Letter #47 "biggest miracle we saw this week..." - La Blanca, Guatemala

hi there

so it was a good week.  i will start with the biggest miracle that we saw this week: a BAPTISM.  for general conference a member of the church invited her inactive neighbor to come to conference.  the neighbor couldnt make it but sent her kids.  then last monday we went to visit the lady and see what we could do to help her return to church. during the conversation we found out that the 12 year was not baptized.  we talked about baptism and the 12 year and the mom agreed that she should be baptized, so long story short yesterday she was baptized, fotos are attached.

the more i have thought about this baptism and the fact that the many of the baptisms i have had in my mission have a similar story of me not really doing much and the baptisms just falling into our laps i have come to a conclusion. i believed it can be answered by the following story:

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "you have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved." Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.
Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this?" "Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough." That's what he planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.
"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"
The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.
And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have.Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock."
so what has happened time and time again in my mission is that i push and push and push.  i work and work and work (and sweat a ridiculous amount while doing it). and then God moves the rock.  God gives us miracles and baptisms.  so all i know is that i will keep working here.

i would also like to share with you all a cool experience for this week.  on thursday night a lady in the branch was bitten twice by a coral snake (HIGHLY DANGEROUS). she was rushed to the hospital and lived.  on sunday she and her husband bore their testimonies about the love of God and the blessings that we always receive.  to me it was so powerful to see that even though they had just passed thru a very very difficult trial they testified that God loves us.  i know that He does.

this week will be easter i would invite everyone to think about the importance of this holiday and what the atonement and resurrection on Christ means for us.

i hope you all have a wonderful week
love

elder meyer
GO HEELS GO AMERICA

 oh - and mom THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE!!!!!   you are officially BAGGY!!! baggy is missionary lingo for someone who is thinking about the end of the mission and going home.  i loved the package, especially the calendar (even though it will make me baggy) and the tie.   thank you so much for all that you are always doing for me. have a wonderful week!