Week 71 - Grace, Changing Focus, and the Christlike Captain Moroni

Dear Mom,

I never realized (and still don't realize) what effect I honestly have on people. I just am myself and I do what I believe Christ would've done. I had no idea that Carlos thought THAT greatly of me! But of course, he did buy us awesome tshirts, and gives us food, and gives us rides anywhere we need to go, and keeps us updated on things we would like to know, and gives us a tie he has just because we say we really like it, and is just awesome all around so I guess that's a good indicator of great friendship haha Carlos really is the best! We love him to death! He's the best member ever! He is a truly good friend here, and I love that he really wants to help us and wants the best for us! Carlos is one of my absolute best friends ever! :D

Thanks for the email about GRACE. When I first came to Vista, I was very trusting, like I always was back home, but since then, I have slowly stopped trusting so many people. I feel like I've been backstabbed one too many times. I only really trust a select few. But that doesn't mean I'm not still nice to people. Of course I'm nice to everyone! I sometimes struggle with forgiveness as well. But a while ago, I found myself in a situation similar to what I've faced on my mission, but in which I was the offender this time. When I realized I was on that end, I did everything I could to make up and apologize for it. Thankfully, I was forgiven by this missionary. Later, I realized that I really needed to forgive my offenders. Not just say I did and continue to stew and be grumpy about it. This missionary that I had hurt was so gracious to have forgiven me, and we still have the same closeness and trust that we had before the incident. I realized that if I want so badly to be forgiven, I need to forgive those that offended me. I used to think, why was I in that situation? Can't I just rewind and remove it? But it needed to happen. I needed to be put on the other side of the coin, so that I could know what it's like, so I could learn this lesson.

I agree that perhaps I need to be focusing on other things instead of finding non-elect people. We as a district are struggling in this factor, so we all talked and have come to the conclusion that we need to help the youth of this ward. Because we have discovered that many of them don't have testimonies, and don't plan on serving missions. We've been almost ignoring them this whole time, and I don't even really think they have relationships with any missionary. So this is where we're gonna start. Save the youth, save the ward. One of our responsibilities as missionaries is to strengthen the ward in which we serve, so we're gonna focus more of our attention on that now.

I absolutely LOVED the wockenflockite pics!!! Like L O V E D them! With a capital L O V E D x100!!

I was sitting in my chair laughing hysterically! We have the best humor ever! I can't wait to make Wockenflockite pics with ya'll!

In April, the Wockenflockites buried our swords. Look what has come up in their place!
Plastic forks, knives and spoons!

Captain Jack Sparrow, guardian of the garden, challenged Wockenflockite Buddy, Inflictor of Boo-Boos,
to a duel.

Even the bird feeder expresses its astonishment!

I totally forgot to take pics with our new shirts, I'll put a reminder in the phone to do it tonight with the new camera!

Did I pick up the [Amazon Prime] pantry boxes? Yeah, and they're heavy! haha there was even a sticker on them that said HEAVY   < -- just like that :P Thank you so much for all the much food! I won't need to buy cereal for quite a while, unless others need a cereal box in a pinch, in which case, I'll help them out.

As for the garments and the temple trip, I can exchange unopened garments at the distribution center at the temple [mom ordered the wrong ones], which we'll be going on the 28th I believe. The last week of the month.

Please continue to write and email when you can, I love hearing from you!

Hogs & Quiches

Elder Patricio Pie De Nubes

[Mary had mentioned in her e-mail to Elder Wockenfuss that she was planning to organize her room this week and warned him to watch out for the nasty weather that's sure to come from such a rare event. heehee Here's his response.]

THE BAD WEATHER ALREADY STARTED! Just thinking about it activated the weather-ness haha IT"S 100 DEGREES OVER HERE! We normally think of bad weather as a storm that wreaks havoc on everything with a downpour of cats and dogs that speak klingon. But no.... not Vista.... I would love that right now... Our bad weather is the Death Ray Gun of the Sun. haha But I'm in a full time car this week, so I'm okay haha

I am starting to learn about Captain Moroni, my number one role model! In Alma 48:12 - "Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people."

"upon his people"...Interesting. Not "upon him," but "upon his people." So Moroni was a selfless man (obviously), so to the extent that he didn't thank God for "me me me", he thanked God for what He had done for his people. He was truly a Christlike man, who turned out ward, and not inward to self. That's something I never quite realized before. I can't wait to continue to find out more about him this week!