Well as of a few days ago I officially felt a little old in the misión as I hit the same age in the misión that I am in real life. Elder Slack (the only other American in my group) told me a few days ago that the 25th would be our 100 day mark so that means today I am officially in double digits. I have now been away from home for 20 months (and a few days) but it still feels like just yesterday y'all were all standing there in the airport just watching me go through security and everyone kept asking me if y'all were my family and why y'all were just standing there lol. But there was one nice member mom who asked if I was a missionary and where I was going. Ah good times.
But anyways this one will probably be a little short and sweet (sorry mom) but like y'alls week my week was pretty low key. Not much new stuff to report on. We had a few cosechas in the zone and it was fun to work with some other Elders in the zone.
This week we also had Zone Conference! It was super awesome! I always love being able to meet together with President and a bunch of other missionaries! They talked a lot about what Elder Renlund talked about, like the importance of working hard but with a good attitude. President took it a step further and talked about the importance of that but together with faith and works.
And now because I don't have any awesome stories for this week I think I will talk a little more about what I have learned a little on faith in my studies. Something we talk about a lot in the mission that I think I have heard before but it is the eye of faith. Like looking at things how they can become and even more so looking at them as if they had already become that thing. For example, when I contact an investigator, I am already thinking about what size baptismal clothes he needs for his baptism and picturing him standing in the font. This week while I was studying the Book of Mormon I realize that it is full of this stuff. There are a few prophets in the Bible who talk like it for example Isaiah but the best examples are in the Book of Mormon. For example, Nephi in chapter 25 of his second book talks about how they already live the gospel of Jesus Christ and live as if he had already come and atoned for the sins of the world. They obey the law of Moses because it is the commandment of that time but to them the law is already fulfilled and they live something they can't see or don't have proof that it will happen, but that they know it will happen. (Alma 32:21) There are many more examples (aka the entire Book), but just for my purpose this is a good one.
It says in Preach my Gospel that faith is a principle of power, a power to change. It doesn't matter what you apply or which aspect of the gospel or life, to have perfect faith is to see yourself, or whoever, as whatever you want to become. If I want to be a more charitable person, first of all I have to have faith and hope in the Atonement of Christ and know that he wants me to be the best person I can be. I have to, of course, know what it means to be a charitable person and then when I see myself in the mirror I look at myself as that person and start living as that person should live (aka works) and before you know it boom you have become who you want to! I have tried to apply that principle in my mission and also with the people I teach. If someone wants to be closer to God, they have to know what that means and then DO IT! If I want to become more Christ like, I have to study Christ, and then look at myself as if I already have those attributes and actually live like I do! I know this kind of sounds like the whole "fake it till you make it" kind of thing but trust me. IT WORKS! I can actually exaplain this a lot better in Spanish jaja.
I can't believe February is already ending. Here comes March and then SPRING! Which really is no different here, it is just summer 24-7. But I am excited to start to see a bunch of pictures of spring time over there and all the BLUE BONNETS!!! Also t-minus a little under 5 weeks until next conference and we will see who the next apostles are! (still rooting for Pres Corbitt)
I left my camera at home sorry....
I love yall a ton and hope everyone has an amazing week! And if it isn't, make it amazing!! :)
Con amor,
Elder Robertson
