Written by Elder Dallin Remund, serving in the Virginia Chesapeake Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaking Spanish.
(**Note to reader: Clicking on highlighted words will link to additional information.)
Good mornin'!
How is everyone's Christmas season?
Things are going dandy here on the East Coast. The weather is acting up. The rain has been making the grass super muddy and our car got stuck a couple times at a members' home. Out here in Albertson, there is no such thing as a driveway, just grass. It grows everywhere.
This week was a bit slower. Lots of appointments fell through, people were busy, etc. However, I am still surprised at the generosity that the ward members have to continue to feed us and to come out with us to lessons despite the busy season.
Our investigator, R** (name omitted for privacy) came to church and we had two lessons with her this week. One of the lessons was on the law of chastity. That was my first time actually teaching it to someone who needed to live it. I learned that when you teach that lesson with the Spirit, it really just makes a lot of sense and there's nothing uncomfortable about it at all. She took it well and knows that she needs to get married to her boyfriend. There are a couple of things that will need to be worked out before they can be married, but they have intentions to go forward. We are doing everything we can to keep her spiritually nourished amidst her confusion.
Transfer calls were yesterday and I am..... staying in Albertson! So I've started my 5th transfer in this area. I haven't moved yet! The next transfer calls will be in February. That means I'm going to spend over 6 months of my mission in Albertson. I will definitely remember this area and the ward very well, and chances are they will remember me better, too.
I am glad that I will be spending Christmas in an area with people that I know really well. It is the closest thing to being home for the holidays. I cannot express how blessed I feel to share the gospel and experience its converting power with these wonderful people.
An update on the Spanish; it's coming along really nicely. I can translate in sacrament meeting without much trouble. My vocabulary is intermediate at the moment, but I think the most key thing is that I feel confident talking to Hispanic people and sharing the gospel with them.
A little spiritual insight I had this morning during my study:
I was reading about the gospel of Jesus Christ and I thought of how profound it is that we cannot receive any part of the Gospel by ourselves.
We can't exercise faith in ourselves. Our faith has to be centered on Christ.
We can't repent without His sacrifice for our sins.
We can't baptize ourselves.
We can't place our own hands on our head and give ourselves the gift of the Holy Ghost.
And we most definitely cannot endure to the end without the help of our Savior and his authorized servants.
These are the very reasons the proud cannot progress. They cannot accept that there is a higher authority around that can help them. They are depending on their own strength, and we all know how that ends.
We can all progress if we will just humble ourselves and look to higher sources to help us.
Anyways, I hope you all are in good spirits. Email me if you would like my mailing address. I'll be here till at least February!
Thank you for your love and your prayers! I miss you! Hope to hear from you soon.
Con amor y gratitud (with love and gratitude),
Elder Remund
Good Tidings of Navidad
Merry Christmas from North Carolina!
