September 17, 2018 "No sleep till... We baptize Cuenca, get everything packed, get to Madrid, Elder Johnson turns 20-- Week # 60

October 07, 2018

Well folks, if you can't tell it's been a little crazy. Sorry for slacking off with the emails. These past couple weeks have been awesome!

This past week we did quite a bit. We started the week with skipping pday because it was on Wednesday so Monday and Tuesday both felt like Sunday haha waiting forever. Then we had Wednesday. Started out pretty interesting on Tuesday night when Elder Johnson and I got separated in the subway, took us a bit but we both eventually arrived at the zone leaders apartment haha. Then Wednesday itself was amazing. For the first time in over a year I was able to go to the temple and enjoy that. The peace and clarity the temple brings is real. I testify of that, and that it doesn't matter the language, the true meaning is always the same and so is the spirit!

After we ran and grabbed some lunch and went bowling with the district, and Elder Meeks (The Beast) and Serrano. It was awesome! Super fun even though my game was a little rusty hah. That night we booked it back to the apartment the grab our stuff and roll out to Cuenca but we had gotten new mattresses so as we were hauling those by hand all rolled up we noticed we weren't going to make it on time. We went back to the apartment, dropped the stuff off and went to the church to do some work. After about an hour we get a call from the Elders asking if we were still in Madrid or if we had caught our bus. We told them that we hadn't made it and they proceeded to tell us they needed a baptismal interview for one of there investigators. We did it, and he was baptized this past Saturday. Coincidence that we missed the bus? I think not.

Friday. Friday was amazing. We have been planning an activity to bring our district out to Cuenca for a while. Now with the new roll out of the 21 day challenge with the Book of Mormon we did it. They came out. We set up a booth. We gave out almost 100 books of Mormon. People are about to get bapped. We brought our two Romanian twins with us to it, they both are 14, and when we would talk to any girl they we just try flirting and giving their number out instead of outs haha, they are doing awesome though! We really found a lot of people with potential.

Saturday (Elder Johnsons birthday) we found out surprisingly that Elder Johnson was leaving. So to celebrate we packed hahaha jk, but we did do a lot of packing. He's heading out to Dos Hermanas, which is next to Seville. We also found out that my new companion is Elder Cubas from Honduras! Time to get that Spanish game up! Sunday we had meetings and such, then came to Madrid. Today we've been running around seeing people, always a good time. And picked up my comp, now were headed back to Cuenca!

Great week.

This week I've been studying a lot of porn, errrrrr uh studying a lot about the effects of pornography, and sexual sin in general. Very interesting and important topic. Found a little quote about pornography:

Along with losing the Spirit, pornography users also lose perspective and proportion. … They try to conceal their sin, forgetting that nothing is hidden from the Lord (see 2 Nephi 27:27). Real consequences start to accumulate as self-respect ebbs away, sweet relationships sour, marriages wither, and innocent victims begin to pile up. Finding that what they have been viewing no longer satisfies, they experiment with more extreme images. They slowly grow addicted even if they don’t know it or they deny it, and … their behavior deteriorates as their moral standards disintegrate” (“Blessed Are All the Pure in Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 52).

If that's not enough, just a little fun note, pornography or addiction to it is the one most common trait of serial killers... Do you really want to relate with those type of people? I hope not. More importantly, if you have made that mistake, remember there is forgiveness through repentance, and many other blessings.

I love all of you, have a good week. Talk with your heavenly father, read your scriptures, count your blessings, master your natural desires, be obedient, be humble, and be happy! God lives and loves me and you.