What a week!
Sorry this email is coming out late. This has been a crazy week, but I wanted to keep everyone updated on it.
Week summary: I spent a few days in the hospital this last week. I started throwing up everything I ate or drank last week and had to finally get taken in. It turns out that my pancreas was inflamed. They are not sure what exactly caused it, and I never got a firm diagnosis, but the vomiting has stopped and I can eat again, so I’m back to doing missionary work! Prayers would be appreciated because I would NOT want it to happen again haha. Mexican hospitals are not fun.
My Spanish is improving (I now know how to say “My insides feel like they want to be outside of me” in Espanol) and I am still enjoying my time with Elder Bretey. As usual, we went on tons of divisions. I learn a ton from the missionaries I got to spend the day with. Our friend Naomi also was baptized! I was able to baptize her myself (this was before my visit to the hospital). It was a memorable experience; she was so happy to be baptized and faced her fear of water to do it. It is inspiring to see the sacrifices people are willing to make to come closer to Christ.
Fun story/spiritual story: At our testimony meeting last week, our investigator Jose Luis stood up and testified of the healing power of the gospel. He said, “Before meeting with the missionaries, I had trouble walking. But now look at me!” He proceeded to walk up and down by the pulpit, then started to dance! He really showed me what Gospel joy is—you could feel Jose’s love and thankfulness to God as he did it. It reminded me that I should be showing others how much joy Christ brings to my life (although I don’t think I’ll be dancing at the pulpit any time soon).
Spiritual thought: God does not compare us with others; he only compares us with our own capacity. Just look at Alma 27:17-19. In verse 17, we see Ammon “swallowed up in the joy of his God” and falling down on the ground with joy when he sees his brothers that he’s been apart from for so long. Then verse 19 says: "and great also the joy of Aaron, of Omner, and Himni; BUT BEHOLD THEIR JOY WAS NOT THAT TO EXCEED THEIR STRENGTH." This verse hit me hard this week because the capacity for joy that Ammon had was simply more than his brothers. His joy of God was so strong it brought him to the ground. His brothers felt joy as well, but it didn’t have the same effect. God did not compare the brothers with Ammon. They were on different paths. They could express their joy in different ways and to different degrees. So enjoy your path! Never compare your own abilities or capacities to others. God is happy with you! God loves you individually. He thinks you are unique enough that He has to give you individual love. Think about how crazy that is! God has to give individual love! It has been easy at times for me to compare myself to others during my mission. But comparisons will only make you sad; when you start comparing yourself with your future capacity instead, you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment and love! I invite you to work on avoiding comparison this week.
My Spanish is improving (I now know how to say “My insides feel like they want to be outside of me” in Espanol) and I am still enjoying my time with Elder Bretey. As usual, we went on tons of divisions. I learn a ton from the missionaries I got to spend the day with. Our friend Naomi also was baptized! I was able to baptize her myself (this was before my visit to the hospital). It was a memorable experience; she was so happy to be baptized and faced her fear of water to do it. It is inspiring to see the sacrifices people are willing to make to come closer to Christ.
Fun story/spiritual story: At our testimony meeting last week, our investigator Jose Luis stood up and testified of the healing power of the gospel. He said, “Before meeting with the missionaries, I had trouble walking. But now look at me!” He proceeded to walk up and down by the pulpit, then started to dance! He really showed me what Gospel joy is—you could feel Jose’s love and thankfulness to God as he did it. It reminded me that I should be showing others how much joy Christ brings to my life (although I don’t think I’ll be dancing at the pulpit any time soon).
Spiritual thought: God does not compare us with others; he only compares us with our own capacity. Just look at Alma 27:17-19. In verse 17, we see Ammon “swallowed up in the joy of his God” and falling down on the ground with joy when he sees his brothers that he’s been apart from for so long. Then verse 19 says: "and great also the joy of Aaron, of Omner, and Himni; BUT BEHOLD THEIR JOY WAS NOT THAT TO EXCEED THEIR STRENGTH." This verse hit me hard this week because the capacity for joy that Ammon had was simply more than his brothers. His joy of God was so strong it brought him to the ground. His brothers felt joy as well, but it didn’t have the same effect. God did not compare the brothers with Ammon. They were on different paths. They could express their joy in different ways and to different degrees. So enjoy your path! Never compare your own abilities or capacities to others. God is happy with you! God loves you individually. He thinks you are unique enough that He has to give you individual love. Think about how crazy that is! God has to give individual love! It has been easy at times for me to compare myself to others during my mission. But comparisons will only make you sad; when you start comparing yourself with your future capacity instead, you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment and love! I invite you to work on avoiding comparison this week.
Elder Bennion
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