Our P Day got changed to thursdays so i couldn´t write home on tuesday! I have been having a lot of fun! We have kind of found a comfortable stride here. Now it is going to be about trying to make myself be a little stressed during the day because if I am not stressed I am not working hard enough. The spanish is coming along pretty good. I have been assigned to make sure people speak spanish which is really hard because I personally can´t stand it. It takes forever to think about what I want to say and just ahhh. haha. I am trying hard though.
Did you guys figure the blog out?
Did you guys cash that last check I got from Pres. Almquist?
Did you sell Ricky yet?
How is David doing with his call!? I am sooo excited he is going to Germany! It is going to be beautiful there! Its funny that none of us were suprised that he was going there, but that just means he is going to be that much better of a missionary because he is gonna fit in SO good haha.
How did Aaron’s soccer try outs go!? Por favor tell the Andersen’s that I am sorry I didn’t have an official goodbye hug with them!
Please tell Grandma and Grandpa Kelly that I miss them and they are a great inspiration to me in my life!
Please tell Grandma and Grandpa Gordon thanks for preparing me to go on a mission and that I love them!
This week we have had a lot of talks about conversion during devotionals and such. We watched this amazing talk(recorded) of Elder Bednar’s to the MTC on Christmas Day. He talked about how the Savior turns our instead of turning in. What he means by that is that Christ while on the Earth did not get offended and He never once thought of his own well being. When we get hurt or offended we want people to care for us. When Christ got scoffed at or persecuted or lashed He never once said “woe is me, why do these people not like me” He would always think that he could do something better to make them more happy. When the guards came to take Christ after he had suffered in the Garden, and His Apostles failed to stay with him through the night, and one of His Apostles betrayed him with a kiss, He still heals the guards ear(that is trying to take him to be crucified) because he feels sorry for the man.
This one one of the best talks I have ever heard.
We were reading about Ammon gathering the Flocks and chopping off the people arms(which is like my favorite story)The people think he is a great spirit because he has so much power and ability. I came to realize something. When Ammon is brought before King Lamoni the people say(paraphrasing) “Whether this man is the Great Spirit we know not, but we do know that he has great power and we know not how.” IDK something like that. anyway. I was thinking about THAT is what people should think when they meet a modern day missionary. They should say and think”We know not how this boy of 18 has such great power, to bring these feelings upon me or how he is so filled with joy; but we do know that he is filled with a Great Spirit, and that what he says is true.” I want to be able to bring these feelings upon people in my mission. By the end of my mission I want people to be able to just look at me, and say” I want to talk to this follower of Christ.
I wish I could share more of the experiences we have here, but there are so many good ones!
I know that this Gospel is true, and I know that no matter how happy people think they are in their lives, they can be happier, because they can come to know Christ like I know him. Yo se que Cristo es mi amigo. Yo se que mi familia, vamos a ser un eterno familia. Yo se que mi redentor y Salvador vive. Yo se que Padre Celestial nos ama y que El sabe cada y toda uno de nosotros. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.
Love you all, and I pray everyday for everyone back home.
P.S. Please send me a pic of Amliya’s new hairdo! And tell her I love her SOOO much and I miss her.
—
Elder Joseph Gordon
Elder Joseph Gordon 