Well... I cant lie. This week was a little difficult. Not difficult as in walking around all day in the hot sun but difficult as in all the work that we did during the week didn't pay off because we didn't have any one of our investigators come to church... But were excited to take on this next week because now we have learned what we need to do better and we trust that the lord will bless us with more success. Elder Ballard said, "If we follow up, the lord will not let us down."
Few things that I miss about home:
-turning on the water and being able to drink what comes out
-hot running water
-carpet.. ha
-country music (it is so hard with out)
-milk out of a gallon jug
-moms waffles with peaches and cream:)
Few things that I want to do when I get back:
-build a library of pure books written by leaders of the church.
-Go to the temple every day
-study architecture
-eat a Wendy's vanilla frosty:)
This week the Presidente came to town. There was something that I really liked that he said. He asked us, "Elders what do you think is the most important commandment right now in your lives" and he called on a few missionaries and each one said, "love god" like it was some kind of a obvious answer. and I sat there thinking, "well I don't think there is a more important commandment than to love god." but he said, "Elders the most important commandment in your lives should be the one that you aren't keeping." I thought that was really awesome, because the commandments or rules of the mission that I'm not keeping are what is keeping me from becoming the greatest that i can become. so it was a good time to sit and think of what i can do better. what am i not doing or what am i doing that i should or shouldn't be doing? because change is what is going to make me a better missionary.
One of my missionary buddies Elder Tilton let me borrow his book, "The Infinite Atonement" by Tad R. Callister. and this book is amazing! I'm coming to know and understand so much more about the atonement. Elder Callister shares a story that i really like that i would like to share.
"One Sunday morning our teenage son stood with two other priests to administer the sacrament, as they had done on many prior occasions. They pulled back the white cloth, but to their dismay there was no bread. One of them slipped out to the preparation room in hopes some could be found. There was none. Finally our troubled son made his way to the bishop and shared the concern with him. A wise bishop then stood, and explained the situation to the congregation, and asked, "how would it be if the sacrament table were empty today because there were no atonement?"I have thought of that often, what would it be like if there were no bread because there had been no crucifixion, no water because there had been no shedding of blood? If there had been no atonement, what would the consequences be to us? of course, the question is now moot, but it does put in perspective our total dependence on the lord. to ask and answer this question only heightens our awareness of, and appreciation for, the savior."
and later he says,
"If there had been no atonement, the rising of every sun would be a reminder that for us it would one day rise no more, that for each of us death would claim its victory, and the grave would have its sting. Every death would be a tragedy, and every birth but a tragedy in embryo. The culmination of love between husbands and wives, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters would perish in the grave, to rise no more. But fortunately, there is a Christ, and there was an atonement."
I'm truly grateful for the savior and for the sacrifice that he made so that we could have the opportunity to become better, to be an eternal family, to return to the presence of god. as my knowledge of the atonement increases, so does my desire to share it with others. I love the savior and i know that his atonement has power to make us better, if we so choose. I love all of you and i hope that you can ponder these words of Elder Callister and have the desire to become better though following the example of Jesus Christ and obeying ALL of his commandments. because it just would be worth it if we all didn't make it back to him together.
Love Elder Berry
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