hello hello hello. we got up and decided to go to the laundry room really early this morning so its 6 in the morning right now hahaha. im kinda tired. but since ive got here i dont think ive went a day without being tired. whats new with me this week? hmmmmmm lots of the same. class food class food class and food, and the occasional fireside. oh and im in choir, i have been since my first week here but i dont think i told yall that. i got a dear elder from nanie and lyndi this week, thankyou very very much! and lyndi dont worry about it being long, i got time to read it. and i got one from dallin. and a hand writen letter from mom wich was really nice. this sunday was 9/11. its amazing how little i thought about that tragic event while i was home. but watching the mamorial video while in the mtc was definatly something else. its hard to think about people being able to kill so many. we watched some pretty graphic videos in the fireside that i hadnt seen since it first happened, i think i was 9. while watching those mamorials two scriptures came into my head. 3 nephi 12 38-45. and D&C 98 23-about 35. those speak about love. godly love. i think one of the hardest christlike attributes can be the love that is spoken of in these two scriptures. all though it happened a long time ago we must still apply this principle. what good comes from hate? there is oppotition in all things. but how great would it be if we could take that oppotition out of some situations. we can do that with love, as soon as we choose love instead of hate it deminishes a conflict imidiatly. i wish i would have learned this concept a long time ago. but better late than never haha. that was something i thought about alot this past couple days. oh! dallin! i ment elder kindsy kindt!!! he was sitting behind me in a fireside and he saw my nametag and just happened to ask me if we were related! haha he is super cool. we talked about you and your hilarious antics for like 45 minutes. hes gunna write you a letter but its gunna take a while obviously haha. super good guy though. we laughed alot. oh and for you to do list, itsnt not that dificult really bro.
1. stay worthy.
2. learn the gospel now! go through preach my gospel, learn the lessons. be a missionary in you mind.
3. the food here is pretty impressive. dont worry bout that.
4. gain a strong testimony, one that can not be broken my say trying to learn a language or spending 6 hours in a class. love those classes. it will help alot.
5. love your scriptures. read them. feast on them like its says in 2 nephi. ill let you find the verse for yourself haha.
6. be excited. try to come out without a girlfriend. but your a stud so if that isnt posible then only write her on p days!!!!! im serious. a couple of our guys write every day and the are having a rough time. dont do that.
7. dont get those microfiber towels. they dont fit the big guys. hahahaha.
tiako ianareo. i think of you all in my prayers and when i can allow my brain to be distracted. i miss you all a ton. if we keep god and christ close to our hearts our lives will be blessed, even if its just a blessing of a feeling of comfort and calmness what a wonderful blessing that is.
ps. still havent heard anything about hunting ahhaha. whats the deal??? im itchin to here. its already been 2 weeks. colter musta got somethin already. haha.
theres a scripture i want you to read. keep reading 2 nephi 25: 22-26 but there is also a scripture in mosiah 22. vers 16 i think. im not sure the verse but alma says to amon that if he wants something and he dillagently prays with all hope and confidence then god will give him anything he wants. we can have the same promise. whenever times are hard and you dont think you can handle something pray to your heavenly father. let him be your best friend and your guide through life. i promise you he will comfort you when times get hard. but you must also pray to hime when times are good. tell him about your day. you dont only call a best friend when you need something right? treat god the same way. he will lead you and guide you and walk beside you. i heard a comparison once i cant remember where from but it talked about a man walking along the sand and he looked back and there were two sets of footprints in the sand and when times were hard there was only one set of footprints. he asked god why he left him when times were hard. but god said that i did not leave you my son. those were the times that i carried you. god will carry you if you have all faith in him. he loves you. i love you (tiako ianaro)
Hey Elder Bates,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Darren Joneson. You might remember my wife and I as chaperones from the youth dances. Anyways, I heard from a ton of people that you're serving your mish in Mada because that's where I served my mish. I have to warn you that you're going to the greatest mission in the world, so I hope you make the best of it. If you have any questions about the mish, and your companion doesn't know the answer, feel free to drop me a line. joneson@ualberta.ca