Thanks for all of your fasts and prayers for my back. It is
getting better. I feel good. Hermana Obeso reads radiographs and she looked
at mine. She said it all looks healthy. The zone also had interviews with
Presidente Obeso. Anyway, we know that this all went down with my back because
of the weight of the backpack (which was normal, the same amount of weight all
of the other missionaries use), not the best posture, and a whole lot of
stress. Presidente just talked to me about stress. He just helped me with that.
The muscles of my back were, ugh, I don’t know how to say this in English, like
flexed a lot? Because of stress. And so that put strain on my back. So Presidente
basically told me my special assignment right now is to just chill out and
enjoy life to the maximum. Sounds great to me!
I just want to over emphasize how OK I am. My back is
getting better.
The hermanas in my district made me a banner with a kind
note on it and Mosiah 24: 12-17. It is something so small. But it helped me so
much. I just felt loved by my Father in heaven, so grateful for the kind
gesture. Wow, that meant so much! Ministering angels are people too.
Our zone leaders are literally our next door neighbors. There
is just concrete wall that separates us so we chat all the time. Haha. Elder Davis
has some primary songs that are mixed up and sound pretty gangster. It makes me
laugh so hard. We had divisions with our zone leaders (Elders Davis and Garcia)
and district leader (Elder Smith and Elder Salazar) this week.
This week, Elder Hobbs cut my hair. This time, I followed
the cutting length suggestions on the box and they were way short. So that
scared me to death when he took a picture of my hair and showed me.
I’m now 10 months old in the mission. Woot, woot.
So before I start talking more about my back, I want you all
to chill out. It is all good. But I imagine we have shared a lot of the same
thoughts. At the beginning of this week, my back hurt a lot (it is improving a
lot!), and I was thinking about if I would have to go home. I was bummed out
hardcore. I read Doctrine and Covenants 6:32-37. As I read, the Spirit punched
home the phrases "no temáis, no tengáis miedo, y no temáis." "Don’t
fear, don’t be afraid, don’t fear." God wants me to be at peace. Everything
is part of His plan, and all will be well. Hearing the lyrics to I Know That My Redeemer Lives comforted
me too.
With all of the time I have been in the house, and reading Jesus the Christ, it has been totally
awesome. Yesterday I bore my testimony in church. Now as I talk about Christ or
read about Him in the scriptures, I feel a deeper relationship with Him. Like I
know Him as a person. My testimony has been growing.
To help cope with stress better, I started a study and told
God that I was going to make a plan to help. I told Him that I was thinking of
praying or reciting a scripture or singing a hymn to help. Then the Spirit
reminded me of an activity I saw in the Adjusting
to Missionary Life book that would help. It was a testimony to see God is
helping me in my plans.
Yesterday in fast and testimony meeting, Elder Hobbs also
bore his testimony. He said that if we are feeling discouraged, angry,
hopeless, frustrated, or anything else, we just have to do the things to that
will help us feel the love of God. I felt the Spirit very strong because I have
been frustrated with my own weaknesses. I thanked him after.
Elder West
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