We Owe God Everything We Have

It is really hard to believe how fast each week goes. Last week was really fun on P-Day because we went over to zona Oeste and played a bunch of sports with all three montevideo zones. It was really cool because I got to see a lot of the people there from my CCM district. It was at the stake center with the mission offices in the same building, and President Olsen happened to be there. He popped in on us when we were playing basketball and said if he made the shot we don´t get P-Day this week, and we said if he missed it we got another P-Day the next day. Luckily we were kidding because he drained the shot all the way from the door haha!

 

We still teach English Class every week, but for the past two weeks it has rained so not very many people have come. We are teaching it again tomorrow, but if no one invites friends, then I am not sure we will continue doing it. It rained quite a bit this week, especially on Wednesday. There was a huge tree a few minutes from our house that got ripped out from the wind and blocked the entire road! We probably would've gotten a picture if it hadnt been raining so hard. 

This week we had a lesson with a man named Daniel. Every week, Daniel comes to church and comes to me asking to be baptized. Elder Nielsen said he has tried teaching him before, but that he doesn't really understand anything very well. Daniel is a little older and is pretty poor, so we taught him in the church building. The lesson with him was pretty tough because he didnt understand even the simple things we tried teaching, but he wants to keep learning from us, so I think that is what we will do. He is a really nice man, but we will see if he keeps our commitments. We are going to meet with him again tomorrow. If we could teach in more simple terms and be patient with him, I think we could maybe prepare him for baptism. Even though his understanding isn't perfect, he comes to church every single week and has those good desires. 

I hate to disappoint, bt we actually never ate that "interesting" thing I mentioned in my last weeks letter. Haha pretty bizarre, but Fernando was going to feed us cat! But he was pretty sick yesterday, so he couldn't have us over. How many missionaries have you guys heard eating cat though?? I wonder if we still might have that this week :·0

We had a service on Saturday morning and cleaned a ton of mold off of the walls of someone´s house! It was filthy, but we got a lot done. Elders Maxfield and Pettit were there too. It is so humid here in Uruguay though that mold just grows like weeds. Nearly every house you would go to has it. 

I read in Alma 32 this week, and that is such an incredible chapter! I really liked verses 10 and 11 that say we should not only worship God one day of the week. The truth is, we owe God everything we have because after all, it is only what he has already given us (I think we can also learn this from King Benjamin´s humbling discourse). But really, how can we be sincere and repent on the Sabbath, while just wandering back into worldly things during our everyday lives, forgetting our commitment to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. It is important for us to remember the comparision of faith to a seed in Alma 32 because we must continue to deepen our roots in the Gospel. We need to diligently be adding to our testimonies each day, or else our roots with wither and we will not have power to withstand temptation. I learn so much from the Book of Mormon every single day. I love it, and I know it is true. We are so blessed to have it. 

I love and miss you all. Thanks for all your letters! I am so blessed right now to be working in a part of the Lord´s vineyard. Life is good, and we are so lucky to have this Gospel in our lives. Until next week!

Elder Layton