Dec 29th Another Letter in the Mail!!!

Gee I'd better enjoy this while it lasts, once he's at the PERU MTC or in Ecuador I don't think I'll get this many letters in one week!!!  Weren't we surprised to open the mailbox today and see a letter from Jesse.  This one had the most information yet!  Bill sent a letter last Sunday through Dear Elder, but I'm not sure he got it before he emailed us on Wednesday.  I think the mail in the MTC through Christmas was a little wonky!!!  But Bill asked a bunch of questions and this was our sweet Elders replies!!!  I can't believe how exciting it can be to get a letter from him!  He sounds great too.  

Dear Dad,
 I will answer your questions right down the line of how you asked.  I understand what you mean by bittersweet.  It is hard to say goodbye to your family for the next two years of your life, but looking in at what you transition to there is nothing but excitement   I also loved the scripture in D&C about the gifts we can receive with faith.  It just brings back the phrase that we keep hearing from others when we talk about our language skills, "we can do all things with reliance on the Lord".

My companion is Elder Jeske, he is from Cour-de-lane, Idaho.  His birthday is Nov. 10th, 1993 and he is also going to the Ecuador Guayaquil south Mission.  We think the church has some sort of system for sending missionaries somewhere besides prayer, JK :).  Our district is comprised of twelve Elders, myself included, one of them is even from Ammon.  He went to Hillcrest and graduated in 2011, but no they are not all going to Ecuador,  Three stateside (Salt Lake North, Oregon Portland, and Santa Cruz California) and three go to Mexico, these Elders will stay in the Provo for all the nine weeks.  The other six are split, three go to Santa Cruz Bolivia and three to Guayaquil South Ecuador.  Us six should go to the Peru MTC after three weeks.

So I do not need a coat.  None of my teachers served in Ecuador, it seems like they all served Argentina   P-day is Wednesday and I am not dumb, of course I can do Laundry.

Classes are going well and Spanish is a pain, but it is coming.  Yes, I have completely passed my level of Italian, but Italian pronunciation is different and the words of Italian are close but different to that of Spanish. So Italian is mostly just messing with me.  Found this out pretty quick as well, but apparently the favorite way to teach Spanish and the gospel is to roll 'em into one and throw you in a room with an "investigator" who only speaks Spanish and then just see how it goes.  Thing is, it works, we just had our third lesson with him today and we got him pumped to read the Book of Mormon by our ninth time committing him in a 30 second period.  It makes me excited for Peru.

I cannot believe they sent out the licence that late.I also can't believe you sent your missionary a reference from a funny, inappropriate movie :).  I guess if your going to do that you could at least keep me up-to-date on the Cowboys and Aggies.  I wish I could be at home and watch the games with you, but I am needed here and I love it to.  I am excited of the future ahead and can't wait for the real fun to start.  Although it is pretty fun here, somehow we got the crazy floor where the boredom equals mattresses in the hall for a Christmas Day campout, rugby, wrestling, soccer, slingshots of candy at others backs, Nerf guns and BYU police being called for disturbance (no I was not involved).[arrows were drawn on the letter to the words campout??]  I love and miss you all so much.  I know I won't be saying this by the end, but I can't wait to see you again and start working on my golf game.
                                                                              Love,
                                                                              Elder Jesse McCammon

Bill told me I had to leave the typos...

A Letter in the Mail!!!

Okay so I was complaining about how thoughtless Jesse had been not to send me a note in the mail when he got to the MTC...well apparently I have some repenting to do!!!  Today in the mail came a letter that he sent last Friday!!!  US Mail moves slowly around Christmas apparently!!!  Three times in one week...I feel spoiled!!!
I had to retype since it was handwritten, but it is a good letter!!!



Dear Parents,
All is well at the MTC.  Today is supposed to be the end of the world, so if you receive this letter I guess I'm okay.  So far I am having no problems at the MTC, the schedule keeps us fairly busy and I am guessing it is so we can focus on the work rather than what we left behind.  Today so far is probably my favorite day, it is the first time we get gym and we have been given a lot of personal study time this morning.

Our preparation day is on Wednesday so that is when I will be able to write through email.  Craziest thing as well, my companion, Elder Jeske, not only sent his papers in and was called to Ecuador on the same days as me, but we have the same birthday...we determined that was their system for mission calls.

I have also seen many familiar faces while I have been here.  Sadly, its because visas have been delayed for them so they get to wait here in the MTC.  Apparently though Ecuador visas go through a lot better, so I am excited about that.  I miss you all a lot and I am very excited for the next two years.

Elder McCammon

PS Tell Hunter I saw Elder Murray from the district and tell Brendon I saw Clint Ferron.

December 26th 2012 First P-day

First answering a few of my questions...

I have already purchased stamps and envelopes, I am fine on the coat, I got the dear elder letter that was sent from you on Wednesday and a Christmas card from Chuck and Diane and one from our stake presidency. All the other elders got pretty much the same thing i did for Christmas  I forgot to ask yesterday as well if you could send me the transcript from a talk by Jeffery R. Holland called ¨missions are forever.¨ It is a great talk...you should read through it if you can, but if you could send it, even through dear elder, that would be great. If everything goes according to plan I will leave the Provo mtc on January 8 or January 9, we also have permission to purchase phone cards from the bookstore here and call you from the airport, they are 5 dollar cards so you should let me know how many i will need because I haven´t purchased any yet. 

Anyway onto the week.

 

The day I was dropped off was a very interesting day. After I got my nametag and other items the host missionary, who helped get my stuff out of the truck, took me to my room, which happened to be on the top floor. When we got up there the other Elders up there who were in our zone were acting crazy, making it seem like it may not be the funnest floor to be on, they have toned it down over the past week and it is pretty enjoyable watching them make themselves look like fools. After we dropped my stuff off we  went over to the building my classroom is in, which also happens to be on the top floor, where I met my companion, the rest of the Elders in my district, and our teacher Hermana Hall. Somehow we happen to have the largest district of twelve people, so class can get disruptive at times. My spanish is coming along pretty well there, I am not as good as some of the others in my district, but I think I am doing ok. Taking italian only really helped with conjugating verbs, other than that it is messing with my pronunciation and I keep getting words mixed up.

 

The second day we found that we would be teaching an ¨investigator¨ who only speaks spanish. That was hard for two reasons, the first of which is that I do not speak spanish and the second is i do not understand spanish. Luckily, Elder Jeske took 3 years of spanish and was able to communicate, while in the mean time I am flipping through a dictionary to find words to ask questions and when he delivers his answers I get to nod my head and say si. The third day was pretty much the same, but our lesson with the investigator was a lot better. I was able to ask questions without flipping through the dictionary as much, but I was still pretty much nodding my head and saying si to the answers. Saturday was pretty much the same as the others as well, but we did not have to teach our investigator so we had more time to study the language. Sunday the only thing that was different was that there was no class, no gym, and there was a fireside. Every day here is pretty much a sunday. The fireside was really good as well, Stephan B. Allen came and talked to us on the spirit of repentance.

 

Monday and Tuesday, the Chrismas days. We learned today that it is not good having Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and preparation day right in a row it gets you out of the habit of preparing for your lesson tonight with the investigator as much as you should. Christmas and Chrismas Eve were great though. We got to watch a Chrismas Carol and It´s a wonderful life and listen to a general authority. Other than that we did not do much but go to our class and watch mormon messages on the TV, study language, and read. We also did not go to the temple this week because it is closed for cleaning, but there is always next week. My e-mail is about to time out so I have to go.

 

I love you all and keep you in my heart,

Elder Jesse McCammon

Christmas Day and First Letter from the MTC

So for, 1 week we have been checking the email and mailbox wondering if we were going to hear from him!  Another suggestion...maybe send your new missionary with a self addressed stamped envelope with a note card inside just for a quick doing good letter they could drop in the mail quickly on the second day!!!  Thank goodness for Christmas!!!  Sounds like he's doing okay!  I am excited for details...I hope tomorrow's letter contains them!!! 

Here is his first letter:

Note, today is not P-day, I will still e-mail you tomorrow. Today is just a Christmas update.

 

This year is the first Christmas I have spent away from you and it is easier I imagine than it will be next year, considering it has only been a week since I have seen you all. We already knew I would not be able to call today, but they still gave us the opportunity to e-mail our families. I got the package you delivered and I followed the instructions on the card to not open the packages until Christmas. I Loved the cards on each one, they were very clever.  One of the thoughts I had was, 'why send me all this candy, do they not remember I just got prescription toothpaste because of cavities'. I was actually kind of hoping my drivers licence was in one of the presents. The laundry bag was also a great idea, I have been putting all of my dirty clothes in one of my empty suitcases. So I am glad I do not have to take that to the laundry room with me. Let grandma and grandpa McCammon know that I got their package as well and I love them all. We also had Elder Nelson speak to us this morning on keys to being better missionaries. It was the coolest thing ever being able to be right there and see one of the twelve apostles speak to you, even if it was not President Monson. Although, we did hear a couple of cool stories from the first counselor of our branch presidency about his Uncle Tom Monson. It is always fun hearing him tell stories because he talks the exact same way President Monson Talks. Today we also get to attend a fireside where Greg Olsen is going to present some of his paintings and talk to us about them. I love you all very much and miss you. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. I thank you for all the love and support you give me and especially all the treats. I look forward to the day that I get to see you all when I get back.

 

 

                                                                                                               Love,

                                                                                                               Elder Jesse William McCammon

Dec 18th and 19th Set apart and He's Gone

Wow what an emotional two days its been, and I am sure it won't end!  Tuesday night at 8pm we met at the Stake Presidents office for Jess to be set apart as a full time Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Pres. Stevens, Pres. Merrill, Bishop Jones, Brother Brower, Mitch Freed and our family of 5 were there.  So grateful for their love and support.  We went in and sat down and President Stevens had us go around the table and give Jesse advice on how to be a good missionary and what to think about and do while he's gone.  I loved that Pres Merrill told him its like 2 years of camping!!!  Everyone gave such good advice and I just bawled and babbled!!!!  We just love that kid and we want him to be the best missionary he can be, serve the Lord and serve the people of Ecuador...forget missing us and embrace the mission and his purpose for being there!  Be Cheerful and be himself...he was sent there for WHO his is, not because he's a warm body.  Called of God to serve and bring people unto the full gospel of Jesus Christ.  The beauty of the Plan of Salvation...the knowledge of our purpose here, knowing where we came from and what is in store after this life.  Such a beautiful thing!!!  I can't wait to hear his experiences and watching him grow!!!  President Stevens gave Jesse a wonderful blessing...at least what I heard above the sniffling and sobbing!!!
After we went to Men's Wearhouse for a few minutes, funny we saw Pres. Stevens' wife there!!!  Stopped at Walgreens for a few last minute forgotten items and went home and packed the bags!!!  Each are sitting right at 50 lbs.  I hope he makes weight or an angel slips a toe under the scale to lighten the load!!!  He'll have to put the 10lbs of books they give him in the MTC in his backpack.

Wednesday morning up by 6:30, ready by 8...Bill gave Jesse a Fathers Blessing and we were out the door by 8:15 and on our way to Provo.  We stopped in Tremonton for a few minutes to give Gpa and Gma a last minute hug and we were off!  We arrived in Provo around 12:15 and stopped at the Golden Corral for lunch...45 min later we were finished and headed to the MTC.  It was all going so well until we started to get closer and he started to panic...he didn't want to get out of the car any quicker than 1:30 and kept trying to stall.  Bill was going to take him earlier, but we stopped at the temple and took a couple of pictures and drove around a bit, parked and talked for a few more minutes then took him to the MTC.  We drove in, the had us pull up to the curb, they had Elders waiting who opened the door for me and helped Bill get the luggage.  We hugged, snapped a few pictures, I cried...Bill cried...Cierra cried...Abbie and Jesse stayed strong and I didn't see any tears.  We hugged again, I said see you in two years...I love you Jess!  And off they went...we got into the car and drove off!  Sobbing, of course, worrying about who was going to be there to hug him when he gets lonely...I still have Bill and the girls and he's alone...I hope he's okay! I sent him a letter through Dear Elder on our way home just so he could have one.  I really intended to put a letter in his luggage, but again good intentions without follow through!!!  No letter yet today!! I have heard some say that they can send a quick note the day after they get there to say when his Prep day will be and such.
You know I don't worry about his safety...I have never felt so calm in my life and I always thought I would be a basket case...I just worry about him being too overwhelmed, or homesick and missing us too much!  One thing about Jess is that he loves his family and he loves being with us.  He's never been one to say he can't wait to leave!  Please...Pray extra hard for him to have a good attitude and be happy to be there and he'll be fine!!!

 Gonna miss this kid!!!!

Unloading at the MTC

 Not sure whether Jesse was about to cry or just a bad time to take the picture!

 Be Happy and Work hard...that was my last minute advise!

 Me and the Girls getting our last minute squeeze in!!!

So as I am getting out of the car at the MTC I realize that I don't have that many days to get Jesse a package for Christmas and I see all these kids with bags and giant boxes sticking out, realizing I should have probably sent his Christmas gift with him...hard though since I hadn't bought anything yet!!!  So we came home, I found this cute thing on the internet that I had pinned a while back on pinterest and we ran to the store and bought treats and put these cute yellow notes on them ( I had already wrapped 2 before I thought to take a picture!)  And Bill sent it today!!!  He didn't have any more available room in his luggage for anything more permanent than snacks!!!

My sweet kids snuggling in the back of the truck on our way to PROVO!!!

What a crazy day!  Lots of spontaneous tears from me and his dad all the way home!   Even today when I start to think he might be sad I start to cry.   It makes a moms heart hurt when her child might have a sore heart!  I think as soon as I get a few letters from him and just see how he's adjusting I think I'll be better!!  I woke up this morning wishing for my morning hug from him and missing him...this too shall pass.  I think that it was only yesterday when he was an infant in my arms...time goes by so quickly, some days I feel like it is speeding up...so I am sure this time will go by so quickly!!!

December...Summing up the days before he left

I am such a procrastinator!!!  Here we had 5 months to get everything Jess needed for his mission and I spend the last 5 days scrambling to get the rest!  Some of the things just seem odd to have to send...4 flat sheets...really?  Why?  Take the sheets off, wash them and put them back on, its a twin bed for heaven sake, why the added baggage pounds!  I feel the same way about hangars, it just seems like crazy added bulk and weight...can he really not buy hangars in Ecuador?  He was also told to take a coat with a zip out liner.  Everything we read about Ecuador said the temperature there is between 65 and 85 all year round...that doesn't sound like COAT weather!  A friend from High School went there and said he never wore more than a sweater so we sent him that.  The internet can be useful I am sure, but sometimes it just causes more confusion than its worth!!!  Also, for anyone who wants to know they have to take a miniature pharmacy in their luggage!  I bet I spent more than $100 to get his first aid kit ready to go!  Also, I know not every kid will go foreign and maybe you'd rather wait, but a great 18th or Graduation present would be a passport.  Its good for 10 years that's a gift in and of itself, that way even a honeymoon to Mexico would be covered! And you won't have to pay the extra rush fee, close to $100, when or if that time comes!  Just a thought!!!

Jesse loves going to the temple and he and his friend decided to do a quick temple trip the week before Jess left.  They drove down to Utah and went to the Logan, Brigham, Salt Lake and Bountiful temples.  On another day they did the Rexburg temple too. He worked so much the two months before that he didn't get to see as many temples as he wanted, but he enjoyed going when he could.  Another thing that was fun was that he would go with the Priests and went with his sister a couple of times, and his cousins Rachel and Darcie too, to do Baptisms for the Dead and since he was an endowed member he was able to do the baptisms and confirmations, what a fun memory!

December 9, 2012 Final Talk in Church

I totally forgot to take any pictures this day!!!  It was so busy and our hearts were so full of love and gratitude for everyone who took time out of their busy lives to come and share this day with us.  Again, I didn't cry...a tiny tear during the closing prayer when Sister Johnson blessed him, but no sobbing tears!  Jesse did a nice job, probably one of the best talks I've heard him give.  I have seen him grow so much in the last 5 months.  We thought that was such a long time to wait, but The Lord knows what each kid needs, I am sure of it after watching him over the past few months.  Like I said I am going to print this as a book when he's done, so I am going to include his talk here, just so he'll have it!
Thanks for your loving support!!!

Jesse's Talk

It seems like it was just the other day that I was sitting in the congregation when Bishop Jones made the announcement that I had received my mission call to the Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission. Five months later the day is almost here when I will leave…its hard to believe! I am excited and little scared, and I am grateful to be here today to give this talk and to share my testimony. Today I have been asked to give a talk on keeping the Sabbath day holy, which is a beneficial topic considering the next two years will be like a really long Sunday.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11)

The Lord gave us the commandment that we need to keep the Sabbath day holy and that we should not treat it as another day of the week. The Sabbath day has been set apart for the purpose of honoring our father in heaven. We need to be using the Sabbath day as a way to grow closer to heavenly father rather than just a day that we get off of work or another day that we have to do all of our homework before it is due on Monday. In the Primary song “Saturday” it says that “Saturday is a special day. It's the day we get ready for Sunday: We clean the house, and we shop at the store, so we won't have to work until Monday.” We should not be focused on making sure we are ready for our week on Sunday, that is what Saturday is for, get all of the chores done on Saturday that way Sunday can be the day of rest that we spend with our families and go to church. President Ezra Taft Benson gave us a list of things that we should and should not be doing with our Sabbath day in an article in the 1971 May Ensign. The things that we should be doing…

·        Engage in activities that contribute to greater spirituality.

·        Attend essential Church meetings in the house of prayer.

·        Acquire spiritual knowledge by reading the scriptures, Church history and biographies, and the inspired words of our Church leaders.

·        Rest physically, get acquainted with your family, relate scriptural stories to your children, and bear your testimony to build family unity.

·        Visit the sick and aged shut-ins.

·        Sing the songs of Zion and listen to inspiring music.

·        Pay devotions to the Most High through prayer (personal and family), fasting, administration, and father’s blessings.

·        Prepare food with a singleness of heart: simple meals prepared largely on Saturday.

·        Remember that Sunday is the Lord’s day, a day to do his work.

Whereas the things that we should not be doing…

·        Overworking and staying up late Saturday so that you are exhausted the next day.

·        Filling the Sabbath so full of extra meetings that there is no time for prayer, meditation, family fellowship, and counseling.

·        Doing gardening and odd jobs around the house.

·        Taking trips to canyons or resorts, visiting friends socially, joy riding, wasting time, and engaging in other amusements.

·        Playing vigorously and going to movies.

·        Engaging in sports and hunting “wild animals” which God made for the use of man only “in times of famine and excess of hunger.” Let the boys have their exercise. Let them have amusements at the proper time, but let them be taught better things on the Sabbath day.

·        Reading material that does not contribute to your spiritual uplift.

·        Shopping or supporting with your patronage businesses that operate on Sunday, such as grocery stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and service stations.

We should not have to find ways to entertain ourselves on Sunday. Just because Sunday is a day that we are not supposed to treat like another day of the week, does not mean that we should sit around at home and do nothing. We should use Sunday to try and grow closer to the Lord, to learn more about the teachings of the Savior. One of the things I have really enjoyed doing on Sundays is delivering the sacrament to Sister Peterslie and Sister Wagoner as well as others who were not able to make it to our church services. It was very enjoyable being able to visit with them every week and learn more about them and how they are doing. It was always a very uplifting experience and always made Sunday a better day. We should not be trying to make the day go by faster by focusing on the football game or going out with our friends. In verses 13 and 14 of Exodus chapter 31 the Lord speaks with Moses about the Sabbath day and why we are meant to keep it holy.

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

When we keep the Sabbath day holy we show the Lord our commitment to him, but when we do things that we should not it shows indifference on our part. Sunday is a day that has been set apart specifically for the purpose of worshiping our heavenly father. If we quit following trough with this commandment we will lose sight of our reliance on him. In The Guide to the Scriptures it references the result in our lives of not keeping the Sabbath day holy.

The Sabbath reminds people of their need for spiritual nourishment and of their duty to obey God. When a nation grows careless in observing the Sabbath, all aspects of life are affected and its religious life becomes decayed.

We need the day of physical relaxation and spiritual uplift in our lives for without it our lives will fall into turmoil. The Sabbath day gives us the release from our everyday lives that we all need. It gives us a great start to our week as well. Sunday starts us off with a commitment to do better this next week than we did the last. It gives us a chance to strengthen the spirit in our lives more than we would without the Sabbath day. In an article from the Daily News it tells about our need for a day of rest.

One of the facts upon which all men are agreed, whatever may be their view in life, is the need of a frequently recurring season of spiritual and physical refreshment. The life which was an unending vista of dusty days in the city would be a life from which we should all turn in despair. The hum of the wheels would drive the world mad. The soul would perish under the strain of material things and the body would perish with it. There is, therefore, no question of can’t in the desire to keep our Sunday: it is a supreme necessity, and never more supreme than in these days, when the pace of life is always being quickened and men are becoming more and more like the parts of a giant machine whose operations they do not understand and whose roar dulls the mind.

Once we chose to skip church one week the next time the chance comes around it will be much easier to make the decision to skip again. After a while of choosing to break the Sabbath day commandment we will get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the world and it will be hard to break the habit we have gotten ourselves into. We hear it from prophets and apostles all the time that we need to make decisions at a young age that way we will not have trouble with the decision by the time we get older and would start to get in the habit of making the wrong choice, we can get into the habit of making the right choice. In President Thomas S. Monson’s October 2010 General Conference talk, The Three R’s of Choice, he speaks about a boy who at age 16 made the decision not to play sports on Sunday and what effect it had on the boy’s life.

When he was 16 years old, Brother Christensen decided, among other things, that he would not play sports on Sunday. Years later, when he attended Oxford University in England, he played center on the basketball team. That year they had an undefeated season and went through to the British equivalent of what in the United States would be the NCAA basketball tournament.

They won their games fairly easily in the tournament, making it to the final four. It was then that Brother Christensen looked at the schedule and, to his absolute horror, saw that the final basketball game was scheduled to be played on a Sunday. He and the team had worked so hard to get where they were, and he was the starting center. He went to his coach with his dilemma. His coach was unsympathetic and told Brother Christensen he expected him to play in the game.

Prior to the final game, however, there was a semifinal game. Unfortunately, the backup center dislocated his shoulder, which increased the pressure on Brother Christensen to play in the final game. He went to his hotel room. He knelt down. He asked his Heavenly Father if it would be all right, just this once, if he played that game on Sunday. He said that before he had finished praying, he received the answer: “Clayton, what are you even asking me for? You know the answer.”

He went to his coach, telling him how sorry he was that he wouldn’t be playing in the final game. Then he went to the Sunday meetings in the local ward while his team played without him. He prayed mightily for their success. They did win.

That fateful, difficult decision was made more than 30 years ago. Brother Christensen has said that as time has passed, he considers it one of the most important decisions he ever made. It would have been very easy to have said, “You know, in general, keeping the Sabbath day holy is the right commandment, but in my particular extenuating circumstance, it’s okay, just this once, if I don’t do it.” However, he says his entire life has turned out to be an unending stream of extenuating circumstances, and had he crossed the line just that once, then the next time something came up that was so demanding and critical, it would have been so much easier to cross the line again. The lesson he learned is that it is easier to keep the commandments 100 percent of the time than it is 98 percent of the time.

The Lord gave us the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy 100 percent of the time. There will be no circumstance in life where he will tell us that it is alright to only be faithful to a commandment 98 percent of the time. Now there will be some circumstances in life where we may have to go to work, but as long as we are doing the best that we can to keep the Sabbath day holy and not giving ourselves excuses just to get out of church, the Lord will understand. He knows that we are not perfect, but that does not mean that we should not be giving our best effort to follow through with the commandments we have been given. In President Monson’s October 2011 Talk, Stand in Holy Places, he states.

Although the world has changed, the laws of God remain constant. They have not changed; they will not change. The Ten Commandments are just that—commandments. They are not suggestions. They are every bit as requisite today as they were when God gave them to the children of Israel.

We need to make sure that we are always trying to keep the Sabbath day holy. Now I know there are times in life when we may slip up, but we need to all remember that we are not perfect. That is what we have the repentance process for, that way, when we do slip up we can be forgiven. I know that as long as we try our best to fulfill all the commandments of the Lord and try our hardest to be a good example to others that we will all return to live with our Heavenly Father again. I know that this is the true church of our savior, Jesus Christ, and I am grateful that I can represent the Lord and share my testimony of the church to the people in Ecuador. I know that Joseph Smith was inspired by the Lord to restore the church to earth for us today. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and that each time I read and study it the Holy Ghost Testifies to me that it is true. I know that President Monson is the only true prophet on the earth at this time and if we listen to him and follow his counsel the Lord will bless us. I know while I am in Ecuador that as I teach the Gospel the spirit will testify to them and they will come unto Christ. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.


UPDATE: Grandma Christensen took some pictures!!! YAY!!!