Enduring with Patience, Love and Happiness!

Elder Fillmore and Elder Reynolds

They found each other in the mission offices! 

Hello Everyone!
Crazy that Monday is here again! This week we were traveling a ton. We were able to go to good old Quito again to get my anti-monkey vaccination and then go to Ambato for a zone conference. I love seeing old missionaries and talking with them about the good old times. My Dad recently reminded me of how these are the good ole times despite the many trials that we are facing in these moments. One of the things I have learned while being out in the field is exactly that. Being able to endure with patience, with love, with happiness. Seeing the hand of the Lord in my life is so life changing. I am grateful to be out here serving the Lord in this capacity that I am called.

Luckily this week we did not have any unexpected hospital visits! That's a first in a while. I was expecting this week to have some cool awesome experience about what we did for the 4th of July. We didn't even get a picture! I was pretty bummed...But as a tribute we did watch Ephraim's Rescue. I haven't seen that movie in a looooong time! But it was super hard watching. I learned that the main actor is Elder Manwaring's great great great grandpa! Well not the actor but the actual person haha. But as I was watching the movie I felt so horrible. So this week we finally got our shower fixed. Even though it is hot here in Puyo, I still feel like I need a warm shower haha...showering in freezing cold water is something that is...hard for me lol! I know I sound so spoiled right now but we have been pretty ornery to the person that was suppose to come fix the shower about 2 weeks ago and still hadn't and I've been having impatience. After watching that movie, I felt dumbstruck...maybe not dumbstruck but just dumb. I couldn't believe I was so caught up in the whole shower dilemma while all the while these pioneers, who I owe so much to for suffering and enduring through all those hardships, had far far more reason to be complaining and they didn't. I always disliked comparing my situation to another's because from my point of view I thought it wasn't fair to me and that I needed attention. I guess this email just ended up being Elder Reynolds confession time, as if Ephraim's Rescue wasn't enough. I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants 121 and the Lord said:
Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.
So obviously the Lord was trying to teach me about humility, there will always be someone worse than me...worse than my situation. Above all Jesus Christ who was the best of us all yet descended below all. I know you are all better than me, but hopefully learning from my pathetic quejas (complaints) we can all learn haha. I love you guys!!!
Elder Reynolds