Happy new week y'all!! I sure hope y'all are doing well, and if you're not, then you get that way soon! I sure would love to here from y'all about your week, so feel free to email me! This week has been full of little miracles, so let's get into it!
Miracles:
So we have this friend that we're teaching named Kenned (see more in "people") and my goodness do things just "happen" to him. (Nothing happens by coincidence). One day, he was having a really time, and was just praying in the shower for God to show him that he was aware of his life. Less than 5 minutes later, we showed up and were able to help him feel comfort. For the past few months, he's been struggling to find a job. Then, a few days ago, after we all prayed that he would be able to find one, he now has a job. Little things like that have been happening recently with him, and he says he believes that it is absolutely the Hand of God in his life. I testify that God absolutely is conscious of all of our lives and desires to bless us, we just have to do our part.
Adventures:
After lunch in Sunday, one of the members we were with said "vamos dar uma volta na chácara". Or, in English, lets go for a walk around the farm. Sweet, lets go. So we go. And go a bit more. And a little more. We soon found ourselves in the middle of nowhere Brasil. Sweeeet. We walked down this hill to where there was a little stream that went on down the rest of the hill. It was a wonderfully beautiful little piece of land. Surrounded by trees (e mato). It was a nice little adventure with some good members. (Lunch was also awesome: fried fish with chicken lasanga.)
People and the Work:
I have been loving working with the people here in Gama Centro; there really are some good people here. Kenned, a mid twenties college student, is just a cool guy. He used to be a pastor, more or less, and his knowledge on the Bible and it's principles is just astounding. All of our lessons with him we end up learning something, too. And then we have another friend, David. He's a teenager who's mom asked us to teach him about Jesus. (Actually happens a lot here.) So, we started, and now, about a week and a half later, he's loving all of our messages and loved going to church for the first time yesterday. And also Douglas, who showed up at the chapel while we were having an activity because he was wanting to have a change in his life, and new that God would be that change. And He most definitely shall be. God does change everything in our lives.
Engraçadinho:
This week was just full of funny little things. We stole a guy's cigarettes (not actually, he did tell us we could take them). So take them we did. And then shortly after stomp them to pulp because we can't throw them out here or someone else will smoke em. Aí não pode. And then another time we got taught capoeira by some kids in the street. (It's a form of martial art that is more "dance" or "artistic" but still cool.) And then a members dog ate the pamphlet I was using to teach, and, when I got another one, tried eating that one. (The word of God is a sweet one I guess 🤷♂️.)
Spiritual thought:
Okayyyyyy y'all, let's get our Jesus time on. Today I woud just like to comment slightly on perfection. Today as I listened to a talk given by Elder Vern P. Stanfill in April of 2023 titled "The Imperfect Harvest" I figured I might as well share with you guys what I liked, too. He began by explaining a memory he had from growing up on a farm. He and his father were preparing to harvest their grain, and went into the field with the combine to prepare the machine. His father tested a little bit and made adjustments as necessary. Of which he then shared: "After he [his father] was satisfied with the adjustments to the machine, I found some kernels of grain in the chaff on the ground and presented them to him with a critical look. I will not forget what my father said to me: “It is good enough and the best that this machine can do.” Not really satisfied with his explanation, I pondered the imperfections of this harvest.
A short time later, when the weather turned cold in the evenings, I watched thousands of migrating swans, geese, and ducks descend onto the fields to nourish themselves on their long journey south. They ate the leftover grain from our imperfect harvest. God had perfected it. And not a kernel was lost." It was imperfect harvest done by an imperfect machine perfected by a Perfect God. Elder Stanfill then teaches the difference between perfectionism and being perfected in Christ. He concludes that: "...perfectionism is not the same as being perfected in Christ. Perfectionism requires an impossible, self-inflicted standard that compares us to others. This causes guilt and anxiety and can make us want to withdraw and isolate ourselves.
Becoming perfected in Christ is another matter. It is the process—lovingly guided by the Holy Ghost—of becoming more like the Savior. The standards are set by a kind and all-knowing Heavenly Father and clearly defined in the covenants we are invited to embrace. It relieves us of the burdens of guilt and inadequacy, always emphasizing who we are in the sight of God. While this process lifts us and pushes us to become better, we are measured by our personal devotion to God that we manifest in our efforts to follow Him in faith. As we accept the Savior’s invitation to come unto Him, we soon realize that our best is good enough and that the grace of a loving Savior will make up the difference in ways we cannot imagine." Y'all, we are not perfect, nor shall we be in this life. We cannot achieve perfection on our own as well. As are all things, it is a gift we can receive through the grace or Jesus Christ, little by little. Moroni teaches: "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." (Moroni 10:32). As we do our part to "deny ourselves of all ungodliness", He will bless us, and we can slowly become like Him. That is perfection. Becoming like Him. He who is perfect in all things desires nothing more than for us to be like Him, and He will help us get there. At times all we can do is the best we can, and the Perfect One shall say "It is good enough and the best that this machine can do". He'll continue to make adjustments in our lives, and we can just keep getting better. What you do may be the best you can do, and it's good enough. He loves you, I love you, just keep going. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
-Elder Hyatt
I added a link that will take you to the talk that I used in this email. If you click on it, it will take you directly to the talk. I hope you enjoy it.
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