Wow... the time keeps flying by. I can’t believe that it is almost Christmas already. It certainly doesn’t feel like it... hahaha. We have been getting a LOT of rain lately too, which is really unusual for December in Paraguay. It NEVER rains, but we had had 3 weekends of rain, rain, rain, and this past weekend was the first without rain. That is pretty awesome that you are getting rain... it hardly ever rains back home. Haha. But I am sure the plants are loving it at least. Hehe. Really? Was President Murri before President Udall? That would be pretty awesome to chat with him if I got the chance afterward. :) (The Mission President in Ventura used to be the Temple President in Asuncion, Paraguay).
Well, this week. We had a special Christmas Meeting, but it was really like just another Zone Conference. With lots of Christmas touches... haha. I’m not complaining because I love the chance to listen and learn from my mission president. We really focused on setting goals and how our goals help us to achieve what the Lord wants. We talked about ... rendir cuentas... ummm, reporting back?... on our missionary work and how it helps us to grow and do more of what the Lord wants for us and for all of His children. We talked about making inspired goals and plans, all that starts with a prayer. Prayer, really, is so important! It’s a wonderful chance to talk with our Heavenly Father and receive inspiration. We have to make the efforts to make specific plans and then confirm them with our Heavenly Father. He wants us to be agents for ourselves, instead of waiting for an answer and sitting on our heels, He wants us to act, use our thinking, and then ask him if what we are thinking of doing is right. By showing our faith and our willingness to act, we can receive an answer from our Heavenly Father. On another note, I was reading in the Book of Mormon this morning in Alma. He was writing a letter to one of his sons and talking about the commandments of God. Many times we think there is a grey area in between what is good and what is a sin. He tells us that the commandments of God are strict, not flexible, and a little later he commands his son to keep the commandments AS they are written. If I translated that in my head right. Alma 37:13 and 20. For example, Jesus taught that before a man who committed adultery was punished, but in reality a man who even looks to lust, or looks at women with the wrong intentions, or the intentions of committing sins, he is sinning all the same. I can’t express that right in English but I hope that comes across alright. That doesn’t mean we can sit there and think about bad things we can do, be it stealing, killing, whatever it is, it’s not just the 10 commandments but what Christ has taught us also. James 4:17 says that if someone knows what is right, but doesn’t do it, it is a sin. The bible really tells us the things that we should do, along with the Book of Mormon. Like a prophet says, the words of Christ will guide us in all things. We just gotta do it! It ain’t that hard! It’s right there in front of us. We don’t have to be perfect right away, but please make a commitment to do something better every day. You’d be surprised how something is a little better every day, for one month, is 30 things better. One year? 365 things better. It could be something simple as a smile to someone in the street, to reading a verse out of the scriptures, to say one more prayer, to say thanks to somebody... there are thousands of things. You’ll know what to do. :)
Well I am out of time. I really love you all! Remember the true meaning of Christmas. We worship our Savior’s birth. Take the time to read a little bit out of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John about our Lord and Savior’s birth and life. Take the time to put yourself in the shoes of a bystander there, one of the Savior’s disciples. Take the time to think, to study and to apply it to your life. The scriptures really come to life. You’ll be surprised. Be happy! This is the time of year to help other people, as it is with every day of our lives. Take care of yourselves! LES AMO!!!
Chaucito!
Elder David Watson
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