Learning In A Different Way

First off, the mission is a place to learn. Not many times you learn them the way you would like to. As I was stuck in my house one day I decided to try to downsize the few things I have--who knows why, maybe I just got bored. That is when a former pet peeve came out. Maybe some of you have not known this about me but I absolutely hate things that are past their expiration date. As I was using a few things from my first aid kit to help out my foot I noticed they didn't give the same kind of results that tehy formerly did with injuries in sports. That may just be because when I used them befoer they weren't nine years past their expiration date. Mother, I have a bone to pick with you. But luckily I still love you. I really hate things that are expired. I threw out quite a few things. It was kind of fun.

Mexico is a different place. I quickly realized that what I needed was a walking boot. Unfortunately, I live in Southern Mexico. Those don't exist. So, with my half-cast, Jesus sandals, and a few extra socks I propped up my foot to the point where it had all the goods of a walking boot. Unfortunately when I got that smart I was just finishing up my rest period. Someday soon I will be back to jump roping in the morning, but for now I have enough strength to walk around. I walked across a bridge to cut my hair! That was greatly needed. Not in my eyes, but I'm sure in the eyes of my mother. Especially since an apostle is coming. She would be proud. 

Since I stayed home this week, well, not a whole lot happened. I could tell you about how the mosquitos got us pretty good, but that is nothing new. I was freezing cold though. It rained for the first time consecutive days here on the island. For that long without sun it got down to 65 degrees! I got up in the middle of the night to go the the bathroom and before I got back to my bed I was shivering like crazy. No fever either, it was really just that cold. I would die in snow. 

Elder Pack screams in his sleep. This week he yelled at me for hitting his bed--which I did and do often, but I played it off well. I have found that it is the best way to wake him up enough to where he stops snoring so much but not quite wake him up fully. Just slap the post of his bed with a sandal. He never remembers any of it in the morning. One night he woke me up because he screams in his sleep. This week he just screamed "Moose!" randomly at 2 AM. Maybe he is just dreaming of home, cause there aren't any of those here.

This week I'll just share an experience I had talking with a man in his house while he babysat me. He has had a certain pain in his side for quite some time. He had received quite a few blessings to help him to recover from his affliction. He even asked us, the missionaries, for a blessing once. All this time he was worries he had cancer. Scared to death actually. He had a family. 

--Keep in mind from my story that Mexico does not have the level of health care that you would think. I couldn't find crutches on the island (a little late now). So this is a real concern. So, he wanted to get a Priesthood Blessing to find out what exactly he had.

This left me thinking. Well, could the priesthood really do that? Well, if it really is all that it is cracked up to be, why not? And that is where I will deviate a little. The priesthood, according to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the authority to act in God's name. A lot of power, no? What unfortunately happens often is that we, as members of the Church forget this simple truth. It is a great responsibility--the priesthood. Why don't we use it more often? The power of God in our hands? But then I remembered to a few other examples. Which impulses me to restate that it is the authority to act in God's name. It is not the power to bend God's will to ours. Still I have much to learn in this aspect and I'm sure we'll come back to this topic.

As for this less-active member. We were not impulsed to tell him what he may have had at that time. The same happened on two other different occasions that he received a blessing from his brother. All three times however, he was given the same instructions of in what specific way he was to care for his body. 

The morning he recieved the 3rd blessing he passed a kidney stone. Rough stuff but he was thankful that his health has now improved due to the council given to him by the Lord. The key here was that he did not receive what he wanted, but he did get exactly what he needed. For that he is alive and kickin' as the gringos say.

I would kick too, but I'll take better care of my foot. Until next week. 

Love you all. Take care of yourselves. And throw away everything in your house that is expired.

Elder Andrews

Translations: 

gringos = US Citizens/North Americans; this comes from the Mexican American War when the US Troops wore green uniforms and the Mexicans yelled phonetically in Spanish "¡Grin go!" meaning "Green, go away!"