We are Stronger than we Think!

We are Stronger than we Think!

The human body and mind can endure way more than we know!

Hello Everyone!

Man oh man was this a full week....! Lots of rescheduled appointments and lots of walking! So it was very physical and very stressful on an emotional, physical, and spiritual level but it felt good to get through it. It is weird how these type of weeks make you feel better than the great easy weeks. No doubt the other weeks make you feel good, but there is something about getting through a tough time coming off conqueror. Am I the only one? Probably, I am a little weird....Its all good though! The human body and the human mind is meant to be challenged. We are meant to go through tough times so we can adapt and become stronger. I have a background of sports and lifting weights...And the single lesson I learned from them is that the human body and mind can endure way more than we know. We are stronger than we think! And especially with Heavenly Father on our side, we can conquer anything. I have been trying this week to apply the discipline I had in football and eating healthy for lifting to my mission. I feel I haven't worked as hard as I could have these past weeks... Not that I have been slacking off majorly but paying attention to little details has helped so much. There is a popular quote on the mission, (I don't know who said it) but it goes something like this, "Obedience brings blessings....Exact obedience brings miracles." How great of a quote that is! And I am positive that doesn't apply just to a mission. I am sure that can apply to the real world and the commandments we all get to follow. There is always something we can work on, there is always something we can improve on. Find that something and do it! Make a goal and keep it! Honestly it is so weird to me still to have daily goals and to have weekly goals. But you get so much more done because you know exactly what you are working for. My dad always tried to hammer this into my brain and I guess he was right! ha Thank you dad! Write down Goals!! Make short term goals based off of a long term goal. Alright now that I got a little rant going I can tell you about my week haha

This week as stated above was another hard one. But we have 2 families so close to baptism!!! I honestly don't know why they are not accepting a baptismal date but it is great that they realize this is a huge choice and once they do it they will be under covenant for the rest of their lives. It is great they realize that! But they aren't willing to take that leap of faith... Ether 12;6 "...for ye receive no witness until after the trial of their faith." Sometimes we just have to jump and trust that God will catch us on the other side. Those appointments are always filled with the spirit and I love going there to teach. And also because the wife to one of the families is Peruvian and man does she know how to cook!! MMMM so good!!! To be honest, I am getting pretty tired of the soup but it hasn't killed me yet so it must have some nutritional content lol 

This next week is going to be interesting. Well actually, this last Sunday was interesting because we only had sacrament meeting! We got done with sacrament meeting and then we started to leave and I was like woah what the heck! My companion is going apostate! haha But then I realized it was election day and I guess you aren't even supposed to have church meetings on election day.. But as Mormons we run the world so we do what we want ;) Ha So elections are taken pretty seriously and it is mandatory that all citizens vote or they get fined. So we had to study almost the whole day because we were told not exactly to stay indoors, but to avoid going out too much unless you have a for sure appointment. So I got to just read the book of Mormon and man even if you just read the Book of Mormon for entertainment, it is a great book!! I am in the war chapters so my imagination goes a little crazy sometimes. Man I love that book for its uplifting nature and its entertaining side too! I definitely know it is true. For a 14 year old boy to write that,...impossible. Simply impossible without the help of God. So this week is going to be different because instead of changes being this next Monday we are having changes this Friday! I hope I get to stay in this sector because I am really starting to make connections with people but who knows! I'll go wherever. We have changes on Friday because they have the holiday called Carnival. I don't exactly know what it is celebrating but the whole city is a party for 2 whole days and already we have experienced the party nature of the holiday. People just randomly throw water on you or throw water balloons at you! We dodged everything so far! 

I hope you all have a great week this week! Be strong! We are stronger than we think! Being Mormon doesn't make life easy, it does make it easier though. Be proud of who you are! I love you all! I am rooting for you!!

Elder Reynolds

Quito, Ecuador at Night