Luta!

Man, the mission is such a blessing. I always thought I would go and serve a mission and then return a ´´changed man.´´ Haha which is true for anyone that serves, but what I failed to think of was all of the situations I would be put in to cause that growth to take place.

Tuesday morning last week I was transferred back to JUNDIAÍ! Haha but to tell you the truth, I wasn´t very happy. I'mnot serving in the center of the city like I was back in January, but in a city called Colônia, which is about 20 minutes away from the center, walking. It´s hard to put all of my feelings in an email, but Heavenly Father definitely has been listening to my prayers about my desire to better know the Savior. If you don´t want to pass through challenges, don´t pray to get to know the Master. Haha

I had surgery on on of my big toes this week. It was a mini surgery but sent me to the bed the entire week (I´ll send pictures next week). The surgeon looked at my foot, numbed it all up, and hunked out practically the entire nail! I was laying down when he did it, and then sat up to talk to him about the Restoration... Haha you know, you always gotta be preaching the gospel. But when I sat up, I almost immediately fell back down. I about fainted! Haha he shouted at my companion to get me water and told me to lay back down. YOU PULLED MY ENTIRE NAIL OFF! I thought to myself. Hahah I made a joke out of it a little bit later... Man, the smallest touch of the foot on the ground this week sent that big toe bleeding for hours.

As a missionary, Ive always missed the family, but it´s never been a problem that I couldn't focus. But let me tell ya, when you´re in pain, in a country far away from your mom, you really start to get homesick... Man. Haha seriously. The only other time this happened to me was in Georgia when I picked up e. coli and lost 10 pounds that one week.

 

Because I knew I was going to be in the house the whole week, I thought to myself, ´´How can I invite others unto Christ?´´ Being cut off from all human contact, just my companion and I, I thought to myself that I would invite myself to come closer to Christ. I picked up the book ´´Jesus, The Christ´´ thinking I would draw closer to the Savior learning about His life.

I learned a lot of things this week that strengthened my testimony and gratitude for Jesus. I learned a bunch about the ´´Pre-mortal´´ and ´´Mortal Christ´´ and thought a lot about the parables and miracles he gave/performed.

But the lesson above it all came from a self reflection at the end of the week. I picked up The Book of Mormon and read the story of Moroni at the end of his life (because I was feeling pretty lonely too... haha). The Spirit that cheered me up and the excitement I had about ´´next week´´ (when I can leave the house on my feet) was at an all time high. I thought to myself, ´´I haven´t felt this all of this week in my studies of a book written by an Apostle, in the temple, only about Jesus Christ.

 

I got news from recent converts in a different area that they recently got divorced. That really threw a javelin in my heart. The email I sent them was to read the Book of Mormon everyday.

 

Sister Bosler told me last week that her Mission President used to have a huge list of "to-do's" for missionaries to complete when they returned  home from their mission. After some time on the mission, he shortened it down to one simple thing. Read The Book of Mormon everyday.

 

With the testimony of Joseph Smith, I add mine. Anyone who reads The Book of Mormon and abides by it´s precepts, will come unto the Savior more than he will reading any other book. I know the book was written for our day. It helped me this week be more happy and excited more than a book written by an Apostle of The Lord, in the temple, solely about the life of the Master did in a week´s long story.

Love you all! I hope you keep reading The Book of Mormon everyday!

Elder Welch