Bandwagon

So, this week has been a long one. Elder Rangel and I went to Villahermosa again, but, trying to make our way back was the hard part. I have forgotten to mention that the teachers here in Mexico are on strike. It's an interesting story, but since the first couple weeks of school, no one has had classes. Which would make you think, "Great! Now everyone will always be in their houses waiting for someone to come teach them! (a.k.a. the Mormon Missionaries)". But it has been just about the opposite. The schedules of everyone are even more hectic. Some teachers want to work, others no, so they fight over the school and whoever has control of the buildings decide if there is school or not. For the most part no one goes to their actual school but rather meet up with the teachers that want to work in some other place to recieve and give out homework. Long story short, people are at home even less. 

Why does any of this matter? Well, cause they have started to shut down other things as well, such as, the water--which thankfully hasn't affected us yet--as well as the freeways. So, getting back to Minatitlan was a struggle. After some ideas we made in out of Villa to Coatzacoalcos, a city near Minatitlan by night time and then got up at 4 AM to make it back to Mina in time to teach a class that morning. So, another week of long travel. Hopefully things should calm down a bit in this week. 

This week I was pondering the principle of repentance. A lot of people question why there exist bad feelings of guilt, remorse, or sadness. But I see them as essencial parts of God's plan. If you never felt bad, no one would ever change. I once heard someone relate it to pain in the human body. When we feel pain, it is because our body is trying to let us know that there is a problem that needs attention. What should you do when you feel such pain? Obvious that you would seek out the means to heal whatever damage may have occurred. Why then, do we not do the same for the guilt that results from sin?

When I was young my parents bought me a wagon. I loved to play in my wagon and loved it even more when someone would come and pull me around. I took great care of my special red wagon and always felt sad (angry even sometimes) when someone would scratch my perfect red paint on my wonderful wagon. I felt the worry of making the same mistakes. But, one day, I had let down my guard---forgotten if you will-- about my magnificent wagon. I had left it outside in the rain. With a few straches and a little extra rain, my wagon had begun to rust. As time went on the rust got worse and worse until I could no longer sit and play in my wagon. 

The rust would have been far less, the damage avoided, had I taken care of the problem when it occurred. However, because I had waited, it resulted in the wagon never being used for play again. Do not let yourself be as my old wagon.  Take care of problems when they occur so that you can always stand clean and worthy for the purpose you are here. No matter what you may have done, or how long ago it may have occurred, do not let yourself be decieved to wait just a bit. 

That we all may be in as perfect a condition we can through true repentance and faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Elder Andrews