Chapter 25 - Novos Treinando Novos

Olá, mundo! Sorry I didn´t write last week. Elder Plummer got sick and we had to stay home for about five days. And you´d think that with two weeks, I´d have something to write about, but I´m kind of drawing a blank. I read the scriptures a lot. I´d love to share what I´m learning, but literally, in the last two weeks I recieved inspiration and some huge revelations that have changed my whole view on life, taking care of my body, church service, and being a true follower of Christ and a leader of others, and I can´t even start to explain it in an email. I´ve already started making plans for putting it all together in a book. If anyone really wants to know, just send me an email and I´ll try to put a few thoughts together for you.

I can´t beleive this trasfer already passed! It feels like it started yesterday. This has been the best transfer so far. I´ve learned tons, and grown tons, too. The Samuel Lofthouse that existed before the mission is gone. Like, never ever coming back gone. It´s great. I still have tons of weaknesses to overcome, but I have no doubt that by the time Elder Lofthouse returns home, me-right-now will also have died and been reborn even better. I can´t explain anything. Being here is just the best thing ever. I don´t know how anyone could think to face life without going on a mission. It´s just the best thing ever. I love trials. The scritpures talk a lot about the refiner´s fire, and I always saw it as something that was needed to help us improve, but still undesirable. Now I just want to get thrown right in, becuase trials do nothing but make us better. That´s it! All the pain, misery, and suffering really is just to help us achieve our goal of celestial glory. I love trials! When I really on the Lord and obey Him, I always come out feeling stronger. It´s great! And when we fail, it doesn´t matter, because Christ already atoned for us! We just get to get back up and keep going! Repentance is so great! And it´s as simple as, "Yesterday I saw the rain clouds and complained, but today I´ll just enjoy the rain." And then we´re happier and better and closer to Christ because we decided to leave something behind to recive something better! The something could be thoughts, actions, attitudes, or anything, but when we sacrifice these things to the Lord, He pours out miracles upon us. I love it!

What more can I say? I´m going to be staying in Alverca for another transfer. I´ll be training a new missionary (which is a little weird since I don´t even have six month here in Portugal) and it should be good. Just a little more refinement.

I love Christ! I love the scriptures! I love life! I love the fire of trials!

Fiquem bem!

Elder Lofthouse