"Elder." Fun fact: is from the Netherlands, or at least it is to the people here. Pima County Public Library card came in handy for the first time this week. Been carrying it around forever. I gave it to the security guard at the bishops house and told him it was JUST AS SPECIAL as my drivers license and I couldn't live without it.
Worked for a couple days but then they figured me out. They like me there though. I shoot him with my space gun but they don't have any weapons so they can't do anything. The other one always says "how ya doin mister." its wonderful. I tell him that "I AM FANTASTIC SIR!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH." it is short and sweet, but we always enjoy it. I drew a beautiful school building last night to help our neighbor's sister out. She's probably the sickest sister ever. Hermana Alma Parra. Her daughters are crazy, we took pics in the enchanted castle the other week. We play UNO with them sometimes at night. I drew this sweet school though and these happy children with pig-tails with HUGE heads....it looks SO sweet though. She's presenting it today at the children's schools. Totally signed the bottom. Rained a lot. Every morning actually. And at like 3. I LOVE THE RAIN. Like I've said before, they do NOT know how to build roads here. You could lay in a pothole in the middle of the road and it would be so deep the cars wouldn't run over you. I love the public bus system. Got the coolest new tie this week from this cool person who sent it to me from Peru. IT HAS A LLAMA!!!! It's my new "WEAR-EVERY-DAY-TIE" thank you. Thank you. Thank you. love you. Thank you. I wore it every day this week and got a bazillion of compliments on it and everyone thinks it's awesome and I ask EVERYONE if they want to pet my llama. Its the most epic tie ever. Nothing compares. I love llamas. Saw a beanie with llamas on it today too. Almost got it. Say wut up to my neighbor llamas DJ and MJ for me.
Worked for a couple days but then they figured me out. They like me there though. I shoot him with my space gun but they don't have any weapons so they can't do anything. The other one always says "how ya doin mister." its wonderful. I tell him that "I AM FANTASTIC SIR!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH." it is short and sweet, but we always enjoy it. I drew a beautiful school building last night to help our neighbor's sister out. She's probably the sickest sister ever. Hermana Alma Parra. Her daughters are crazy, we took pics in the enchanted castle the other week. We play UNO with them sometimes at night. I drew this sweet school though and these happy children with pig-tails with HUGE heads....it looks SO sweet though. She's presenting it today at the children's schools. Totally signed the bottom. Rained a lot. Every morning actually. And at like 3. I LOVE THE RAIN. Like I've said before, they do NOT know how to build roads here. You could lay in a pothole in the middle of the road and it would be so deep the cars wouldn't run over you. I love the public bus system. Got the coolest new tie this week from this cool person who sent it to me from Peru. IT HAS A LLAMA!!!! It's my new "WEAR-EVERY-DAY-TIE" thank you. Thank you. Thank you. love you. Thank you. I wore it every day this week and got a bazillion of compliments on it and everyone thinks it's awesome and I ask EVERYONE if they want to pet my llama. Its the most epic tie ever. Nothing compares. I love llamas. Saw a beanie with llamas on it today too. Almost got it. Say wut up to my neighbor llamas DJ and MJ for me.
We went to the "padion" today. No. I call it the PARTY ON. Because it sounds like that and that's pretty much what it was. It's out of the zone. So I asked the zone leaders and they asked the assistants and they said they can't give permission like that and we can't leave. BUT we went and ate waffles at the presidents house this morning FINALLY---after knowing Brian had a waffle maker, I have been insisting that we have a morning snack at his house...SO WE DID. And while we were eating the president was like, you guys can go to the party on today with Brian... (oh best part---so Brian is a champ and I've wanted to go to the party on forevvvvvvvver and so has he so he's been asking his parents all the time hahaha AND we had a TON of contacts this week---so maybe that's a reason too) but passed it off from the top of the mission hierarchy and we went. Pres and Sister Reeves are awesome. She smashed strawberries for our waffles!!! It was AMAZING!!! Then while we waited before we left their house, I went upstairs and talked with President Reeves for like 30 minutes about our investigator that doesn't believe in God. It was so awesome. Not just cause I was sitting in this SUPER comfortable chair--but our conversation went super well and it's really nice to talk to him one on one. He's a really great President. Glad I got that unique opportunity. So we went to the party on. Got this sick Barcelona jersey and these Oaxaca shirts that are eeeeeeeeeeeepic. Erica, I saw a bunch of headbands and thought of you. :) We walked wayyyyyy far into the market and stuff and found all these cool stores. Totally got lost by the way. Typical. Comps fault---OBBBBBBVIOUSLY. then we went to Dominoes and Brian and I ate a huge pizza. Pech wasn't hungry. Brian got these sweet ponchos though and I TOTTTTTTTTTTTTALLY bargained like a champ. Nothing compared to the great bargainer Grandma Nancy, but I thought I did pretty well. Got it down from a tough 250 to a solid 200 then broke her at 150 heeeeeheheheh. I WON. Pech did not help bargain. I don't think he likes it. It's just a huge market full of Mexican stuff. Tourist stuff. Then... weird... walked through this group of 20 either French or Swiss chicks. Haven't seen people like that in FOREVER. I think they were speaking French. Suckers to the Mexican markets they are. SUCH a bomb day though. Got to have breakfast at the mission home, talk to president, PARTY ON, and Dominoes. What a life---mission life. Only bummer is that I didn't find a sweet switchblade....THERE for Brian. I got mine this week. IT'S SICK. Has like the Redbull symbol on it and flips out so fast. Got it in the military zone.
I had the most intellectual conversation I've had my entire mission this week. It was weird talking to someone who actually went to college. I really do enjoy talking to smart people. This smart person was different though. He and his wife are teachers, or professors at the BUAP, the university here that all the narcos send their children to because it is one of the best universities in all of Mexico. Wait, no they don't. Rather than erase it I'll keep that fact there. They work at a private university. Think with him. Juan Alberto. Doesn't believe in God. Doesn't believe in ANYTHING, not the bible, all-powerful beings, Moses, JESUS. Yes. Weird. First person I've actually sat down and had the opportunity to talk to like that my entire mission. SUCH an interesting conversation. These are the people we found 2 weeks ago and taught a super spiritually powerful lesson, but couldn't find them the next week. We did find them this week. We talked to them for a long time on Saturday morning. 3 and a half hours. I think the conversation might have been one of the most interesting in my LIFE. Erica...would have LOVED it. Or at least like an hour of it when the focus was socio-cultural anthropology and comparing the different cultures of people here within Mexico, focusing on the "satisfaction of life" you could say of communities based on their level of material wealth and surroundings. And I totally realized in that conversation I had seen exactly that with the three areas I've been in on my mission. Starting in a super poor area. simple. But the people were relatively humble, never complaining, and more than the others, satisfied with the way they lived and really weren't always looking to get ahead of others materialistically. Then Tetela. Level of wealth a little higher, more cars, more stores. People less satisfied with their lives, talking about their wealth and what they DON'T have, and working less than those in Atexcac. Then HERE. Comparing the wealthy areas in my area. People are stressed. over-worked. never satisfied, always have a negative attitude, and from what I can see, really aren't, and will never be--"satisfied with their lives." Really it's the simplest, poorest families that I've seen who are the happiest, who have like 20 people in a tiny house, all family. Women make tortillas and clean all day. Men work all day in the corn field or cutting fruit. But those are the happiest most satisfied people I've seen. I really don't know how we got on such a tangent in the conversation, but I remember it totally lead somewhere. And if I was in school, and was taking anthropology, I would write a KILLER essay on this and the TA would HAAAAAVE to give me an A. ;)
Its the same though with God. I really think the most poor, the humblest...sometimes...receive God in their lives more than the wealthy. Everyone knows that though. He doesn't believe in ANYTHING after death either, but its a beautiful thing. Why? he explained it. It was long. His wife is catholic, so I asked them, more like added to the conversation---telling them it was really sad for me to see something like the huge contrast in their beliefs, knowing that the hermana thinks that she will see her husband after this life, but the husband says he has a "FIRM CONVICTION" that there is no God, and that after this life he will die, and will never see his wife again. Sad. But he thinks its beautiful. I also asked questions about guilt, and if he knows that nobody is judging him, if he feels guilt. He doesn't. But when I asked about killing someone, he says he would feel guilty just because he had taken the life of something and that's different? He's way into nature, and the loving of nature. Says he sees nature though pure eyes, and unlike us, he does not need a "third person" like a God or any deity to see the rain. Like when we are sitting at the top of a hill on top of the world watching a sunset and we think "wow. gorgeous. God was such an artist and made all of this" or something like that. He sees it as "wow. beautiful sunset. nature. awesome." Everything we see in nature we see through that "third being" he says, when we don't need it, and was just a creation in the olden days when the people didn't have explanations for the mysteries of the world, and so they created a "God" who "made it all" and that is how they solved the problems they couldn't figure out. But now, we have technology and know, so there is no need for a God because now we know. Thing is. We don't. We don't know TONS of things, and there are so many things in this world without an explanation. Some are just too arrogant depending on the power in themselves and not God that they can't see it. That is the problem with him.
We went into many other things too, talking about Steven Hawkins, who is smart in some aspects, but is arrogant for forgetting to recognize God in the sciences of this world. Acting like Korihor in the Book of Mormon, he is kind of like an anti-christ and is a "God" you could say, for all those who forget to check the evidence and just rely of his word for their salvation (if they believe in that) and guidance for their lives, relying too much on their self strength, which takes them over, and leaves them thinking that they can do everything for themselves, and don't need to believe in this all-powerful God, but listen to the enticings of men as the scriptures say to rule their lives. What is the purpose of memories in our lives then?--I asked him. He had many answers for every question we put out there, you can tell he has "studied" this and really convinced himself of these teachings over the years, just like Korihor who at one point knew God, and knew he existed, but then with time, he turned from the Lord and as he gained confidence by the many others that were believing in his words, he eventually convinced HIMSELF that what he was teaching was right. I'm not comparing Juan Alberto to Korihor because he's not an anti-Christ. Steven Hawings and Hicks are. :) no. but, they are Gods to many. Overall, I learned a lot from this conversation, and it really opened up my eyes on some things in life, and how lucky we are that we DO HAVE this firm conviction that there IS A GOD. He did read the part we assigned in the Book of Mormon, but he said he didn't pray becuase it seemed pointless to do something he "knows" has no effect. Really. It's sad. I'm so glad that we have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and we know there is a God. He loves us, and we were with Him before this life, and we WILL be with Him after. I love the plan He has for us. It's the PERFECT plan. Every day I learn more and more about it. I feel so blessed to be in this plan, and helping others UNDERSTAND this plan that God has. So that they, like me, can know for assurity that our God loves us and is there for us guiding us back to Him.
Its the same though with God. I really think the most poor, the humblest...sometimes...receive God in their lives more than the wealthy. Everyone knows that though. He doesn't believe in ANYTHING after death either, but its a beautiful thing. Why? he explained it. It was long. His wife is catholic, so I asked them, more like added to the conversation---telling them it was really sad for me to see something like the huge contrast in their beliefs, knowing that the hermana thinks that she will see her husband after this life, but the husband says he has a "FIRM CONVICTION" that there is no God, and that after this life he will die, and will never see his wife again. Sad. But he thinks its beautiful. I also asked questions about guilt, and if he knows that nobody is judging him, if he feels guilt. He doesn't. But when I asked about killing someone, he says he would feel guilty just because he had taken the life of something and that's different? He's way into nature, and the loving of nature. Says he sees nature though pure eyes, and unlike us, he does not need a "third person" like a God or any deity to see the rain. Like when we are sitting at the top of a hill on top of the world watching a sunset and we think "wow. gorgeous. God was such an artist and made all of this" or something like that. He sees it as "wow. beautiful sunset. nature. awesome." Everything we see in nature we see through that "third being" he says, when we don't need it, and was just a creation in the olden days when the people didn't have explanations for the mysteries of the world, and so they created a "God" who "made it all" and that is how they solved the problems they couldn't figure out. But now, we have technology and know, so there is no need for a God because now we know. Thing is. We don't. We don't know TONS of things, and there are so many things in this world without an explanation. Some are just too arrogant depending on the power in themselves and not God that they can't see it. That is the problem with him.
We went into many other things too, talking about Steven Hawkins, who is smart in some aspects, but is arrogant for forgetting to recognize God in the sciences of this world. Acting like Korihor in the Book of Mormon, he is kind of like an anti-christ and is a "God" you could say, for all those who forget to check the evidence and just rely of his word for their salvation (if they believe in that) and guidance for their lives, relying too much on their self strength, which takes them over, and leaves them thinking that they can do everything for themselves, and don't need to believe in this all-powerful God, but listen to the enticings of men as the scriptures say to rule their lives. What is the purpose of memories in our lives then?--I asked him. He had many answers for every question we put out there, you can tell he has "studied" this and really convinced himself of these teachings over the years, just like Korihor who at one point knew God, and knew he existed, but then with time, he turned from the Lord and as he gained confidence by the many others that were believing in his words, he eventually convinced HIMSELF that what he was teaching was right. I'm not comparing Juan Alberto to Korihor because he's not an anti-Christ. Steven Hawings and Hicks are. :) no. but, they are Gods to many. Overall, I learned a lot from this conversation, and it really opened up my eyes on some things in life, and how lucky we are that we DO HAVE this firm conviction that there IS A GOD. He did read the part we assigned in the Book of Mormon, but he said he didn't pray becuase it seemed pointless to do something he "knows" has no effect. Really. It's sad. I'm so glad that we have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and we know there is a God. He loves us, and we were with Him before this life, and we WILL be with Him after. I love the plan He has for us. It's the PERFECT plan. Every day I learn more and more about it. I feel so blessed to be in this plan, and helping others UNDERSTAND this plan that God has. So that they, like me, can know for assurity that our God loves us and is there for us guiding us back to Him.
I was reading though my Book of Mormon this week and came across a verse I liked a lot. I think I highlighted it the first time I went to EFY actually. HAH good times with Joel. heee is going home soon. :) So I read in Ether 6:4 -- "And it came to pass that when they had prepared all manner of food, that thereby they might subsist upon the water, and also food for their flocks and herds, and whatsoever beast or animal or foul that they should carry with them---and it came to pass that when they had done all these things they got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God." This has a great message in it, that we can all apply to ourselves, and I applied to myself here as a missionary. We, like the people of Jared, need to prepare ourselves in all things, and after we have done all that, we need to put ourselves in God's hands and let him do the rest. It's a good scripture for those who are praying for work, or those who have other challenges in their lives. If they do everything possible that they can do to find a job, with fervent prayer in the mix and fasting, we will find a job. If we do our part, the Lord will do his. If we ask, we shall receive, only if we are trying to live the gospel in all aspects of our lives. The Jaradites did everything they needed to do, and when it came to crossing the sea, it was up to the Lord to guide them...and he did. He keeps his promises with us ALWAYS. I applied it to myself in this way. If I am the best missionary I can be, and am knocking doors, contacting, visiting the members, helping the inactives, and asking everyone for references, and being obedient, the Lord will see that I am trying to do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to prepare myself. And when I am prepared, the elect will cross our paths. We will teach them and they will grow in the gospel. BUT it is only if we do all that we can first, and in the end of doing our part, put ourselves in the Lord's hands and humble ourselves before Him asking for his guidance and the gift of reaching the promised land (which in this case would be teaching, baptizing, and confirming an elect of God). :)
Let there be love, harmony, and peace in the hood of Encinitas, California. The MEJOREST place in the MUNDO.
Peace.
Elder Bertha.
