Hello, Babylonians! How is life in the real world? Not as good as we've got it here, and you know it! As is customary, I am expected to explain my experiences to people. This serves as a two-pronged attack: firstly, y'all get to hear how awesome being a missionary is, and secondly, it prevents me from doing anything monumentally stupid because I would immediately have to relay it home.
Subject number one. Apparently my wonderful mother is preparing to send a package sometime soon including things that I need, and things that are simply nice to receive, and she wants a list of those things. The list goes as follows: five pairs of gym socks, cayenne pepper to spice up the food a little bit, Fels Naptha soap, just in case, addresses, a sharpie, a copy of my patriarchal blessing, which for the second time I have forgotten when leaving home for an extended period of time, air fresheners to make the room a little more homey, and any non-perishable foods that might be scrumptious late at night when we are hungry again, preferably in large enough portions to share, because you know that I will anyway.
Subject number two. My district is awesome. We have commented on the myriad sad cases of borderline disobedience in dress and blatant disregard for rules in the residence halls somtimes. These Elders will not receive the fulness of the blessings that they could if they were to be obedient. I can't say that I have been one hundred percent obedient, due to some late appearances to the classroom for personal study, but in my defense, some Elders have not been taught the concept of a short shower. I am in there for five minutes tops, ten minutes if there is no one outside. I have stood in line with two people in front of me for at least fifteen minutes as little hot shots take all the warm water and leave the rest of us hosed because we only have fifteen minutes left to get ready, including shaving, which most of you know how "easy" of a task that is for some of us who suffer from Tim Allen's Santa Clause Syndrome. On a lighter, funny note, one of the shower's makes me suffer from the "Buddy the Elf" Syndrome because I hit the back of my neck on it when I try to rinse off.
Finally, and most importantly, the spiritual stuff. We went to the temple this morning, and an older gentleman turned to his friend and said, "Look! we have an Army behind us!" And how right he is. My missionary scripture calls the reader to arms as a faithful soldier in Christ. Being out here is much like being at war, and the nice thing is that we already know that we are going to win! God is good and helps us all along the way. Do not forget that you are part of that Army, just in the reserves for now. Be ready to leave on command, and PUT YOUR PAPERS IN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!
Godspeed, everyone!
Elder Lindsey
Friday, January 20, 2012
Olo!
I am alive and well. I will send many more things in letters to the people who wish to correspond, but I remind all y'all that I can't reply to emails outside of my mission president and family. Though we all are brothers and sisters in Christ, until the entire world is linked entirely back to Adam, we can't really claim that we are family with legal legitimacy.
I love it here. The Lord dwells with us here in our hearts, and missionary work is the best in the world. For those of you who have yet to go and can put in your papers now, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! The Lord won't issue a call until you are ready and will bless you disproportionally too much once you do. Let the Lord decide when you are ready and offer your will to him. He is better at choosing things anyway. One of the evidences that the Lord has blessed me overly much is the fact that I have two companions, and you don't. Elder Jellen is from Orem, Utah, but also lived in Kansas. He studied at BYU where his father teaches a brutal course that other Elders have commented on. Elder St. Martin is from Mesa Arizona and studied for a while at BYU-I before being a stud and serving the Lord with all of his heart, mind, might, and strength, much like Elder Jellen. In this companionship, we have a good blend of quietude, extraversion, wackiness tempered by the Spirit, fun times and confidence in the Lord that is virtually unparalleled due to the fact that there are very few trios in the world, let alone the MTC.
The first morning our alarms didn't go off, so we awakened fifteen minutes late and had to really book it to get out of the room on time. So, that night we prayed to get some extra good sleep as we slept and that we could be refreshed for our third day in the MTC. Lo and behold, at one o'clock, I awakened ready to go, looked at my watch, shouted a silent hallelujah and went back to sleep to repeat this process twice more before awakening at six fifteen. Ah, the tender mercies of the Lord and how he loves his missionaries. Nudge nudge. Go on a mission, everyone, but only if you want to be blessed with the great joy of bringing people to Christ and feeling greatness course through your veins in the form of the Spirit.
I forgot my camera on this trip to the computers, but I'll write again on Thursday and give some pictures then. Y'all're great, don't do trouble and stay out of las drogas. Oops, I didn't make it all the way in English. Maybe next time. God be with you.
Elder Lindsey
P.S. Scripture of the week: 2 Timothy 2:1-4.
I love it here. The Lord dwells with us here in our hearts, and missionary work is the best in the world. For those of you who have yet to go and can put in your papers now, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! The Lord won't issue a call until you are ready and will bless you disproportionally too much once you do. Let the Lord decide when you are ready and offer your will to him. He is better at choosing things anyway. One of the evidences that the Lord has blessed me overly much is the fact that I have two companions, and you don't. Elder Jellen is from Orem, Utah, but also lived in Kansas. He studied at BYU where his father teaches a brutal course that other Elders have commented on. Elder St. Martin is from Mesa Arizona and studied for a while at BYU-I before being a stud and serving the Lord with all of his heart, mind, might, and strength, much like Elder Jellen. In this companionship, we have a good blend of quietude, extraversion, wackiness tempered by the Spirit, fun times and confidence in the Lord that is virtually unparalleled due to the fact that there are very few trios in the world, let alone the MTC.
The first morning our alarms didn't go off, so we awakened fifteen minutes late and had to really book it to get out of the room on time. So, that night we prayed to get some extra good sleep as we slept and that we could be refreshed for our third day in the MTC. Lo and behold, at one o'clock, I awakened ready to go, looked at my watch, shouted a silent hallelujah and went back to sleep to repeat this process twice more before awakening at six fifteen. Ah, the tender mercies of the Lord and how he loves his missionaries. Nudge nudge. Go on a mission, everyone, but only if you want to be blessed with the great joy of bringing people to Christ and feeling greatness course through your veins in the form of the Spirit.
I forgot my camera on this trip to the computers, but I'll write again on Thursday and give some pictures then. Y'all're great, don't do trouble and stay out of las drogas. Oops, I didn't make it all the way in English. Maybe next time. God be with you.
Elder Lindsey
P.S. Scripture of the week: 2 Timothy 2:1-4.
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