Etisen Me nuabarimas na me nuabas
I couldn´t have asked for a better week leading up to this one of celebration. I actually ended up getting an unexpected birthday present...there was an emergency transfer and so unfortunately one of our roomates was shipped across the mission and we got Elder Chacon. He is a missionary from Ecuador (so yes, are house score is now tied at 2-2 North vs South America) and he has been in the mission as long as my companion has been. It has changed the dynamic of the house a little bit, but also gave me a chance to swoop in and take the only king sized bed in the house before he got there - change is good :)
This week, I had one of the sweetest experiences of my mission. Sometimes, We as missionaries think that the pinacle of all joy comes when someone we love gets baptized, but I realized this week that this excitement grows exponentially as we get to watch those who we love participate in the gospel. Two weeks ago, one of our friends Joseph was baptized, and the next day, he brought one of his friends to a lesson with us. Through these past two weeks we have been talking with this friend and yesterday Joseph was actually able to baptize the friend that he brought. It was an incredible moment for me to see the mutual happiness they experienced as one brother performed a true act of love and service for the other.
Our bishop here is pretty awesome!..a tad eccentric...but really awesome. He has such great insights on the gospel. One of his talks this week really brought up something that I had never thought of before. Let´s just think for a moment about the circumstances of Christ´s birth. Or even better yet, how about specifically what was the value of a life in that time. Large imperialistic empires slaughtered thousands without a second thought and those who weren´t slaughtered usually died from some kind of disease or sickness before they were 35. And yet, in this time, the Savior of the world was born, the most important life that would ever come into the earth. Those people, I am sure, did not truly realize the value of His life, a life of infinite value which would save those of the rest of humanity. I can imagine that when he was crucified, countless people did not think anything of it; it was just one more life taken. Yet there was a big difference, because He took that life back, rose again, and He lives. I am so grateful that he was born. In these days, life is one of our post prized possesions, and yet He laid His down so that we could have ours forever. He gave us that which no other can give us, that which has infitite value, and that which we should be ever greatful for, His life. What a wonderful opportunity we have to remember that gift as we surround ourselves with those lives most precious to us, those of our families and loved ones. May you all have the most joyous Christmas, is my humble prayer.
Elder Jenkins
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