Chapter 4: Legacy & Inheritance

March 26, 2025

Weeks in the mission: 5 Days remaining until I enter the field: 14

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📸 Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ovzFnHjDfDHL45YE9

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Hello friends and family! Welcome to chapter 4 of my journey as the Lord's servant. I honestly can't believe it's already been a month. I have been a missionary for one month. It's scary how quick it went by. I am continuing to grow and progress. Of course it's not easy, but it's not supposed to be. I am being stretched physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. But I get just a bit stronger every day. Little by little.

Here’s a couple of highlights from this week:

🔸️ So, here in the MTC residence halls, there are things called "artifacts." These artifacts get passed down from district to district as they come and go. This week, our favorite neighbors in district 15-G finished their time at the MTC and left us with a gift. A guitar! Now our district has possession of it. Those who can play it have the privilege to sign it. They let me sign it and now it's my responsibility to pass it onto the next district.

🔸 I played the violin on Sunday in a going-away devotional for the departing missionaries. It was great and I'm so grateful I was invited to do that. It has been a while since I've played the violin.

🔸 Went to the temple last week and did an endowment session and connected to the Holy Ghost. I learned a few new insights that are actually quite profound. I love the temple and I'm going to miss it.

🔸️ I've been losing my water bottle a TON. I leave it everywhere. Luckily it always winds up in the front office within a day or two, so I just go and pick it up. They know my face well now 😂

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📅 Daily Events 📅

Wednesday, March 19  14th Day in the MTC! Now that I've been with my companions this long, I have a good idea on their strengths and weaknesses. I practiced violin with Hermana Higbee and another sister. We're auditioning tomorrow!

Thursday  Today was a very productive day. I think we've made progress as a district. The vibe was off during class this morning and so Hermano Weech took it by the Spirit and we got to hear some very powerful testimonies. We also had our best companion study so far. We got a lot of things done and Also had a bizarre interaction with a second counselor. I couldn't tell if the things he was saying were meant to be a joke or not. Oh well.

Friday  Not much time to write today. It was good, but a struggle. We had a helping others assignment in Spanish, celebrated Elder Stout's and Elder Beebe's birthday and ate some good Crumbl cookies that were sent to him.

Saturday  No entry

Sunday  Today was a pretty good day. Yesterday was a struggle. Lots of discouragement. I don't know why I get so down sometimes, but I can feel myself getting stronger through it. I played the violin today for a farewell devotional along with Hermana Higbee and the accompanist. Also went to choir practice. And I inherited the guitar from district 15-G. It’s in my room now!

Monday  Wow, has it been a month already? Today marks the 1-month milestone since I've been set apart. I did some reading in the Old Testament. There's some crazy stuff in there. Went to physical therapy with Elder Stout. His knee has been feeling much better as of late, so that's great news!

Tuesday  I sure do love Tuesdays at the MTC. We had an amazing devotional tonight by Elder Ricardo P. Giménez of the Seventy and his wife. They spoke about the importance of Preach My Gospel and how it is essentially our Liahona as missionaries. I'm going to study it the same way I do the scriptures. We did 2 service opportunities today. One in the morning and then another right after morning class. We got signed up for it somehow. I'm glad we did, though, because I served in the cafeteria and was able to talk to all sorts of missionaries! I'm so very honored and grateful to be on this earth in this time, to prepare the world for the Savior's return. I want to find the time every day to reflect on what that REALLY means. It will give me more purpose and intent as a missionary.

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☀️ Spiritual Thought ☀️  So I've been reading in the Old Testament, and I read something this week that I really loved. I'm in Genesis and, granted, there's a lot of weird things that were different back then that we don't really understand. The Old Testament has lost a lot of the plain and precious truths about God, and I feel like sometimes it portrays God as a selfish ruler that rules with an iron fist and doesn't seem to love His children very much. But we get a hint at God's true character in Genesis chapter 18.

In this chapter, Abraham is bargaining with God and is asking Him not to destroy the city of Sodom and Gomorrah if he can find some righteous people in there. Abraham starts at 50, and then works his way down from there. Here's verse 32:

“And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And [God] said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.” — Genesis 18:32

In the end, Sodom and Gomorrah was still destroyed, because God caused that anyone who still wanted to do good were removed before its destruction, but I think it's so very important to remember that God is mindful of ALL His children and they are all so important to Him. In my opinion, I don't think God would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah even for one person's sake.

God loves each and every one of you. I testify that He truly knows you personally and loves you. I have felt His love. It exists. Heavenly Father only wants the best for you, and is doing all He can to point you in the right direction.

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That's all for this week! I love hearing from you! Take care!