Chapter 23- Run Around

You all remember how I said that I had a fun time running that one day last week? Well, I guess I expressed a little too much gratitude, because I was blessed with daily oppurtunities to race against the clock this week. I do love running, but it´s much better when you aren´t wearing a suit and carrying a bag full of books. However, one of the races this week was pretty good, and I got to rub it into Satan´s face afterwards. We were switching companions after an exchange, and we had plenty of time to get home. But then, Elder Plummer realized that we still had the other companionship´s phone, and our train was going to arrive and leave within three minutes. So we sprinted out of the station, yelling after the other missionaries. We finally caught up with them, gave them the phone, and sprinted back to the station just in time to watch our train leave. And so we had to wait for the next train to Alverca, and I began to think we weren´t going to get home on time (the rule here is that we have to be in our house by 10:00 pm). That´s when Satan showed up and whispered, "You´re not going to make it home on time. Why try? Just walk." And I said, "Yeah right. Regardless of wether or not we make it in time, I want to show the Lord that I want to be obediente. Thus, we´ll run." And so we did. The train arrived in Alverca at about 9:50 and we ran all the way back home, and when we got inside, we checked the time: 9:59. Get wrecked, Satan!

I honestly don´t really remember much else that happened this week. I have a goal to read the whole Book of Mormon and New Testemant in Portuguese this year, and so far I´ve read what I needed to every day. Oh, we did go visit another castle today. It was super cool. We had to hike for about an hour to get there (because if you build a castle, you build it on the highest point of land in sight) but the view was incredible! It was well worth the hike (especially since hiking is fun).

Yep, that´s pretty much all I remember this week. I found a scripture that teaches that we don´t have to wash our hands before we eat (Matthew 15:20).

The last thing I want to share is my gratitude for everything President Monson did and taught. Every talk he gave filled my heart with the desire to be better, to obey the Lord, and to seek to help others at every opportunity. The armies of Heaven on the other side of the veil recieved a grand warrior. And one thing I know for sure is that he´s still working, right now, along side all the other Prophets of the past. They are doing work we can´t imagine to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Christ. We just need to do our part to establish the kingdom of Zion, and that event will be amazing.

I love you all! 
Elder Lofthouse