Family, It sounds like you have had a great week. What is better then being with family all week?...just one thing...being a missionary! hahah. Not to make you jealous or anything! Thanksgiving was great, the food was really good and it reminded me of the united states but, nothing measures up the the Quist thanksgiving dinner. After eating we followed with the same tradition that we have in the family and we all shared one thing that we were grateful for. I said that I was grateful for my baby sister Abby. Truthfully she is an amazing blessing. These last 3 years have been full of suprises and blessing. Although we have been far apart we have never been closer. I think that we have been gifted with the two most powerful unifying experiences. 1. a New baby in the family 2. two missionaries serving missions and one preparing. I think that we are more united then ever. and besides that Abby is cute...so that is why.
That is awesome that you could be with Shelby for her Birthday! I really liked the videos where Abby said Shelbys name! Alex, you look so tall. I like the Generations sweat shirts.
I thought about it a little more and I am not interested in the block classes but I would like to talk a insitute class back at home. But I will look into that.
The mission has taught me to deal with and enjoy the ups and downs in life. I am learning that we need the be grateful for the good times and the hard time. For the ups, because we can enjoy the blessing of feeling the pure love the our Savior manisfested. And the downs, because they help us develop Christlike attributes. James 1:5 is the very well know verse in the Christian community and even more so in the members of the Church of Jesus Christ but a verse less recognized but that has found a place in my heart as I have studied it and lived it is James 1:3-5. Truthfully in english it is hard to understand but in spanish it is clearer to me! 2 Hermanos míos, tened por sumo gozo cuando os halléis en diversas pruebas, 3 sabiendo que la prueba de vuestra fe produce paciencia..
The Literal translation or at least how it has been written in my heart is something like this. "Brothers and Sisters, be joyful when you find yourself going through different trials, knowing that the trial of your faith produces patience."
I experienced this scripture just yesterday. We were having a hard morning and I was in exchanges with Elder Monroy. No one had let us in their house. We got to the house of one of the most humble families that I have taught on my mission. Family Suarez, Mario and Felipe are about 75 years old. It is an older couple that lives in a very humble house. Their front door is 2/3 my height..and yes, although slouching over, I still hit my head leaving the first night from the lesson. They are very loving and grateful for our visits. Yesterday morning we went by and saw the brother in his old, stained, white shirt and ragged jeans with fresh paint on his hands. We asked us if he needed help and he humbly accepted our service. We were lead to the back room and helped paint for 1 hour. It was an amazing experience and a drastic change. That room looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in 20 years. There were 1000 year old daddy long legs that we cleaned out. We finish and shook the Brothers hand before leaving. As I shook his hand he didn't let go...I looked him as tears swelled up in his eyes. In a broken voice he struggled to say the most sincere words that anyone has ever told me.."Thank you!". That moment was one of the "ups" that I mentioned and oh how full my soul felt. Two hours later we passed by their house heading to a members house. Brother Suarez came running out of his house...what he said was both un-expected and saddening. I ask him, "what happened?". He looked at us with sadness in his eyes too and "you or your companion stole 1000 pesos from the room where you were painting." Guided by the spirit, we calmly told him that it wasn't us and asked him what had happened." He seemed nervous and unsure. Quickly we realized that what they were saying was a scam that there daughter was trying to do. She had arrived just before be finished painting, and motivated by needs and dishonesty told her parents that she had a 1000 pesos that went missing trying to trick us into giving her 1000 pesos we don't have. Her parents, do to their humility believed this lie and asked us if we had stolen it. We went away, sadden by the effects this lie would have on Mario and Felipa. Later that night we saw Mario on the way to the house and asked him a few questions. He admitted that he never knew that those 1000 pesos existed and by then had realized that his daughter had lied. That experience is one of the "downs" that sometimes capture and limit our happiness. But it doesn´t have to be that way. We can be joyful in whichever different trail that we are going through is my testimony. I give thanks for the opportunity to develop patience and love that the trial yesterday gave me.
Have a great week Family. Enjoy the Christmas season because I am!:)
Elder Quist
