Week 73: Human Battleship is best played quietly

Hey everyone. So, this is a more take it easy, we have nowhere to be, let's deep clean the fridge kind of a preparation day. So I have a bit more time to email today. I am going to be shortening these emails just a bit for time's sake starting today, but I'll still give you the spiritual low down of what's happening in my life each week :-)

Honestly, this week was really fantastic. We worked really hard and saw miracles come from our faith. We also did a lot of work with different people in the area and have made so much progress. I know that's kind of vague, but with out disclosing personal info, know we had an amazing week. 

Sorry I just lost my train of thought. We just got haircuts and there's a really poorly constructed song playing on their big tv. It can't decide if it's going to be electric or pop and it's caught between regular tempo and syncopation but in such a way that makes you hate it. The barber apparently felt the same because he just skipped it. 

Back to the week, here's a few thoughts. 

1. I attended my first funeral. We celebrated Sawyer's life after his passing so I don't consider that a funeral. This one was what I always imagined funerals to be like, pall bearers, hearse, casket and sadness. This funeral was for the husband of an older woman in our congregation. I never even met him. We were asked if we could help with some chair set up, take down, and rearrangement. We got there around 11am and didn't end up leaving until 5pm. They needed much more help than they thought. Without getting into details, I feel comfortable enough to plan, execute, and cater a funeral service no problem. Not necessarily a skill I'm proud to have developed at age 20, but it was a really humbling chance to serve. The overwhelming feeling I had the whole time was a sense of reverent gratitude. I saw tearful family members of the deceased and couldn't help but reflect on the passing of my brother. While his passing was difficult and remains difficult, I have a hope to hold on to, a hope for resurrection, a hope to one day sit down with my brother in the house of my father. That hope is powerful. It's life altering. In those moments of mourning I had opportunity to witness, I felt a reassurance of my hope and of my calling. It was as if the Lord was trying to tell me that I would see my brother again and the reason I'm here as a missionary is to reach out to all those hurting like this family, to lift the gaze of the downhearted towards eternity. 

2. Sunshine makes a difference. The best days we had this week were sunny. I can testify that there is a visible and distinguishable change in people's mood and attitude when the sun is out versus being overcast. There is a difference. So appreciate the sun in your day. and if it is overcast, weather (see what I did there) actually or just in your head, remember this quote from Neal A. Maxwell: "Don't mistake passing cloud coverage for permanent darkness". 

3. God needs you to be yourself. Some of the greatest moments I had this week happened whilst I was true to who I was and did things how I would do them. I felt successful and accomplished at the end of each day because I worked to be the best version of myself and saw the Lord's hand in each day because I did so. 

British Food of the Week: cucumber sandwiches - butter, cheese, cucumber; very posh

British Word of the Week: well - meaning very; "I was at this well dodgy place"

Companion comic: this old guy accidentally walked into some scaffolding in front of us at the store today and after recovering, turned to us and said "guess it wasn't my time to go"

Scripture of the week: D+C 88:118 (especially the last bit) - I am in the process of deciding what I want to do with my life and I have applied this principle a lot. I am getting there slowly, but I know that learning comes by both faith and study. That learning is the most powerful way to dispel doubt and overcome fear.

I love you all so much! Have an amazing week :-)