I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine certainly was! Let's start from the beginning...
Because of Thanksgiving break sweeping over a college town, this week turned out to be less busy than usual, as many people went home for the holiday. That being said, there was still a lot of fun that got accomplished. After my email on p-day we again played more Star Wars Episode 1 Monopoly, and then that night pegged quite a few birds with one stone by watching the Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration video in Spanish with three investigators, Oscar Corredor (a recent convert now) and his fiance, a member. I highly recommended everyone watch it, whether in English or Spanish. I've seen both and both are fantastic.
The next day I got to go on exchanges with Elder Hatch from Arizona, one of my Zone leaders. He is a rock star missionary, actually first came out to Pleasant Grove and lived behind Grandpa Wadley's farm during the summer of 2012, and thus has been out 18 months or so. This was great for me, since he had a lot of experience not only as a missionary, but also as a Utah Provo missionary. I was able to learn a lot from talking with him about everything on how to better improve myself as a missionary, though granted with some differences since I'm Spanish speaking. Elder Hatch was also a state champion wrestler, and I had a good time asking questions and learning about the sport, which is both quite interesting and as Elder hatch will always mention, draws so many gospel parallels. For example, in wrestling, finding yourself on your knees is the most dangerous position to put yourself in, as it makes you unstable and vulnerable to be thrown down or pinned. Curious then, is it not, that we kneel when we pray, submitting ourselves humbly and vulnerably to The Lord?
Thanksgiving itself was kicked off with the Turkey Bowl, which was played on a BYU artificial turf field. Due to the sheer numbers of players, I didn't get much contact with the ball, but it was highly enjoyable and fun, and the weather could not have been more perfect, sunny, cool, and with the mountains looking as thankful as ever. We hung out with the UVU Asian Elders until dinner, when we went over to Bishop Bennett's home. They were swell hosts, and the family there was wonderful, many Spanish speaking too. The food was so good and I ate my fill with plenty leftover. Upon arriving home, I sat down and, in the company of my pilgrim hymns and dirges, hammered out a list of things I'm grateful for, found at the end here. It was a good way to end a thanksgiving, and a sore, full, grateful Elder Martin slept quite well that night.
The rest of the days featured sparse lessons and ample personal study, which I found as quite an acceptable adaptation to the times. Reading El Libro de Mormon once again continues to help my Spanish tangibly, down to the very word (orgullo, or pride, was used multiple times in a lesson with Diana Gabriella, and I had learned it only that morning from my reading. She's progressing well too, has many wonderful and specific questions that keep me studying!). We topped the week off with another lesson with Angel, to be baptized this coming week. In order to have him ready, we had to teach the law of chastity, word of wisdom, and tithing all in one night. To our delight, he was basically already living most of them, had no problems with any, but still had insightful questions that showed he cared. The Lord has truly prepared him, and I am so excited to see how these next few weeks go for him. It is a pleasure and honor to serve in this area, and I am excited to continue to improve so I am able to help others come unto The Lord!
But yes, other than that, the week was rather chill! So, in lieu of stories from investigators, a little something more about the Provo City Center Temple. The first thing I found to my liking regarding it was an Elder Holland quote I believe from the dedication that reads, "It is inspired to build a temple out of the ashes of the Tabernacle." Such depth in that statement, I don't know where to begin. The second is something I also found regarding the original structure of the tabernacle, which is still applicable to the remaining outer portion today: "...President Young had advised that it be designed with a view to preserving for the youth of Zion a sample of the kind of edifice in which many of their fathers and mothers, as members of the Presbyterian Church, had worshiped before they heard the gospel."
These both coupled with some passages from the article I quoted earlier: "Both were already useful structures, dedicated to serving the Savior. But an extensive renovation process was necessary in order to create something that filled an even higher purpose.
“The first use was very good and very attractive, but the new use will be even more attractive and more important and more divine,” Elder Walker said. Similarly, “When we’re restored or converted, we’ll be the best that we ever were and a little bit better.” Each individual’s conversion begins at a different starting point. As with the Provo Tabernacle, an individual’s conversion process can involve difficult, painful events.
“No one wanted the fire, but sometimes those crises can cause us to refocus on what our real value is,” said Dean Davies, formerly managing director of the Church’s Special Projects Department and recently called as Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. “Sometimes we have to go through a shock in our lives to reawaken us to what our real potential can be.”
I'll leave y'all to ponder these messages yourself, and keep my own interpretations to myself so as not to redirect your own, but man, "treasuring up the words of life continually" sure does lead to some interesting thoughts!
Now it's time to unpack the Christmas spirit!
With a grateful heart,
Elder Martin
My Thankful List for this year:
The feel of grass, Texas grass or Utah
Music, the specifics of which would require a separate list
Friends and family, who are would require a separate list to name each and every one
Laughter and jokes
Laying down when you're tired
Being full of good food
Ramen
Snow (pending)
Snowball fights (already decided)
The gospel
Prayer
The numerous teachings and scriptures we have, and access to them
Continuing revelations
The light of knowledge
Paper and pen, "which have enlarged the memory of this people"
Tul Pens
My investigators and people I'm teaching, who would also require a separate list
Stories and experiences
The mountains
Memories
Seasons
The temple
Covenants with The Lord
Progression and improvement
Trials and afflictions
My trainer, Elder Rivera
My time at the CCM and the people there
My time in the field so far, and my friends there
The chance of enduring the cold
Different peoples and cultures, which would require a separate list to specific each and why
My native people and culture
Language and the gift of tongues
Art and other mediums of expression
The atonement and my savior, Jesus Christ
My country, the United States of America
My home, Texas, and especially Katy
History, and all we can learn from it and compare by it
Holidays, all of them (the specifics would require a separate list)
Getting warm after running around in the cold
The rain
Clouds
Patches of clovers in the grass
Names for different specific things, like certain actions or feelings
Proper nouns, and names for mountains and people and lakes and rivers and areas etc.
God's love and plan for us
The simplicity of the gospel's core, and the infinite glory and embellishment surrounding
My ancestry
The trees, in all their kinds
Deep blue, particularly the hue Ultramarine (look it up)
Lord of the Rings
Star Wars
Pokemon
Avatar the last Air Bender
Legos
Jurassic park and dinosaurs
Wit and wisdom
Dúnith: The Black Mazda 3 hatchback I drove at home
Being a missionary In Provo Utah, the greatest mission on earth, having been called there by an Apostle of God, and being directed, trained and surrounded within Provo by fellow servants of God
Feeling the Spirit
That I still have 22 months of my mission left!
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