Ah, I love life. This is pretty much the best job ever, and I'm pretty sure it's only going to improve once I get into Chile.
Here's what's new in my life.
Pens. The other day I was writing in Preach My Gospel with one of
my usual bic 10 cent apiece pens. Every time I moved my hand, though, I
would smear my writing! All of a sudden, another Elder swooped in and
let me borrow his zebra f-301, which not only doesn't smear, but writes
so tiny I can fit twice as many notes on a page! I now own three.
They're pretty sweet.
Fitness. I just might be in better shape now than I have ever been
in my life. Not only am I eating the very best the MTC cafeteria has to
offer, but I'm playing soccer 4 times a week, running once, and working
out for ten minutes (just exercises using my body, no weights) four
times a week. It's weird, I think the diligence I've been putting into
everything else here makes it easier for me to be diligent at
exercising. But hey. I like it.
Español. Español es increíble. Yo he visto el don de lenguas
trabajando en mi vida mas que yo pensé es posible. Cuando you llego en
Chile, yo todavia sentiré como yo no entiendo nada, pero yo podré
enseñar el Evangelio, y este es lo mas importante. Y yo todavia tengo
uno y media mas semanas aquí, mucho tiempo para estudiar y practicar.
Loving people. I think I have finally pushed through into this
place where I can love all the Elders in my district even when they
aren't doing exactly what I think they should, which has been a problem
for me in the past. It's an interesting feeling, and it requires me to
look past what I see on the surface to what I know that is good and what
I can guess about the past of each Elder. I hope this new state will
transfer over to Chile, and that I will be able to love my companion and
other elders I work with, no matter how they act with regards to how I
think they should.
Leading by the spirit. I had a pretty amazing experience last
Friday. Every Friday morning is a district study, where for thirty
minutes we talk about whatever the district needs. This last week it was
goals--we had the goal to speak 100% spanish except for in our
residance halls before 7 and after 9:30, but for five days I had heard
maybe an hour of spanish a day from each elder. I knew this needed to be
brought up, but I also knew if I rushed into it in my usual way I would
hurt feelings and not accomplish anything. What happened instead, is
that I was guided by the spirit just as I am when teaching an
investigator to know what to say, how to say it, when to bear testimony,
when to ask questions, when to keep silent. It was a pretty great
study. I didn't really do anything besides stand at the front of the
room, but I think every elder in there recommitted to speak Spanish,
remembering that we aren't just learning it for fun, but so that we can
teach the gospel to the Chilean people.
It's really amazing how clearly I can see the influence of the
spirit in my life right now. I think it's not so much that I have it
more in my life than I did before, although that is probably true...
however, I think it is more that, because I spend so much of every day
talking about the spirit and how to help other people feel it, I notice
it myself.
Final point: Sacrifice. I had this insight while I was teaching in
the TRC last week--every sacrifice I have ever made is now worth it. I'm
not going to list off everything I've ever given up to prepare for a
mission, but there are definitely things I would have liked to do but
didn't because I knew I needed to be ready to come out here. And it's
all worth it! I haven't even gotten to Chile and it is worth it. There
have been times when I have been able to point to individual, specific
instances and say "I knew this scripture when Javier (one of my
'investigators') needed it because I paid this price three years ago,"
or "I have received this blessing because of something that I chose not
to do last year." It's really amazing to see it this clearly--and if my
sacrifices have all paid off two months into my mission, how much more
will I value them in two more months? A year? Two years? Fifty? After
this life?
I love this. I pretty much have the best job in the world. Travel
plans come in later today--within 10 hours I'll know exactly when I'll
arrive in Chile!
"Y ahora bien, repose sobre vosotros la Paz de Dios." --Alma 7:27.
~Elder Jason Ray
