Hey, I hope you're all doing Super Well!
This week was a busy week!
Tuesday - We had a zone conference with President Mecham. Those are always super great and powerful!
Wednesday - I had to go to the Mexican Consulate to renew my green card! We only go to the Consulate two times during our missions! Once during the MTC at the beginning of our mission and once at our 1-year mark in the mission (or halfway). So I got to see my MTC friends again so that was so much fun! The thing is that our mission never gets together, all of the zones. Sometimes for zone conferences they merge two zones and you get to see other missionaries and for the Mission Christmas Celebration, they merge 3 zones (or half the mission), but you never get more than that. And my MTC friends and I have always been in different zones, so we've never really all been together since the MTC and been able to talk much!
So we got to chat about all the adventures we've had in the past year and who we've had as companions and what areas we've been in and all that good stuff. It was so crazy to believe that a whole year has passed since our adventures in the MTC! It seems like we just arrived in our first area of the mission! It's crazy how fast time flies by! We talked about how we are at the halfway point of our missions and that all of the super happy times that we've had that have made us want to jump for joy and cry tears of joy, we'll probably get many more experiences like that. Also, all the times that we've been frustrated or homesick and felt incapable or like we can't make it one more day, we'll probably have many more times like that too. And I'm excited for them both. I've made many wonderful memories on my mission, many wonderful, wonderful times and also many hard times. But I've learned and grown a lot. I love the mission!
Thursday - We have an investigator named Lizet that told us that she really wants to be baptized and put a baptismal date for March 12th!!!
Sunday - I gave a talk in Church!! On Saturday, we found a member of the bishopric in the street and he asked Elder Davies and I if one of us could talk in church the next day. Afterwards, I told Elder Davies that he should do it, because it will be his first time talking in a Sacrament Meeting in Mexico. So he prepared a talk and I didn't really prepare anything other than picking a scripture that is very interesting. Then right before Sacrament Meeting, the member of the bishopric told us that he wanted me to speak. So I pondered throughout the meeting and then I just got up and talked about the importance of the simple things. The things like daily scripture study, family and personal prayer, coming to the church each week, etc. I thanked the ward for all the help they've given to us, then I encouraged them to strive to be even better in the little things. Because as we know, it is by small and simple things that great things are brought to pass. I shared D&C 64:33. It went well and I felt good about it. I know that the Lord put the words in my mouth that I needed to say.
33 Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
All week, we've been focusing our lessons on talking about the Atonement of our Savior and the blessings we receive from the Atonement. The blessing we focused on is the blessing that we have to become perfect like our Father in Heaven. You see, the Atonement is about progression. It's about changing and becoming better and leaving the past behind us. Many times we focus on literally what is the Atonement, the suffering of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion that help us overcome spiritual and physical death, but we forget to focus on the abilitating power that this brings into our life. We've shared with everyone the commandment found in 3 Nephi 12 to be perfect and also an invitation found in Preach My Gospel to change a bad habit (like cracking your knuckles without thinking, arriving late to things, sleeping in, over-eating, etc.). You see, the invitation is to help us understand how hard it is for people to drop addictions like smoking, drinking, and things like that. But even though not all of us have addictions, we all have bad habits to improve. Bad habits that can become obstacles to our progression. The invitation is to break the habit by doing things right for just one day. When you have success, do it for two days. Pretty soon, you'll have broken your bad habits and developed new ones that make you into a new person, a better person, and a person more like our Savior. Many people that we shared this message with loved it and told us that it made them think a lot! You guys can put it to the test!
A picture of my MTC group back together!
Have a great week!!!
Elder Jarrett
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