April 25, 2016
This week was another great week!
Esta semana! There were a lot of elders traveling from outside of Cocha, to get into Cocha. There were lots of papers to be filled out, and my comp and I had to go to a bunch of terminals at the airport. There was a bunch of picking up and dropping off of all these Elders. It was pretty fun but at the same time it stank because I want to be working in the fields, and I had only 2 days this week. That was a big bummer.
This week a dog also bit me for the first time on my mission. This experience wasn’t to fun, but I have an awesome battle wound. That’s pretty awesome. Haha. This week we were able to find a bunch of new people to teach, which has been just amazing. I truly love this work. It’s just so amazing.
This week I think I have cried more than any other week in my mission. Not because I’m sad, or anything like that, but because I have felt the spirit super strong. The people here have been opening up to us, crying and telling us what is going on in their life. How they were raised without parents, or lost everything in their life, but keep going on. It has been just an amazing week, and has helped me humble myself. I’m so grateful to be here.
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I want all of you to remember just how much your father in heaven loves you. I know that in our lives we have many trials and afflictions, so much that sometimes we may doubt the existence of God. But I know and testify that God does not give of these afflictions. He loves us, and sometimes we need to go through a trial, or a hard time in our life to understand how much He loves us and that He will always be there for you. I know that this life is hard, but God is our Father and He sent His only begotten son to shed his blood for us. When we read in Lucas 22:42-44 we learn that our saviors asked the Lord if this cup or this affliction could be passed from him, but He said that He will complete the will of the Lord. He then suffered in agony, but when he was in agony he prayed more intensely. In other words He began to suffer more and more for our sins, for all of the pains that we would suffer in this world, and He did it all for us. He suffered so that we could compare with Him during the hard times of our life. It’s amazing how much He loves us. I’m so happy that I’m here, away from home, and can help others understand this super essential part in the plan of happiness.
Elder Ziering Smith 