Thanks for the mission stories! I enjoyed reading them and look forward to sharing them, even though Elder Godoy is gone. And even though I didn’t get a bunch of news from the fam, I have some to share! But first, a picture! Elder Cundick and I (both “hinchas” of the U) were walking past a cooking store. Elder Cundick whispered “Elder” and turned around to enter the store. Look at what they have! It’s like $10, I’m totally going to buy it when I get money. I’m going to go ahead and take care of all the other business before I get all spiritual.
Represent!
Sister Ashby tried sending an email to mom to thank her for the cinnamon bears. She isn’t sure where she sent it, but she knows it was to the @thorderson.com domain, and it didn’t get rejected. Did it get to mom, or is there a mailbox where it might have gone to if she sent it to like julie@thorderson.com?
Next package (this one if it hasn’t been sent): A three-hole punch (sound’s wierd, I know, but there aren’t any in Uruguay. CDs of dad, as many as you can. Dad, if you want to just toss what hymns you have onto a CD, finished or not, I’d love it. And the Kenneth Cope CD that you sing on, nobody has it here! Also, my iPod if you found it. The offices have a bunch of music, and it won’t all fit on my tiny one here!
This last weekend, we had a wicked district conference (district meaning like a stake, but not enough priesthood holders to justify forming a stake) with Elder Marcos Aidukaitis from the 70, second counselor in the Area Presidency (also the first picture of a seventy in the ensign, because his name starts with A. haha but it was just amazing, we got to go to all three sessions (because I had to play piano for priesthood leadership and backup piano for the adult and general sessions.) Here are some awesome quotes / advice / notes I scribbled, all from Elder Aidukaitis (unless noted).
If you ever get a bishop, stake president, or priesthood leader that you don’t like, remember that you get blessings for being obedient to their counsel, not for being obedient to the person.
As priesthood leaders, we are in a field of grain. The youth are too short to see over the grain, and don’t know what is ahead (this is a Uruguayan parable – adapt to the needs of the people!) so we need to tell them what is coming and how to prepare for it. “If we aren’t valiant enough to make the challenge [to serve a mission] the youth will suffer.”
There is a price to pay to enter into the kingdom of God. There’s a higher price to pay if you don’t serve a mission, and it’s payable, but it’s expensive.
“The truest words a pastor [of another church] speaks is ‘til death do you part’.”
“We pay tithing because we have faith, not money.”
“The Book of Mormon is either from God, or the Devil. It isn’t a ‘good book.’ It’s one or the other.” Joseph Smith was not smart enough to write a book of that magnitude in such a short amount of time. The question is – who inspired him? We can only find out by reading it.
(To the investigators there:) “When you’re baptized, the only thing you’ll regret is having not known the church earlier in your life.”
(Explaining D&C 42:22) “If you don’t love your wife, you won’t gain salvation in the Kingdom of God.”
(Advice from his 5-year-old son to a recently married brother to help his marraige) Always bring your wife flowers, always be obedient, always go to church.
“The younger the child, the more important Family Home Evening is.”
And my personal favorite: “It is better to die single than to get married outside of the temple.”
Wow.
It was really just incredible. I was so blessed to be here in Florida when Elder Aidukaitis came. We had an investigator come with us. His name is Tony, he’s Patricia’s wife. You might already know about her. He had such a great experience listening to Elder Aidukaitis, and wants to get baptized so bad, but needs to get married first! I’m sure that through his excitement, he’s going to bring his cousin and partner to church, and I’m sure they’ll get baptized too.
Well, that’s all for now. I love you all, and hope you enjoy the picture, and the pictures from last week! hehe
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