Weekly Letter 88
My wonderful friends and family,
What a crazy week! We started off with a leaders' meeting and a doctor's appointment in the capital, and that was already three days of our week. But we were still on the Lord's errand. There were lots of things talked about in the meeting, things which we are already applying to change the mission to help it improve and renew the "animo" that our missionaries have to follow the counsel of our President. Many have said that every week we fall into a pattern and that the things we really want to improve in the mission are not improving as much, and why? Because of giving the same counsel, in the same way, expecting different results.
I'm not sure what more I can say about the work, really. Right now we're in the same process, working with members, sharing messages with them in their houses, sharing devotionals at meetings and activities, going out with them to visit, asking for referrals whenever possible. I worked in my actual area three days, and worked in another area two other days. The other two were getting there to the capital, and getting back from it, including the meeting and the doctor's appointment. It's been pretty wild, but now I feel accustomed to get to work wherever I am to help establish the Church. I love being a missionary. I'm never going to stop being a missionary.
I just want to share something that my wonderful companion Elder Marino has been teaching me. We have had a good deal of our own personal afflictions, struggling with sickness, stress, loss, and other pains, and we have both learned from each other a lot. Our companionship has molded the two of us to make him a more patient and peaceful person, and me a more focused and firm man. A lesson that he taught me this week was very valuable. I had done a lot of things to help myself with my stress, and yet my companion told me to do just one more thing: to talk to the stress psychologist. I realized that I had justified myself, telling myself that I was okay, even after everything I have been doing, and yet he told me that I need to do not just what I want to do to resolve my problem, but everything else that I need to do. I had talked with the psychologist before, but I did it because my President invited me to do so and gave me her number. Now it is a different person, and I was in a different situation, but nevertheless I was in need. Turns out, in the end I was taking care of my stress well, and that I just need to keep doing what I feel like I need to do, whether it is walking for a moment, taking a breather, talking with my companion, etc. Elder Marino was right. This was an experience that helped me to mature a lot.
Apart from that, I have been striving to be more engaged in the moment. Elder Marino always says, "We have to learn from the past, plan for the future, and live in the now." He had a hard trial too, and lost something very valuable. It was a source of great stress when he realized he lost it. I made sure that he could at least relieve himself of the stress, and he was getting a lot better. I helped him to see how the advice he had given me applied to him. That is the summary of the way we strengthen our companionship, and it is awesome. So I have been trying to live more in the present, and it has been awesome. It is something that has to be practiced, but in the end it is the way to be more happy.
I am thankful for the Gospel in my life. And after all of these lessons of life I'm learning, it is the grace of the Savior that allows an imperfect person like me, to become like my Heavenly Father one day. It requires patience. It requires effort. It requires lots of prayer, and a good deal of scripture study, with a strict daily routine to receive different impressions. In the end, it is worth, because the Gospel works. And by that, I mean, Heavenly Father's plan is perfect, His church is growing and led by inspiration, and His Son is actively engaged in our salvation every day. The Atonement is not just something that happen 2000 years ago. It was brought to pass by the Son of God - a living, breathing, perfect and resurrected being who is also a spiritual son of our same Father - who continues to grant us pardon and strength every day. Let us remember these things, and take some time, even 5 minutes, every day, to think about what He's done for us. I can promise you - yes, you - that He has done many things. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Have a wonderful week!
Elder Dredge
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