Week 29

Mon, Jan 7, 2013 at 9:39 AM

So family,

How are y'all doing? Fantabulistic, I hope.  Things are going pretty well.  We are seeing a lot of growth and success here in Southport.  The future definitely looks good for this area.  Let's see, what has happened worth mentioning this past week.  Oh, well I can include a spiritual thing for you :) here goes,

Alma 26, (at least I think that was what the chapter was), the one where Alma and Mosiah pass the sinners back and forth, okay, this chapter, when you take a step back, highlights some extremely important and powerful messages that we should all take a look at.  Let's begin with a few questions: Alma was super troubled when he was going to have to judge a huge group of sinners, and in confidence, turned to one of his best friends, King Mosiah, for aid.  Mosiah straight up turned Alma's request down, no hesitation.  So, why didn't Mosiah help out his friend?? Did he not love Alma? Did he not want to serve him??  So looking at those questions, we may wonder if what Mosiah did was good.  However, then we take a look at what it caused Alma to do and learn.  I personally think that this experience in Alma's life was pivotal for his eternal progression.  Looking at what happened with Alma in hindsight emphasizes the importance of this experience.  It was through this experience that Alma's reliance upon the Lord grew tremendously.  It taught Alma to ALWAYS rely on the Lord as our first source of counsel, advice, help, aid, etc, and Alma received many blessings through this experience including, but not limited, a guarantee of ETERNAL LIFE!!!!!  So what would have happened if Mosiah would have just done that one favor for Alma and judged those sinners?  It probably would have been easy for Mosiah to have judged those people 1) He was king and 2) He probably had to judge people and hand out punishments all the time.  But if he had done this, he would have quenched Alma's thirst for the moment, but it wouldn't have created a long term solution and Alma's growth would have been hindered.  I think that if we all really study and ponder this experience, we can find ample application for our own lives as we constantly interact with those around us.  

Okay, I hope you liked the spiritual message.  I studied that a lot this morning.  Good stuff :)

Things are going well overall.  The Lord is definitely teaching me, or trying to teach me, many things through my experiences here in Southport.  I think it will be intense for me to see all of you see me in two years (ok that was confusing) because I am definitely maturing/changing/growing/becoming hopefully more like our Savior.  And I still have 3/4 of my mission left :)  

I absolutely love this branch, and all those in it.  It's definitely a different experience working in a branch because there aren't as many members to help us teach and to come on exchange with us.  In Morehead, we had a lot more people, and we also had a lot more people that either were retired or had pretty lax schedules either because they worked different hours or they owned their own business; thus, we had an easier time finding people for exchange.  Last night, my stomach hated me a little bit, but this morning I feel a lot better, which is good.  The Lord definitely sustained me for the times that I needed sustaining.  

I don't have any pics for you this week.  I received letters from mom #29 and DJ (finally) ;)  Time is still going by pretty quickly.  Okay.  Here's something that will blow your mind slightly......I'll be home next year..... Weird to think about right?? The missionaries going out now won't be home until 2015.  Crazy stuff.  I'm not sure what else to tell you...honestly, I've just been doing missionary work...nothing too exciting has occurred beyond the normal; however, I just thought of something.  So, I don't know if I just never noticed back home but there are a TON of vultures/turkey buzzard birdies here!!!! It's intense :)  I love it.  They circle in like swarms of 50 and sometimes they are pretty low over our apartment.  Okay, but now for the 2nd half of that amazing adventure ;)  We were biking along this road one December afternoon and saw a bunch of them amazing birds...oh yeah...here it comes....We found a roosting spot in a bunch of pine trees on the side of this road.  You thought The Birds was scary...take that and make the crows turkey vultures.  Now, that's intense.  As you look in the pine trees you see a few, and then your eyes adjust and you realize what you're looking for and you realize there are like 30 in these trees.  So intense :)  I love it.  

Well, not much else to say.

Love,

Elder Patty