference, The Eternal Blessings of Marriage.


PS...happy belated father`s day to all grandpas and dads around the world! Especially my dad. Oh, what? You want to hear me brag about him for a second? Here are a few random memories of my dad...

When I was in 3rd grade one day he picked me up from school and had shaved. It was the first time in my life i had seen him without a goatee. It kinda freaked me out and took me a good three days to get used to it.
Once he took me backpacking in the Uintas. Just the two of us. We were almost electrocuted and killed by the most intense thunderstorm either of us had ever seen.

When I was little I got a new pair of roller blades and was trying to show them off while he was working in the yard. But I just ended up rolling over his foot. I can still hear him yelling out in pain to this day.
He always took us to Dunford Donuts to get a dozen double chocolate donuts.

It`s not a rare occasion for my mom to have a fresh vase of flowers delivered to her at work just because he felt like it.

He loves planning things. He always plans the world`s best family vacations and never overlooks any details. The rest of us just follow him around and reap the benefits of his ours of searching for cool things and the best deals. Thanks to him we enjoyed segways in Portland and stayed in a castle in Ireland.

He is literally the smartest, wittiest person I know. He is incredibly talented at everything he does. Especially writing. And soccer. And everything.

I always love watching soccer games with him. I will never forget jumping around the living room when Real Salt Lake won the MLS championship.

Okay, I think that is enough embarrassing things for one day. I love you, dad! Happy Father`s Day and birthday!
And for the rest of you...I love you all more than a new pack of sharpie markers.
Have the best week of your lives.


Shout outs...

Thanks for the Easter package! Yes, I just barely got it. Thanks for all the letters and candy!

Heidi Curzon. Oops, I can`t actually remember how to spell your last name right now. I cant believe I forgot to wish you a happy birthday last week! Rude. BUt I hope your day was full of milkshakes and hard boiled eggs. Those things will always remind me of you.

Kyle Hardy. Happy birthday! I hope you`re still tearin it up at Utah State...or in whatever it is you`re doing these days.