I got your Valentine's Package and one from the Tenny's!! Thanks so much!!
-I got letters from Uncle Christopher, K Scarry, and your Valentine's Cards. I also got Dear Elders from you all, Courtney Doolittle, and Brother Bringhurst
-Thanks for the BYU lacrosse info! Please keep it coming, and pictures are very welcome, especially of their gear
It's been a good week here, and my sojourn in Cuenca has been extended at least another 6 weeks. Both my companion and I have escaped the transfer list. It seems like transfers here are different from other missions. I read the Dear Elders you sent me of my friends who are training getting a call from the mission president that they're going to train. Here, the email comes out, there are names on the list. You go up to the mission home, and you could be becoming an AP and you would have no idea until your name was called. There's a legendary story of a sister (A friend of Elder T) who was transferred to the area of a friend. This Sister literally fell on the ground and was like screaming and throwing a fit because she was so excited! President Peterson has added some reverence.
My Companion was telling everyone he would be transferred, and I told him that there was no way...I think he's a little disappointed! Elder T. is being transferred, so who knows maybe he'll come here! One of my really good friends in the mission, Elder D. is being transferred. He's my District Leader here, he's from Sandy, went to Brighton High School, and was at BYU for the Fall Semester when I was! I'll miss him but I'm sure I'll see him around.
So this week there was a Training for 4 stakes or so in San Pablo. It was for Primary and Young Women leaders. Well, it turns out Sister Ann Dibb and Sister Wixom were there! The meeting was also presided over by Elder Teh. We have a recent convert mother who is just awesome, that we've been pleading, almost on bended knees, to be given a calling. Well the Branch President gave her a calling to the Young Women and she was given the calling as 2nd Counselor two days before the Conference! She was able to go and had such a good experience. It's a long way for Sisters Dibb and Wixom to go for a training session, but the impact they left, especially on this recent convert is so awesome. She has such a strong desire to serve, and is so giddy, because in her words, "Elder Yost! I got to hug President Monson's daughter! (People here call her President Monson's daughter, not Sister Dibb!)" I've been meaning to tell you about her little boys as well. These boys are about a year apart, one's 9 and the other almost 8. They look like twins and are hilarious. The older one walks around their house reciting the sacrament prayers in English! In a heavy accent, he says "...to bless and sacrifice (Mary Ann: the actual word is sanctify this bread)." He's a crack up! The other day we were teaching them a lesson and he was trying to flip the electrical box switch and was just being a mischievous 9 year old. His mother was trying to get him to stop with no success. I called him over, and asked him to read a scripture (which he always loves to do, and reads in a slow, monotone robot-like voice). I flipped open to Mosiah 13:20 and had him read straight from the 10 Commandments. He read it and I asked him to what would happen if he didn't honor his mother and father. He thought, his face looked scared, and he said, "then my days won't be long on the land." He didn't cause any more problems!
We had two investigators go to Church this week, that was a complete surprise! They told us two days before that they really weren't interested. One of them has epilepsy. She had an episode in the middle of the Sacrament. It was honestly not that long or severe, but nevertheless a little scary. She softly groaned and was fidgeting. Luckily her Sister and Elder M. held her until it passed. It was so sad, and I hope that she'll have the courage to come again next week.
I've thought a lot about the Atonement this week. Not as much the cleansing of sin part, but the support to do very hard things. I feel like I'm facing a lot of challenges right now in the work . It's hard to explain the strength I've felt through the Savior's Atonement. I've felt increased love and patience. I've truly felt the Savior's support in my trials. I'd like to close yet again with the words of Elder Holland.
"Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”
Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so.
may we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,” for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
For all of those who feel lonely, he is there. It's my prayer that we will become true Disciples of Christ. Not just in times of comfort, but in word and deed, and stand by him as he did by us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Elder Yost
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