Well. Quick note to all of you.
Canada is not cold.
Not
even joking. Seriously. It's mid December and there isn't one flake of
snow on the ground. It's currently raining outside and it's only like 4
degrees Celsius. Everyone lied to me. Snow isn't even real; I think
Santa made it up. Because he's real. Right? Cool. But honestly, it's a
little depressing to be walking around getting closer to Christmas and
not have ANY snow. I thought I'd be having a white Christmas... guess
the joke's on me. XD
Funny moment from this
week was actually last Monday when we got home from emails. Elder
Gutierrez had a big headache and so he went to take a nap at around 4.
As we have to be out working again at 6, he told me to wake him up at 5.
So I wrote letters and listened to music for an hour, then opened the
door and turned on the lights in the bedroom and said, "Aight Elder,
it's 5:00."
Armageddon.
He let loose a growl that would have sent a full grown grizzly bear scurrying for cover. "Turn. Off. The. Light."
I didn't really know what to do. "Whoa. OK. I'll come back when you're.... different."
So I came back at 5:35,
cause we really had to get going so we could be at our next appointment
at 6. I opened the door (much quieter now) and turned on the light
(with quite a bit more apprehension). He growled in a slightly less
terrifying manner.
I said, "Hey Elder, it's 5:35. We really gotta get going. You good?"
"Maslkdjfknaskdhf."
"I apologize; I speak French, not Inuit. But... we really do gotta go."
"FIVE THIRTY-FIVE."
"Um. Yes. It is 5:35. That means you gotta get up."
"JUST... FIVE THIRTY-FIVE."
"Huh?"
"ELDER. FIVE THIRTY-FIVE." He was gradually sounding angrier and angrier. I began to fear for my life.
"I'm confused. It IS 5:35. Come on, let's go!"
"FIVE THIRTY-FIVE." I was sure he was going to start throwing punches in a few seconds.
"So... what exactly would you like me to do here, Elder Gutierrez?"
"TURN. THE. LIGHT. OFF. NOW."
So,
considering I would prefer to remain intact, I turned off the light.
Ten minutes later, a very grumpy and tired looking Elder Gutierrez
walked into the kitchen. He proceeded to apologize for whatever he had
said, as he apparently wasn't in a perfectly clear frame of mind at the
time. But, ca va. I thought it was pretty funny. I told him what he'd
said and he had no clue what it meant either. It was interesting.
The
idea of faith has been on my mind for the past week. A comparison came
to my mind the other day that I would like to apply to the sometimes
abstract idea of faith. I believe it correlates well with math.
When
I came across a situation in my Calculus class that went against what I
thought I knew was how things should work, it could get a little bit
frustrating. I would continue getting answers that were not correct,
even though I was sure I was inputting the formulas and variables
correctly. When this occurred, did I simply give up and throw the
calculator to the ground, proclaiming, "Since I don't understand this,
math must not be real. Calculus is false."
Of
course not. Because that would be silly. I continued to work at
understanding, knowing that with time and effort, I would figure it out.
And eventually, it all worked out and I found myself able to do well on
the tests and quizzes that came my way. But first, I had to acknowledge
that a) I didn't know everything, and b) my understanding of math could
not decide whether or not Calculus was a valid concept.
This
is how faith works. Sometimes I think we all run into these questions
that seem to run against everything we think we know about our Heavenly
Father and His plan for us. The answers we get don't seem to fit into
the gospel formulas we think we understand. And in those cases, I have
seen many declare that God must not exist, or that a particular true and
valid doctrine, which has been testified to by prophets and apostles,
must be false because their own understanding seems to clash with the
new information they've received or learned.
There
is a reason that one of the most important principles of the gospel of
Jesus Christ is the ability to endure to the end. That concept INCLUDES
enduring those crisis of faith and questions that come with our eternal
learning curve. Faith is that motor that continues to push us forward
when doubts and questions would have us stop and quit.
The counter argument arises, "Math is different. You can prove these theorems and formulas."
Well,
is that not also true of God? There are miracles all around us; things
that cannot be adequately explained UNLESS there is a God who lives and
loves us and the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ are as true
and living today as they were when He established them in the first
place! Ask any faithful Christian and they will be able to find miracle
after miracle. The living proof surrounds us.
The
answer to an equation cannot be found without putting the correct
variables into the correct formula. In the equation of eternity,
miracles and answers to questions cannot come before putting the
variables of time, effort, and faith into the formula of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
So when the road seems long and
the mountainous trials grow steeper, when questions arise and doubts
threaten to overthrow the faith we have, let us remember that our loving
Heavenly Father has established the method to find our answers. And
with time, effort, and faith, the answers to the questions we have, and
the miracles that provide proof of His existence and His loving kindness
toward each one of His beloved children, will come. I know it. I've
seen it in my life, time and time again.
We
have a Heavenly Father who lives and loves us. We have a Savior, Jesus
Christ, who does as well. We can know of these truths, as well as all
others, through prayer with real intent and a humble heart.
I love the Lord. And I love serving Him here in the mission field.
En avant!
Elder Bryan McOmber
So... there were these cows that we drove by. And for no apparent
reason, we decided to take pictures of them. Why? Because we're Elders.
That's why.
When we got closer to the fence, all the cows started walking towards
us. Probably because we were mooing at them in a very mature and
dignified manner.
That would be me and my companion.
This cow is my favorite. So I took a selfie with it. It is now my friend forever.
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