Mexico City #65

Mexico City #65

Mom and Dad,

This week has been one of the most difficult of my mission.  I don’t want you guys to freak out at all.  This has been really hard.  I am not going to let this turn into a complaint letter so I am going to talk about the amazing things I am learning from this experience;

 1) The Atonement is a real thing that happened.

    My testimony has grown this week about the atonement.  Christ knows exactly what I am going through.  He knows why I am going through it, and He knows how I can overcome it.  I know that he knows this because I can testify that he bled for me in the Garden of Gethsemane.  There was a moment when He paid for me; my pains, temptations, and sins.  He paid for every sadness.  I share my testimony that I know that as divine blood fell on olive leaves.  Christ felt what I am feeling now so that I can endure to the end.

2) Communication is so important.

    Throughout this week I have seen that talking with your companion or your wife or husband is needed.  When one is too angry to talk we must search for ways to calmly resolve the problem.  The lord gave us one mouth and two ears.  We must listen twice as much as we talk.  This goes along with communication with the lord.  We must always be willing to pray.  Always.  The lord does not need our prayers, but we need them.  We need to be in constant communication with Deity so that we may endure to the end.

3) Humility is a key of success in this life.

     This week I have seen the need to grow my own humility.  When we worry about who’s right over what’s right we lose our humility, and that happened to me this week.  The ability to take a step back and eliminate my own agenda, escaped me so much this week.  I know that it is an attribute that I must develop.  I bear my testimony that humility helps us in every step of this life’s journey.  

Honestly mom and dad, I have felt so alone this week, and I am so grateful for the KNOWLEDGE that you are praying for me.  I know that I am remembered in your prayers.  I know that the lord has not left me alone, but has allowed me to be tried and tested by the adversary so that I may become different.  Thank you so much for your love.

Again as I said, do not worry and stress.  I know that the Lord wants me to learn a lot with my companion, that’s why it’s so hard.  I know that I can be obedient throughout this whole experience, and that is the most important.  

Honestly the only problem is that it is just hard to adapt to live with someone else, and to be in close quarters with someone of a different culture altogether.  I know that the Lord will help me, and that he will guide me.  

President Uchdorf has said that we must not just serve in our priesthood callings, but we must also seek the beautiful moments while we serve.  Those moments have appeared out of my reach these weeks, but It is something I must find.  It is my privilege to feel the love of God as I serve.  I know this, and I share it in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Elder Clayton Rodney England

P.S. I will have p day Wednesday next week just so you know.  I will write Wednesday.  More days to write me!!! Yeah!