Week 32: Wouldn't ya know it, I'm drinkin'

This week's email title was told to us a few weeks ago by one guy. He had stopped us on the street the day before and told us to pass by house the following day and something about demons being there. So, we stopped by, and, sitting on his front porch, with a warm one in his hand, this was all he had to say -- and to come back maybe the next day. (We didn't go back.)

In other news, I still need to buy a keyboard, so this email will be a shorter one.

We had a baptism this week of our friend Isaque!! He's super funny, and was up very late the Saturday before so he was caught snoozing straight through the sacrament meeting before his baptism..

Otherwise, we're still helping Valdirene prepare to be baptized, and she asked her daughter if she'd like to baptized too, and she said yes! So now we're just helping Valdirene feel prontinho (and also quit smoking) and teach her daughter!

We also went to the shopping of Santa Maria (they're literally called the english word "shopping") today, and I was literally taken straight back to America. There's nothing more American than a mall, with a food court and everything.

Favorite Hymn -- Sorry for the repeat, but this week, I read 2 Nephi 4, and you have to understand, I've only read the BoM only one time through and even then it was a glancing read, so I'm still discovering universally known passages for the first time! And, reading Nephi's delight that his has in the Lord despite his temptations, first, I remembered that this chapter was the inspiration for the beloved hymn "I Love the Lord!" His proclamation "awake my soul" was when I finally caught onto the lyrical connection. 

And second, it really related to me. 

As a missionary, we help people find the path God has for them to follow Jesus Christ. And this path includes following some commandments, some very difficult for people. And yet, we're not perfect either. I certainly don't follow all of God's commandments to the tee. So how can we possibly do this without being hypocritical? How can anyone?

Then I remember that no one is perfect. We are all disciples of Christ, trying our best to follow Him and help others as well, but we are not Him ourselves. This train of thought related well to the changing and perfecting power of the Atonement I've pondering recently. We're on our way to perfect but never actually will be in this life and certainly never could be on our own. It's almost like this has been relevant for me lately...

Anyway, that's it for this week!

Till next time,

Elder Haroldsen