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| The crew at Maverick Landing divvying up the food, including the 82 bags we delivered - I got over 7,000 steps in during the process but Durk did the hauling of the cart. The bags varied a whole lot in size and weight this time depending on whether they got spinach or a cantaloupe. |
Found some really nice bananas this time at the nearest little corner store - they sell at least two brands of special "Melting Cheese for Pupusas" in big bags, but the ladies working there said are from the Dominican Republic and don't eat pupusas.
Ladies at big grocery store light up when Durk speaks Spanish and talks about living in their hometown in Salvador, also random people in elevator etc same thing . (There's a whole aisle of Goya brand foods in that grocery.)
Frequently quite chilly in June, research didn't show that so I guess the hot days average it out to look more like summer/spring than it is, at least this year. Definitely thought "summer" a bit too much in packing, but it's coming? and no one cares if I wear the same thing all the time.
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| I wish I'd gotten him with his big glasses on. This is the Spanish branch music director with the really strong voice that we thought had been a professional opera singer or something. Except after accompanying that branch a few times I've realized he may not know quite as much about reading music as he would have had to. He's interesting person. I didn't think I'd play for them anymore but since the self-reliance class couldn't start yet, I went in to see if they needed me. |
honking horns all over and mostly when there is no possible good it can do.
Pedestrians here are worse than college students - totally don't look around at all. but intersections have times when all directions are stopped and pedestrians can cross every direction
Right on red was mandated to get federal money (saves gas) so they got a grant to put up "no turn on red signs" at many intersections, sometimes when there is so little traffic it makes no sense (other than possibly for pedestrians?) but other places at times there would be so many turners the regular traffic would never have a chance to go through.
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| Seems like every household we visit has a young girl about kindergarten age, this one is Otacilio's who was showing off her cool new cat-paw gloves. |
Mission Conference with Elder Daines and his wife; notes
one elder challenged himself to write down two miracles that happened every day and it really helped him see the Lord's hand and find joy and satisfaction
Sis. R: video of little Josh taking over soccer ball and scoring- crowd cheered and said "sign him up" - he wasn't perfect, didn't even keep the rules, but made it. We are imperfect but have to choose to be in the game. No game without a ball - no gospel or plan without Jesus Christ, and how do others even know there is a game if we don't teach them? We have to choose to be in the game - choose Him, let's sign everyone up!
Pres. R: been doing in-depth study of scattering and gathering and learned much, recommends it - in all scriptures. He (God) wants us back . Covenant reinforces our identity - literal children of God - study Nelson 2022 "Choices for Eternity " worldwide devotional. 3 Ne 20:25-26, Jer 16:16, 3 Ne 16:11-2 - painting of missionaries along road titled "I Remember My Covenant"
Sis Daines: desire to serve members - avoid toxic perfectionism - by small and simple things - don't run faster than strength - word translated as "Perfect" means compete, whole, mature, reached a goal. Hinckley- try a little harder to be a little better- (comparison is the thief of joy)
Elder Daines: Redeemer means one who saves those who can't pay, are flawed, etc. Christ didn't come to hand out gold stars but to wipe away our tears, to calm our troubled hearts and to bring us home, that is who we worship
Read the gospels again and again and again and again to find out who the Father is. Study all the healings in the gospels and 3 Nephi - do you remember him anywhere saying, no I won't heal you, you didn't earn/deserve it?
Faith is not mind games to convincing ourselves, it's being faithful - love and loyalty, everyone who CAME to Him heartfelt, was healed
Greek word for heal/whole is same as the word for Savior. Teach of God's love and that He wants to bring us home
Elder D's childhood to-do list missed the center - Christ.
A pattern in scriptures - When we experience the holiness of God we feel unworthy then repent then desire to serve. If you "get" the atonement you want to be a missionary - as in Alma 36:19,26, DC 18:11-14 (look for "wherefore"s) Jacob 1:6-7, DC 84:62, 61 - make a tag in electronic scriptures "Becoming one with Christ" and find more!
PMG: as children of God we have a vast capacity to love, when we surrender to God we start to learn it; willpower will fail - love of God is the key, the "juice" to keep going (and therefore love for others)
Covenant is not a new commandment but a new relationship (a new way of life) Search Pres. Nelson's talk The Everlasting Covenant for the word "relationship". Who is Israel? name change indicates change in life - adopted or married - change due to covenant relationship- Burning bush, described self as God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob (not God of creation or many other options) because its about personal relationships through covenants
Settle in your hearts to be a disciple for the rest of your life, not spotless and blemish-free - Jacob stole, betrayed brother, etc, took off, "Wrestle" word could translate embrace - alone, wrestling, wounded - - don't quit until the blessing comes - we reach through the veil through covenants - God won't let go of you if you are covenant child, don't ever let go of Him
Music during mtg repeated for closing, very talented singer did Gentri song "Don't Let Go" -
Q&A - reading scriptures with purpose, every chapter pause and put in a Word doc what you learned (about whatever you are looking for/studying). recommended Bednar talk? Why Worry About It?
Covenants bring confidence before God Confidence that: Heavenly Father hears us, understands our needs better than we do, love us more than we can comprehend, sends angels to us and those we love, yearns for each of us to reach our highest potential-Therefore be loyal to your promise to Him. Covenants mean walking hand in hand. Take more seriously DC 37:8
linked from Elder Bednar, I think its the bit referred to in answering some of the Q&A: “The natural man and the natural woman dislike and avoid change,” he said. “Men and women of Christ learn to love change and the lessons they learn in the process of being ‘born again.’ One of the fundamental aspects of overcoming the natural man and the natural woman is not resisting change but embracing change and learning from it.”
A common question Elder Bednar receives is how to discern the Spirit’s influence and receive revelation. He explained that worthy Latter-day Saints “are living in revelation” and will not always recognize inspiration in the moment it occurs. When one worthily partakes of the sacrament and renews covenants each week, one is promised “that we may always have the Spirit to be with us,” he added, paraphrasing the promised blessing from the sacrament prayers (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79).
“If you are honoring your covenants, repenting and pressing forward with faith in the Savior, then you are living in revelation, it does not just come once in a while. You continually are being influenced by the power of the Holy Ghost.” “Covenants and ordinances are the means whereby we are connected to the Father and His plan and to the Son and His infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice.”
Accepting the Savior’s invitation to “come unto [Him]” and receiving the covenants and ordinances of His gospel yoke us to and with the Lord. “Not only do we come unto Him, but we walk with Him.” Living and loving covenant commitments creates a connection with the Lord that is deeply personal and spiritually powerful. By honoring the conditions of sacred covenants and ordinances, one gradually and incrementally is drawn closer to Him.
We got to have dinner with Elder Daines, spent having each couple tell where from and what prompted them to serve - They sent leftover food with us because we were going to a visit and would see elders, we split the food between our two sets from the branch and took the cake to Otacilio's. It had flag-like fruit decor and he had never tasted blueberries.
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| We needed to get out on Pday and tried the MIT Museum, a nice 15-minute walk from parking at the church bldg. We decided we are not smart enough to go to MIT. When we went to get the car, the fob wouldn't work because I guess it knows we aren't a car andour key wouldn't open the door, so we had to have someone else let us back into the garage! Although since the missionaries tend to gather there on Pday we would have had plenty of chances to get back in. |
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| I'm sure Durk can now explain all about the giant gizmo they are making to go out in space and measure gravitational waves..... |
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| It's pretty neat to be able to facetime and messenger etc. to keep up with family. Here's Glen looking happy on his birthday out in Ogden (since I didn't take many Boston photos lately) |
Still not sure if I actually have an internet-booked haircut appointment, calls without response and walking to pop in in person no help as they weren't open yet despite door sign and website hours. Note, finally found out no appointment actually made, going to try another place where they speak English.
Weekly mission zoom was about what was learned from the mission conference - some things that came up: we are"apprentice to Jesus Christ" , covenants mean walking hand in hand, alongside; "I will remember the covenant " is all over in the scriptures, replace the word Covenant with Relationship - one of the elders said a covenant is not two parts but two hearts; there is nothing of value that does not require a challenge; DC 43:8-9 is why we always do a "therefore what" at the end (talk about/share what was learned and what thoughts came to mind and what we might do as a result.)
We're not getting far with our new member teaching, one decided to attend another church closer to him and a couple won't respond to messages at all. But I've been able to contribute ideas in almost every district council and in one case through Sister Risenmay to answer a concern a missionary had which she appreciated - so random good does happen, and who knows what affects others. We figure we need to invite people here for dinner if we can get them, hopefully a combination of new members and established ones - a couple of times we thought we'd be visiting with the elders this week but got canceled. We went to the church bldg on Saturday to try and figure out where we would do the self-reliance class, and we wrote our references and questions for Sunday School on the board. In the morning it was all erased and chairs moved (we did write "please do not erase" in three languages). And they had the wrong books so finance class didn't start. (is this Brazil?)
Answer to the elder:
The question “why do we have to consecrate ourselves” reminds me of the first time I read Joseph Smith's words about “any religion that does not
require the sacrifice of all things will never have power unto salvation” – it’s
taken me a long time to begin to understand it.
Consecrating ourselves sounds like giving everything up, but
our Heavenly Father knows us and what will bring us joy. He knows our talents
and what will help us grow and find satisfaction. Consecration is not really “giving
everything up” but turning it over the God for Him to help us use our time,
talents and resources in the ways that are most helpful and effective for our
own growth and happiness as well as to help build His kingdom.
Consecrating ourselves simply means letting God prevail –
letting Him lead us in our actions daily. When we put Him first, He will help us
find a life that includes things we enjoy, things we want, etc. They may not
come at the exact time we thought and they may look different than we expected,
but look at the joy the general authorities have found in being willing to live
consecrated lives. Looking back over our lives, to my husband and me nothing
feels like it was really a sacrifice even though it sometimes seemed like it at
the time.
When we went on a mission to SLC I felt I was sacrificing
the chance to work on my art. I ended up spending a little time on Pdays on a
project that gradually - through many tender mercies over time - turned into an
art project that affected more people than any other work I had done in my
life!
It's not black and white - like everything else, we learn
line upon line and gradually change to be more in line with God’s will (other than
maybe Alma and King Lamoni). We think we know what will make us happy but He
knows better, even if it seems like a very hard thing we are asked to do
sometimes. And when we shrink from it for a bit, we repent and try to follow
His will better the next time and eventually we can find the greatest joy of
all.
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| Should have written down the year but I thought I'd remember, hah!, 18-something, and about 28" across maybe?. My diploma didn't look like that. (from the MIT Museum Collection) |
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