Looks like it's another letter from your friend here down in Mayan land! How've you been this week?
This week was pretty crazy. My companion got very sick and had some appointments with the doctor. He's been handling everything awesome, just has been vomiting a bit.... One day we actually had to go to Taco Bell right after leaving a hospital so that he could do his own exam.... and then go to a different hospital. That was wild, and I hope I never have to see him do that again. Or any of my future companions. It is a bit too easy to get sick here in Guatemala, especially when you're a North American, so you really have to be careful.
Because of that, we did not have very many appointments. Many appointments fell, which was hard to bear. But we did meet with a family whose father-in-law is ready to be baptized and has been ready for a while, only he needs to get married legally with his wife. Elder Sinto has been helping me with being more direct, a wonderful attribute he has to share with me, so I took his counsel, and I set the situation clear with this man. He recognizes the blessings of the Gospel, but he has been wanting his parents to give permission to be baptized. His parents live 4 hours away and only speak Kekchi, and have not had much chance to come here to Guatemala City in Zona 18. It is hard, but I was regardless sensitive to that at first, but I didn't take into account the eternal consequences until Elder Sinto explained to me. I realized that it is eternally more important to first procure the Salvation of one's own, then one's own family, then then "los demas" (everyone else). It is noble that he wants to be in accord with his parents, but it is more important that he is in accord with God. And as the head of his family, he has the God-given duty to preside over them. He already has the desire and worthiness to be baptized and to receive the Priesthood. He just needs to do what is within his ability to make it happen. And that was the decision we made clear to him.
What we need to remember is that we don't have to perfect in this life. However, we should never sit satisfied with being imperfect. We can be happy in this life even though we are imperfect, but we cannot be happy if we do not have a sincere desire to take into account our mistakes and to learn from them and to act so. We have a constant decision to draw us nearer to God or to estrange ourselves from him. We are always doing one of the two, in our actions and in our thoughts and desires.
But I do not speak of these things to make you feel culpable. I want to remind you that everything we do which is pleasing unto God will bring us more happiness, including sincere repentance of the things which are not pleasing unto Him. The prophets have always been strict and clear on the manner in which God's children need to repent, because if they do not clarify the things of which we need to repent, we do not know the things which we do which we need to change to be able to feel the abundance of God's love for us. And we are truly blessed in every effort we make to follow the teachings of our Savior.
And I just want to bear my testimony that, by the atoning blood of our Redeemer, we can become clean and pure. We can experience the blessings of possessing a changed heart, changed by the love of Jesus Christ. We can experience a happiness which no other source can bring but Jesus Himself. And we might at times be alone in our efforts to follow Him, but we can feel a sweet and assuring peace from our Lord, because He is pleased with those who follow Him even when others do not. I have felt this sweet and assuring peace in my life as I have strived to live His Gospel. The Gospel has given me a sense of meaning of joy which I have never found in anything else. I love what it feels like to forgive the faults of others, to notice my own weaknesses, to serve friends and strangers alike, and to minister unto them, because these are the things which our Savior has taught us to do, and are the things which, if we do them with real intent and love for our fellow men and for God, our Heavenly Father is pleased that we do. And we find the highest kind of happiness, a kind which is eternal, evergrowing and never-ending, when we are trying to strengthen our relationship with Him. I know that these things are true, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen.
Have a wonderful week. See the hand of God in your life, and count the ways in which you see it.
Tu amigo aqui en Guatemala,
Elder Dredge
P.S. I might have to change my last name to "Dread-hay."
Elder Braden K. Dredge
Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission
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| Elder Dredge and Elder Sinto (Guatemala) |
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| Baptism of Otto |
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