My new favorite sweater AND a sword made out of a swordfish.
Lame pictures this week...I know. SORRY!
Everyone! Shalom from the bottom of the world! I hear the baby blessing was simply a wonderful experience and it´s a shame I missed it...but I´ve just been truckin away down here. I´m just happy here. I woke up this morning just bursting with gratitude for everything. It was as though all of the wonderful blessings I´ve had and do currently have rushed through my mind this morning. I just started praying, overcome with the thought that 21 short years of life could hold so much happiness and so many beautiful experiences with family, friends, leaders, and most importantly the Savior. I feel that I have been very fortunate to feel the hand and the love of God very early on in my life. It´s like in Mosiah 4 when King Benjamin says, ¨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.¨ I feel like I have tasted of THAT goodness and that love. He reminds us to remember our own unworthiness and nothingness before God...I feel like now, more than ever in my life, I feel my own inadequacies...ways in that I am NOT at all like the Savior (and, wow!, there are a lot of ways...). I am reminded of my weakness on an almost minutely basis and am forced to rely soley on HIS merits, HIS mercy, and HIS grace all of the time. I call on His name daily and I´m trying to stand steadfastly in faith of that which will surely come. I think I´m starting to experience the beginnings of the promise that I will always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of my sins and I will grow in the knowlege of the glory of him that created me. I have never been more deliriously content or happy in my entire life. I have 100% confidence in God. He knows all, He does all. I feel like Alma or Nephi and I just want to shout from my rat-filled rooftop the goodness of God....the peace, love, joy, and happiness that CAN be ours when we submit ourselves to Him. THere is no other way or means to have it. I love God. This work is joy.
Birthday shout outs. MOM! I love you and happy birthday. I´m sorry I can´t really send anything down here, but I´m thinking about you and just pretend you get a breakfast in bed from me this year! (I´ll make up for it next year!) Ava FOX...you are so cute. Susan Spaf...happy birthday! Send Sammy my love too! LUZ. 21! HOly Shrapnel.
Received two...count ém, TWO packages this week. Way to go family! One was a delicious reminder of LOVE from Gma and Gpa. THANK YOU! the other from the Waldos. Thank you for the cards!!!! Steph, you are adorable. Thank you. AND HAL, that book of talks has already changed the way I´m serving my mission. YOu have NO idea how much those have helped me. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
Okay, down to the serious stuff. I stepped on a dead chicken this week...my comp pushed me into it. other than that, nothing else happened. PSYCH! (I lost all ability to spell anything). We are currently working with a slew of incredible people. We have two nine year olds (Martin and Tamara) who come from less active families who want to return (nothing like baptising your child to remind you of your baptisimal covenants!), a soltero named Jose Lopez who gave himself a Doris Day haircut (he´s guileless and only needs to quit smoking), and Melisa (an Evangelico who now KNOWs the BOM is true and is working for her baptism the 18th of April (my birthday gift to you dad!)). Melisa is going to get baptised and we just KNOW her entire family (husband and two kids) are in tow. Punta Arenas is basically the best place on earth to serve.
It is the most hilarious place on earth. We got penguins, volcanos, earthquakes, tsunamis, gusts of wind that blow you across the street, rain, snow, a hole in the ozone, cows, giant sloths (discovered here!), flamingos, antarctica...and don´t forget the dogs. MIllions and millions of dirty, evil, street perros that hide behind the cars and wait for you to pass by before attacking you. I love to serve here.
Like I said before, I´m just happy to be here. I love my comp (we get along famously), I love the family that we live with (we live behind their house in a one room apartment) (the mom knocked on our door last night with completos), I love the bishop here (absolutely phenominal), I love the members, I love the Gospel, I love to talk to random people on the street, I love to feel the Spirit, I love to study the scriptures, I love to be an instrument in the hands of God to help people develop faith in Christ and receive the ordinances necessary for their salvation. I´m ridiculously happy to be here. I love you all!
Hermana Bourne
Mom and Dad,
I love you guys. Still working!
Katie,
EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY BUT ME! LAME!!! I want a good email from you missy.
Yep, I got nothing else, We´re going to go eat lunch.
Ash and Mikey, Haven is BEAUTIFUL. Wow. Can´t wait to meet her.
Jamesy, I love you!
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