Epistle #4 from Elder Lobo

Olá a todos!

(Thanks for correcting the todos, Dad, hahaha)
I have a ton I could write about, so I'll try to make the best use of my 30 minutes.
First, I'll go through my list for the week:
Every Sunday, we have had awesome weather.
We got to watch the worldwide leadership training meeting for our Sunday Fireside. It was really good -- I hope you got to see it. It was all about families and like, husband and wife duties, which seems like the last thing most missionaries would want to hear about. However, one general trend that is becoming more and more apparent is like a second go around of fulfilling a "law of Moses." One of the best things they said in that meeting was that homemaking isn't about cooking, cleaning, or sewing anymore. It's about creating a good environment for growth. With Preach My Gospel, this new counsel, President Hinckley's "Do Your Best" talk, and all the others, it seems like the commandments of our life are becoming more open-ended.

Another thing I realized this week is the great value and utility of having a purpose statement. With everything I do, I can evaluate how my actions are helping me better fulfill my purpose statement, which is found right in the beginning of PME.

Oh, and by the way, THANKS FOR THE BOXES! Good grief. I have enough food/candy/warm cake to last me for the next two years!!! I'm really glad that you sent more of those ginger chews and warm cake. Ariana sent me a measuring cup, so I have one less thing to worry about.

Thanks for sending me Preston's drawings! I love the happy faces -- they're surprisingly motivating. Who knew a three-year-old could do so much!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PRESTON! PARABENS A ELE! TRES ANOS! QUE VELHO!

I met some more Brazilians in the MTC going to Japan on Tuesday. They were from the interior of Sao Paulo state.
Bem, eu tenho dezeoito minutos mais, e agora vou tentar escrever em Portugues:
O distrito novo é muito bom! Há algumos missionários que já falam Português. Eles são muito divertido quando nós falamos.
Vamos ensinar a primeira lição na segunda feira. Já practicamos tres vezes, e eu creo que vamos ensinar muito bem. O meu companheiro não já fala bem, mas eu sei que O Senhor vai ajudar-se.

Portuguese is a little slow, so I'm going to just write the rest in English.
Another update on the frustration situation:
You know how I have been taking the MTC very seriously? After talking with Elder Davis, I think I have been taking it too seriously. Let me elaborate. I got so focused on being exactly obedient that I would start reading scriptures just to be doing the right thing. I would teach just so we could get the experience, and I would find scriptures just to use that time better. While those things are good things, I know that it's more important to be focused on the purpose of being the servant of the Lord that He called me to be.

I had been getting frustrated when other people would waste time or take a lot of breaks because I thought they could do better, and I didn't see why people couldn't work hard all the time. While it may be true that people can work harder, there's no reason to torture myself with it. Also, if there are things outside of my control, such as the agency of others, I have to understand that the things that hinder me will not hinder the Lord. Job 16:19....? I don't remember. Anyway, I'm much happier now and find it much easier to focus on what I need to be doing.

Also, I have learned a little bit about how growth happens at the MTC. The first week or so after I got here, the Spirit was at 100% strength all the time. After a while though, I still felt the Spirit, but it felt like I was missing it. I was pretty certain I didn't do or say anything wrong -- I was working the same way as when I entered. However, as I have discovered this week, we are expected to grow.

I thought of an analogy while talking to Elder Velasquez, the district leader, who has been experiencing the same thing: It's like lifting weights (I know, it's trite, and I pretty much never lifted weights in my life). When you lift a certain amount, it makes you sore. It's a humbling, satisfying feeling. However, after lifting the same amount, you don't get sore anymore. You think you're strong, and you probably are. However, to keep that humbling communication between the two entities of mind and body, you have to do more. You have to push yourself, find new ways to improve, and ask for help. Repeated paradigm shifts (or expansions, however you want to look at it) are absolutely necessary.

Anyway, the days are going much better and I am trying not to enjoy myself too much. I still have my drive to be the absolute best missionary I can be, but am still learning how to do it.

Yesterday, I listened to a whole session of General Conference in Continental Portuguese. It was amazing. I sat in the window of the computer lab and listened to the talks, understanding the general ideas. Did you know Richard G Scott does his own Portuguese translations?? It was amazing. I was listening to his talk and it took me about 15 seconds before I remembered which talk it was and realized that it sounded just like Richard G Scott. I loved that talk. It was great to hear it again, even if I didn't understand the words 100%.

I saw Jeff's dad in the Provo temple today!

Que mais...

I love you all! Happy Birthday to Preston! I hope I can remember everybody's birthday.

Abracos!
Elder Lobo