8-19-13

Hello everyone! I hope you're doing well. I'm doing pretty well. :)

Not a whole lot to say this week, but I can tack on a couple things at least. :)

Germany things:

They use a lot of graphed paper. Perhaps more than lined paper.

I'm used to only seeing alchohol as beer in gas stations, or tucked away in liquor stores (perhaps that is very different in other states in the US), but here they just have it sitting out all over the place in grocery stores, or any store really. Weird.

I can't seem to find any balogna.

They have oreos, but they aren't as good. :P

They have massive yogurt sections at the grocery store. Everything you can imagine mixed with yogurt. Also, they spell it jogurt because they pronounce the j as our y sound. (their y sounds like ü. don't worry about that one.)

Spiritual thing:

Mark 2:17 - When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The Gospel isn't for perfect people. It's for people still learning and progressing. It's also not for the unrepentant sinner either. We have to be working at striving at it. :)

Preach My Gospel pg. 6: "The purpose of the gospel is to cleanse people of their sins so they can receive the Savior’s mercy at the day of judgment."

You don't need to worry about beating yourself up for falling short of perfection after you strive. You don't need to compare yourself to other people. You just need to keep taking steps. Keep working.

“Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' " - Thomas S. Monson

You can do it. :) Just keep improving. - 2 Ne. 28:30 - "For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, ^aprecept upon precept, here a little and there a little ..."

Christ has your back. You can do it, with Him. :)

2 Ne. 25:23 - "... for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

Trust in the Savior who loves you with all His Godly Heart. :) I testify in His Name that He will support you and help you to progress. Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

I say these things in the Sacred Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. :)

Have a wonderful week. :) Go do something fulfilling. :)

- Elder Michael Bright Miles

8-1-13

Ooh. Got to use a scythe a few days ago. Some Germans still have them from when their families used to use them for farm work. They look totally legit and homemade. Now they just use them for when their grass gets really tall. They trim it down with the scythe before hitting it with the lawn mower. We helped a lady with her lawn and got to use one to trim it before we mowed it. It was fun. :)

Things are going well. :)

Spiritual something:

Alma 8:9-13 - Life can get discouraging. Sometimes people around us are making bad choices despite our best efforts, sometimes we fall short, sometimes things just don't turn out the way we want it to, despite everything we do. And sometimes we feel like we have failed God. Missionaries run into this problem a lot. Often we feel like we are giving our best, and yet we are not seeing the results we expected. We become discouraged. Let's read further.

verses 14&15 - This is a powerful principle. One might think that Alma had just 'failed' in the city of Ammonihah, and yet this angel is telling him 'blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice'. And why? 'for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God'. That is success. Alma was successful because he was obedient. Because he was striving. I testify that God loves us and sends us exactly what we need. I testify that true success and happiness comes not from our circumstances or from things around us, but from us. When we are striving and being obedient and following God, then we are donig what is expected of us, and we can be assured. I testify that Jesus Christ lives and that He has shown us the way. He helps us at every step. He asks us to keep stepping forward. We can do it. :) I say these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.