Dear Family,
Another week gone by! ...and I'm 21. I don't really know what to think about that, its kind of unbelievable. I don't feel like I'm 21, maybe I do. I don't know what your supposed to feel like when your 21. Its weird though, I feel old!
Last week was a good week though! Then at the end of this week is transfers. Ridiculous time moves too fast. It would be awesome to stay here in this area, and it'd also be cool to keep a companion for a little longer then one transfer. We didn't have any tausches last week so we got to spend all the time in Frankfurt. It was a lot of fun being able to just work here. We worked a lot with the members which is always good. One member, Sam, is helping translate when we teach Liang. It is lots easier to have him be able to speak mandarin and make sure Liang is getting it all. Liang is starting to learn way faster and is understanding things really well. We are looking forward to the next few appointments we have with him and helping him better understand his relationship with God. We are also working with a girl named Kimberly. She's read tons since we've met and each lesson is very spirit guided. Its been cool to teach her.
On that sunday before church started 2 kids in their early 20s walked into church in normals clothes with backpacks. 2 byu students doing a Europe tour for a couple weeks. One served his mission in Germany, the other in New York spanish speaking. Then during preisthood this guy walked in and sat in the back, so I got up and went back there. He is a Nigerian by birth but grew up in Uruguay, and his name is Blessing! I thought that was pretty cool ha. So he could only speak english and spanish since he has been in Germany for 20 days. He said he got here and asked around where the church was but nobody knew and he finally figured out where it was on the internet. He's been a member for about 7 years now. Then the other elders in our ward had 2 investigators who came but mainly only speak spanish. As soon as preisthood ended the byu kid came over and went off in spanish with Blessing and the other 2 people. Then he translated for them during class! It worked out wonderfully. It was funny and cool that all of them showed up on the same day.
Pday yesterday was moved because of Easter. Easter here closes things on Friday before and Monday after. This morning at the beginning of pday we were able to go to the temple. It was a nice break. We also went to the temple last Wednesday with Shahab and did a temple tour. It was really cool to take him there. As we walked onto the temple grounds there was a totally different spirit. Its kind of just right there in the town but as you walk up the sidewalk out of the town and onto temple grounds everything changes. As we finished the tour and were leaving we didn't want to walk of the grounds back into the town because the feeling is totally different. It was a good experience for Shahab though and it was cool to share that with him.
I am grateful for all the things on a mission. I have never felt more humbled before and had to rely more on God. I always liked the scripture Mosiah 4:11, throughout my mission though I continually experience it ha.
And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
Experiencing your own 'nothingness' is usually not your favorite thing. But its been a good thing to experience. Keeps you from getting too reliant on your own skills and whatever else. Plus in the end what can you really accomplish alone? Alone we can't overcome sin or death. If we can't overcome these things we don't come much farther after we die. Then everything we have accomplished in our lives here, has no affect on us. Through Christ ,overcoming these things is possible. Giving us purpose to accomplish things. Helping us along the way through the hard things we encounter. I'm learning to better accept my nothingness. To do my best but to rely on God and recognize that those things that I have done are only because of him. I've experienced too many blessings that have helped me do things to even try to take the credit. Pres. Ninow said a while ago 'There is no limit to the amount of good someone can do when they don't care about who gets the credit''. When we recognize the blessings we have and the things we can accomplish and the help God has given us, burdens are lifted.
And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
Experiencing your own 'nothingness' is usually not your favorite thing. But its been a good thing to experience. Keeps you from getting too reliant on your own skills and whatever else. Plus in the end what can you really accomplish alone? Alone we can't overcome sin or death. If we can't overcome these things we don't come much farther after we die. Then everything we have accomplished in our lives here, has no affect on us. Through Christ ,overcoming these things is possible. Giving us purpose to accomplish things. Helping us along the way through the hard things we encounter. I'm learning to better accept my nothingness. To do my best but to rely on God and recognize that those things that I have done are only because of him. I've experienced too many blessings that have helped me do things to even try to take the credit. Pres. Ninow said a while ago 'There is no limit to the amount of good someone can do when they don't care about who gets the credit''. When we recognize the blessings we have and the things we can accomplish and the help God has given us, burdens are lifted.
Sorry this is kind of short, we still need to get some stuff done before pday is over. I hope everyone is doing good though. Thank you for everything!! Have a good week and be happy!
I love you all
Elder Puriri
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