I forgot how much green and nature there is up
here, dang. I miss Eindhoven and all my friends down there but I can´t
complain about being able to come back up to Gelderland and to return to the
beloved Northern provinces. My companion is an awesome dude. His
name is Elder Abankie from Suriname. He´s a stud, loves to sing, always has a
smile and you always have a good time around him. I´m excited to learn from and to
serve with him. There are 6 missionaries in this ward. My wards
just keep getting bigger and bigger as my mission goes on! I´ll send photos of
us all soon. It sounds like everything went awesome with weddings and
what not!
So we had transfer day on Wednesday. That went well. Sad to
say that this past week I´ve been stuck inside with some sort of annoying
stomach bug, ( Not to worry...I´ve been taken well care of and I´m starting to
feel better). I had a lot of time spent inside and I was reminded how
fortunate I was to be able to simply go outside and enjoy being able to walk
around talking to people. I´ve been trying to train myself to always be
thankful for what I can do and I feel like the best way to show that you are
thankful is through using the gifts that are given to us and not not using
them.
I have to say...there were times where I was lying there and just
feeling so frustrated because I could not do what I was hoping to do. I
guess the same happens with everyone at one time or another. One
moment...everything is so great and we feel like we´re riding cloud 9 and can
take on anything but then, almost out of the blue...we´re brought back down to
earth and that feeling of confidence gets a punch to the stomach and we start
feeling like a victim when in reality...these things are a blessing and not a
punishment.
There was a man in one of the area´s I served in that shared an insight
with a missionary, who then shared it with me.
In a video game....you are a character (AKA an avatar) who is given a
figure so that you can go out and be a winner. You have a goal or objective
that you are trying to accomplish. In most games...in order to achieve
this goal, you have to defeat bad guys, make conquests, keep safe from the
enemy, avoid dangerous situations and keep healthy. As you go through
these various missions, you are given items that will help you succeed in your
task to ´´beat the game´´. As you go through the different stages of the game,
defeating the enemy, solving puzzles, saving people, etc. you are acquiring new
skills, becoming stronger, increasing your intelligence and become a stronger,
better person. The question is....what would this game be like without
the obstacles that stand in your way in order to reach the end as a
victor? All those bad guys, all those puzzles, obstacles, ´´bumps´´ in
the road and what not..... leaving it with just you and a clear path to
victory. Not only would you not be able to level up, learn new moves and
become a better stronger player, but you would bored out of your mind and
probably quit playing. Those obstacles that stand in your way...make the game
worth playing and are needed in order to enhance your abilities to continuously
progress. The difference in a video game is that people aren´t afraid of dying...unless
they’re going for a world record high score....then you can get a case of some
major gamer rage. In a game...if they die...they get another life and
everything is ok. I feel like people forget or don´t know...that this
body that we are given is our very own ´´Avatar´´ given to us in order to
´´play the game´´ and that eventually....every one of us will be separated from
our Avatar. The best part is...is that all the experience and things gained
while ´´playing the game´´ sticks with us and we will be given a better and
stronger ´´Avatar´´. We´ll be given a body that is perfect as long as we
play the game properly and follow the steps that are given in order to succeed
in the game. Just like every other game...there are rules to this
one...for every rule you follow...the closer you are being successful and for
every rule....well, the opposite happens.
We´ve been given a wonderful opportunity to live and go against
obstacles in our life that will help us become stronger and better
people. To become a stronger and better person we have been provided with
a ´´players guide´´ that will help us know what we need to do to pass every
level and become victorious in our quest as we live our lives. We are all
here to gain a body that is connected with our soul but because we are
imperfect...our body will go to the way of the earth and our soul will return
to where it came from and we will then receive our ´´trophy´´ for playing the
game...our resurrected bodies. The difference between our lives and the
life of the avatar in the video game is that in the game we know what will
happen and faith is not required where as in our lives...faith, patience, and
constant nourishment are needed.
Everything is taken care of. This is a true fact because Christ
has come and Christ has made it possible for us to be imperfect. We will
rise again and we can be forgiven. I pray that we will always have the eternal
perspective because one day...that eternal perspective will turn into an
Eternal Reality but we are the ones that need to move the gears until God
grants us with that. Learn about Gods plan from the missionaries, from
the scriptures, from going to church, from praying, from writing in your
journal. It comes and that I promise.
Sorry to bore you : ) If only I could write everything that went through
my mind this past week.
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