(Elder Mackrory)
Boa tarde. I was trying to think of a good funny/slang
greeting in Portuguese this week, but I realized that the best hook is this:
“Gancho”. Stay tuned for Friday's loucura.
Vi 4 fuscas essa semana, totalizando 1299. Também, eu
esqueci de dizer na última carta, mas semana passada eu completei 600 dias na
missão. O tempo tá voando. Hoje eu faço 20 meses.
Last pday was super cool, we started out the day with house
cleaning and email responding. Promise I will get to everyone. We had our
office meeting with president and we had a super cool spiritual thought by
Elder Butters, speaking of our divine origin and God’s special love for us as
not only His creations but as His children. Then we went to eat lunch at the
mall, and crashed the next door district’s district pday (I’m pretty sure we
were invited, if not, I’m sorry Elder Owen) and then we went to go get some
overpriced ice cream and chatted about grammar with Elder Owen and Hayes. My
ZL’s are lit. We parted ways after that, and they went back home to grab stuff
for the sleepover in preparation for the division they planned to do after
district council. Elder Hayes is also like a professional barber, and so he
clutched up and gave me a nice fade. Half-way through the cut we realized we
forgot the scissors at the office (again) and so I said screw it and I buzzed
my head instead of letting my hair get more out of control. A few nights before
I had prayed for the Lord to send me something to humble me, and so came the
buzz cut. It’s ok, Elder Hayes did a good job. A buzz is a buzz.
On Tuesday we had district council, and half the people
showed up late, which stressed me out. We got a lot of work done in the office
and had a cool lesson with Jade in which we taught the Word of Wisdom. The
Spirit was really strong and she agreed to live the Word of Wisdom faithfully.
Wednesday was a pretty normal day. Well actually it was
pretty unusual since nothing strange happened. Usually something goes really
wrong or really right.
Thursday I had a division with Elder Skidmore in the area
that has the other 90% of Copacabana that isn't my area. It was super cool to
spend the whole day finding teaching and serving people. At night we got Açaí
and I went to bed early (on time).
Friday was quite eventful. And the events started at 6:45. I
woke up, prayed, and got to my work out. Elder Sperry was with me getting
absolutely shredded with some resistance bands. I then took form to do some
tricep pull-downs on a band attached to a hook in the ceiling. When I went to
pull down, the hook came out of the roof, and went flying into the back of my
head. I guess I'm too strong. Anyway, there I am with my ears ringing thinking
that resistance bands hurt more than I thought. Then I saw the hook on the
ground. I put my hand on my head to feel it and just a second later when I
looked at it, it was drenched in blood. That's when Elder Sperry goes “uhhhhhhh
I'll go get some paper towels”. He comes back with some toilet paper and we put
some pressure on the wound. After we got the bleeding came under control, the
question then was what to do. So we decided to take some photos. We cleaned up
the puddle of blood on the floor and got ready for the day normally. Back at
the office we googled the nearest hospital and had our meeting to end the
division. Afterwards we went to the bank and paid some bills. Then we went to
the hospital where I got 4 stitches. The nurse said I was so bwave. Then the
day went on normally. I made a bunch of jokes, purposefully misinterpreting the
doctors advice, and saying that I wasn't allowed to shower for two weeks.
Saturday was general conference, and it was great, except I
kinda had a headache. The stitches in themselves didn't hurt, but that night we
concluded that I had gained a minor concussion from the hook as well. So I went
to go lay down in the dark to listen to the evening session. Anyway an hour
later I woke up in the middle of the last talk, acknowledged that laying down
in the dark at 9pm is not exactly the most effective strategy to stay awake,
and went to bed.
In the morning I was super fatigued and didn't have much
energy to do anything, so we stayed home in the morning. I listened (staying
off of screens) to the session I slept through, and ate a nice salad, since it
was the only thing I wanted to eat. We watched the first session at the office,
and then during it, some members from Mato Grosso knocked on the door asking if
this was the temple. We talked to them for a bit and explained where the temple
is and that it's closed on Sundays. So we missed some talks there because this
couple would not stop talking. It wasn't even good conversation, just the
weather and an unsuccessful “do you know so-and-so?” back and forth
conversation. That evening we watched the last session with some of our
investigators and some members at the chapel and shared our thoughts
afterwards. It was super uplifting to hear the counsel of the living
prophet.
Tender Mercy: When I took the hook to the head, my head bled
a lot. Except it didn't. It was bleeding quite fast, but as soon as we put
pressure, the bleeding stopped. The photo of me holding the toilet paper to my
head has a good amount of blood in it. But the toilet paper was still white. I
don't think it's because I'm really good at putting pressure, or anything that
I did. The Lord stopped the bleeding. No question about it. Heads bleed a lot
and fast. Mine stopped bleeding almost immediately. The Lord protects His
servants and those who are obedient to His commandments.
Spiritual Thought: Prayer… and charity…
Found this from the Bible dictionary on prayer:
“The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but
to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to
grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them.” This conference, I
felt a specific emphasis on charity, the pure love of Christ. Perhaps you
noticed that too, perhaps that's what the Lord highlighted in my mind. One
thing that I have learned about charity is that it is not something that simply
appears inside of us, even after trying to develop it. Prayer is the way we can
achieve the highest blessings. Charity is one of the highest blessings there
are. Charity therefore must be asked for. Yes, we must still put in our own
effort to develop it, but we must ask. Since then I've asked for charity in my
prayers I have felt the Lord fill me with faith and hope and love and all good
things, and I invite all of you to pray for charity as well, in all of your
prayers. It will bless you as it has blessed me.
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