Week 91: Are You Game Ready?‏

Elder Monson with Elder Hughes

My penultimate transfer started as President Caffaro stood up to give a salute to the "Vallient" missionaries who were all about to go home. Among them were some of my best friends since the beginning of my mission, the three Brazilians (Elder Bento, Elder De Carvalho, Elder Vieira), Elder Mann and Elder Kunde, Elder Garcia.....just so many people that I have gotten to know over the past 21 months that I am truly going to miss. President finished the change meeting reading the scripture: ""Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. , Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solidrocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever!" (D&C 128: 22-23).

I found it a very fitting scripture for my circumstances...only two changes left, all that is left to do is to keep going.

Like the quote I keep on my desk says, "Keep moving forward. opening new doors and doing new things, your curiosity will lead you down new paths," -Walt Disney.

President ended using his classic football coach techniques to pump up the whole mission, "Are you game ready?" he said, "because it's game time!"

...so after that adrenaline trip, the changes started all over again.

One by one they were rattled off and each new companionship went off to their new areas with their new companions...an interesting thing to note is that Hermana Merlo and Hermana Bustamante (who were both in my district in Panorama) were both made Sister Training Leaders together! And Elder Gudiel (my super awesome Step-Son) was made a Zone Leader!

...District Panorama is just on fire right now.

Then I received my new companion, Elder Taya, an awesome Elder from Lima, Peru, and we headed back to Castillo Lara together. My new companion is just a fireball, he works really well and his patience is just astounding.

He is just happy to be here and to be working in Zona Utatlan. I have a feeling that we are going to be getting along really well as a companionship and that we will be able to work really well!

...So, that's how it starts...the beginning of the end...my last two changes in the mission. Ive got to make the most of it while we still have the chance....

So I'm not worried at all about how things will go...I'm game ready, and it's game time!

My scriptural thought for today is a little bit long but I liked this part a lot: "Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?  Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions. Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation." (2Nephi 4:17-30) 

I love Nephi's lament here, his loving praise is so touching to me. Let us all have the same spirit of praise!