Fire in the Bones!

I was with my Mission President yesterday where we read some scriptures in Jeremiah together. We started in the first chapter, verse 10, where the Lord tells Jeremiah that his job is the "hunk out, take down, and destroy" kingdoms and governments, and then to "build up and plant" the Kingdom of God. We later finished in Jer. 20:9 where he writes that he´s got ´´FIRE IN THE BONES!´´ I feel the same way. Here´s why.

It´s quite intense to say the least, but opposition is happening just about everyday. After the incident happened with the car trying to spray us while it was raining, we had a member of another church write us a letter returning a Book of Mormon. It was shoved in the front door of the house where we have church and started with, "Do you want to know the TRUTH?!" followed by a boat load of scriptures. Man, this church is so arrogant here in Socorro. It´s hard to love them, but it´s what Christ would do.

I learned an interesting lesson this week about a birds. We were traveling for a meeting in Campinas where one of the missionaries I was sitting by noticed 10-15 birds flying around in a circle in the distance. He joked that someone died out there (it was in the middle of nowhere) and that was because the birds were flying above him. Nature not being my strong subject, I asked him really what was going on (he´s going to work for a zoo when he grows up I think). He told me that out in the ´´desert´´ when the sun hits the rocks, it causes a heat wave to rise (it´s hotter closer to rocks than the ground for example). And when the birds are going to travel to hunt for food, they find a big rock and fly in circles around it in order to elevate themselves higher in the air. This is because the hot air rises, making it easier for the birds too, to rise.

I thought a lot about that this week as I thought it was pretty cool. I saw the difference it makes with my new companion, Elder Nascimento. We came from an area that was just about dead. He was working hard but didn't see the results he would've liked to have see. He was finally transferred here in Socorro where he seriously is so happy. Haha its funny to hear him talk to other missionaries about the area of Socorro. ´´Im in Zion now baby!`` he always says. I realized how the attitudes of missionaries help elevate others to a higher level. To have a higher vision and more excitement to reach newer heights. Socorro for Elder Nascimento is like a big rock in the desert for the birds. He´s a missionary with a vision reaching heights he´s never thought were before possible.

With these thoughts, Ive spent a lot of time on my knees trying to catch the vision our Savior has. It's a great life being a missionary. I love studying and applying the life of Jesus Christ in my life. What a privilege it is to help others come unto Him. It's difficult, really tiring, but I'm excited. I'm livin´the dream with FIRE IN MY BONES!

Here comes another miracle week!

Elder Welch