Mexican Thanksgiving

...doesn't actually exist. I know. Bummer. Even so, we had some delicious foods on Thursday, which was nice! 

This week was kind of slow, not as much success. Also, freezing cold. I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden, every morning, have to plug in the heater. And if we have lights on, it shuts off all the electricity, so we exercise in the dark. We still did a lot of good work! 

We had divisions on Friday, I went to the other area in my district with Elder Berger. He's seriously awesome, we taught 5 new investigators! He's super tall, really long legs, so I was half-walking, half-running all day haha. We ended the divisions at the chapel, and it turns out the other ward was having a wedding reception, so we ate some food and then went home. Good stuff. 

I want to tell you about one of my favorite people to visit. There's this old lady in a wheelchair in our area, who we like to go do service for. Her name is Hermana Betanzos, and she's seriously one of the nicest ladies in the world, always so happy to see us and to give us references and feed us. We went to go pick some chayotes for her (some kind of squash), she has them growing all over her house, got almost 200 in a couple hours. She doesn't have very much, but she is so giving and so humble. At the beginning of the week, we stopped by and she was feeling really sick. We gave her a blessing, and then went and asked some of her neighbors (including the bishop and stake president) to visit her and help her out. We returned the next day, and she was up and rolling around in her wheelchair, happy as ever. It was a wonderful experience. 

On Saturday, we had the first part of a youth activity called, 'Oid el Toque Del Clarin,' which is the spanish title of the Zion's Camp hymn. Seriously so awesome. In this activity, the youth came to the stake center, which we converted into a mini MTC. In the first part, we explained some of the rules of missionary work, taught them how to start teaching, and how to teach the Restoration. All this week, they are expected to follow ALL the mission rules; no phones, no facebook, 6:30 wake up call, 10:30bedtime, exercise, study in the morning, etc. Then, on saturday, we're actually going to do divisions with them from 8:00 to after lunch!! They received their 'calls' last week and we're gonna do study with them and everything. Gahhhhh I'm so pumped!!! I'll have a son for a day, that'll be kinda crazy haha. 

I want to share a couple verses from Doctrine and Covenants this week. The Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of revelations that Joseph Smith received as the church was restarting. In D&C 1:31, it says; 'For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.' That's some pretty intense stuff. No matter what we do, whether it's as little as thinking a mean thought about a sibling, or as big as shedding innocent blood (or anything in between), it doesn't matter, because we automatically exclude ourselves from God's presence. Remember Adam and Eve? All they did was eat some fruit. At first, that may not sound so bad, but remember, they were commanded not to, and for their disobedience, they could no longer abide in God's presence and were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Any sin, no matter it's size, is offensive to God and disqualifies us from returning to His presence. 

Now whatever you do, DON'T STOP READING NOW. Let's take a look at the next verse, 32; Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven'; No matter what we do, whether it's as little as thinking a mean thought about a sibling, or as big as shedding innocent blood (or anything in between), it doesn't matter, because we WILL be forgiven, if we truly repent and keep His commandments from then on out. Of course, repentance doesn't mean that we are completely perfect afterwards, but it does mean that we have changed the desire of our hearts and we do everything in our power to better ourselves. 

That is what this Gospel is all about; helping people to better themselves so we can eventually return to God's presence and reach our great potential as His children. This gives me so much hope, and I hope it does for you all. 

Until next week!! 

Elder Connor

P.S. sorry my pictures aren't all that fun, but here ya go; 

1. My current planner that I made. Boom.
2. My next planner, with the lost lamb and the prodigal son. REPENTANCE.
3. The sleeping lady mountain from our roof. I might have already sent this one, not sure...there's a Romeo and Juliet story behind this mountain and a volcano next to her, something about how they were lovers, and then she died (or fell asleep...?) and so the volcano cries ashes. Something like that, I think it's supposed to be more romantic haha.