Wednesday, October 14, 2009


October 7, 2009
How are you? I hope you all loved General Conf.? It was fantastic! I really loved the priesthood session. It's the first priesthood session I've watched in the mission. Pres. Milder never let us watch it because it gets over at ten or sometimes later. As always, Elder Holland brought the house down. It's so wierd watching him speak in English. I watched it in English this time. When you watch it with a translater it doesn't have the same affect. I watched his last talk about Jesus Christ in Portuguese and it was just any other talk. Elder Holland is just a fired up guy and that's what makes his talks special. Did you know he and Elder Cook were companions in the mission field? And Elder Scott was Elder Christofferson´s mission Pres? Just some side knowledge. I also loved the talk by Sister Dibb, about holding to the rod and using our safety equipment. I loved at the end when she talked about how the gospel brings so much joy into our lives but people choose not to accept it. If we really do "hold to the rod" and cut ourselves out of the world we really will be happy. I have really grown to love being cut away from the world. I love to try to be better everyday. I love the power of repentance. I have had some great spiritual experiences in the mission of praying and asking to become better at something. And really hear and understand the spirit guide me and tell me what I should do. I am so thankful for the realationship I have gained with my Heavenly Father while here. It's amazing to understand how much he loves us and knows so much about us. I can feel his love so much here and sometimes and I can feel the Holy Ghost talking with me and calling me by name and telling me I am doing a good job. Sometimes I get discouraged, but I always here the spirit tell me "you´re doing great." And I love that, because it shows me that He loves me and is aware of me. I also loved Pres. Monsons talk about his birthday presents. I loved the warm fuzzy jar. I want to make one but I am pretty sure that will have to wait until after the mission. One thing I have really fallen in love with in the mission is serving, even if it something small. Today after lunch I washed the other Elders dishes... something small, but it made me happy to help them.
I want to talk about something interesting a member here said. My companion was telling her how he thought he knew a lot about the gospel. She looked at him and said "Do you know, or do you live the Gospel?" I thought that was so profound. We all know the gospel is true... but do we live it. Then I remembered a letter I got from a friend that said the gospel is not a spectater sport. Then I started thinking about this all. A lot of the times we hear about the big things the church does to serve people. However, we sometimes just forget about little things we can do to help. We can do little things to show others we love them, or do little things to serve them. So I am setting a goal, I am going to start to look for little ways to serve people or show love for them. So then I will be able to "Live" the Gospel, rather than just "know" it. Transfers again. I am in the same area with Elder Gatten. All is going a lot better. It's crazy how much he is changing. I was thinking about if all this sacrifice is worth it. Standing up for what is right even if I stand alone. Yesterday I saw Elder Pereira, remember the Elder I trained. When I saw him I just thought about all the sacrifices I did to help stay in the mission. It was just a way for the Lord to say to me that yes it is worth the sacrifice. Also today an Elder from the Manaus mission saw my name and said, "Oh you´re Elder Perry. Elder Da Silva always talks about you and says that everyone from the Cuiabá mission loves you. And that you are a great missionary." It's weird to think about this because I have never met this Elder. It's weird because I was thinking about how we are sometimes examples to people we don't even know are watching. We are teaching this lady named Geulmara. She was being taught by some sisters a few years ago but decided she didn't want to be baptized. Her husband died a few years ago and now she is receiving the lessons again. She learned about the temple and now she is going to be baptized next week and she wants to go to the temple to baptize her husband and be sealed to him. Isn't that so special?

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