Lessons Learned from the Giant Sequoias

Hey what is up?
Hows yal be doing today? How was your week and what new do you have to share? I am doing good but I tell you I thought loosing an hour was bad at home but on the mission it is even worse. Saturday night we jumped forward to the daylight savings an hour and man did it suck going to bed know that I lost an hour and all you gained one. Oh well that çats is just how it goes. So at church yesterday all the elders were half asleep still haha. Well yesterday we had stake conference and I tell you the showing was a very small number, 700 mas o menos.... hey were expecting about 1500 because that is the normal attendance.....I could tell the stake president was disappointed because to start his talk he said “well we have over 6000 members in this stake and only 700 are here,,,,not a good average but that just means we need to work harder”. It was a great conference and they talked a lot about love and charity and also fellowshipping, retention and reactivation of members. The 2nd counselor used the example of the giant sequoia, talked about how they were the biggest trees in the world, I had a huge smile because I knew he was talking about my state haha the members were laughing at me. He talked about the trees great size but then he said that they don’t stand tall because they have deep roots, because their roots are shallow, but because they knit their roots with other trees and together with all the roots knitted and tied together they have the strength to grow tall, live long and stand against the strong and furious winds and storms. I really enjoyed it because it was just what the members need....people stay active because they feel loved and cared about and the only way that can happen is if we fellowship....or do our HT, VT, activities, working with the missionaries and a load of other things. After that Pres and Hermana Humphrey talked, I heard Hermana Humphrey talk in Spanish for the first time ever, she gave a great testimony, with time and practice she will be a pro at Spanish. Pres Humphrey talked a little more about giant sequoias, we are state buddies haha, he talked about the thick bark they have and how it protects and saves the trees from fires and he related that to scripture reading and prayer, it is true how our obedience to the Lords commandments is a protection in or lives....the more we do it the stronger our bark is and it will protect us from the bad.....also it got me thinking about a talk from General Conference about a tree that had decade due to garbage and stuff inside....I guess the hip analogy is trees now haha,,,,but it is true if we obey and read and pray daily the temptations and hardships will come but we will be strong and withstand them. It was a really great conference.
This week was a hard one for me and Elder Pierce...I think every cita except for like 5 fell this week, I tell you it was a tough week and it seems to me it gets harder and harder everyday for us. To make it even worst it has been so hot these past couple weeks and this week it was easily in the 80 and 90´s, today is overcast but warm.....oh today tried out the new soccer and basketball court at the church building sooooo nice hahaha. We will have church there this coming Sunday, anyway it was a tough week but I know the Lord will bless us for our diligence and we just need to keep working....I have learned a great lesson here on the mission and it is...When the work is hard and tough and everything falls around you, you cannot say Why me? What is going on? or What did I do wrong?.....the only and best answer is GET UP, GET OUT, AND GET TO WORK AND WORK HARDER AND HARDER AND HARDER UNTIL YOU CANNOT MOVE.....we did have a tough week but a cita fell and we did contacts another one did and we visited menos activos, the Lord doesn’t ask much but He does ask effort and effort I will give until I have none left.....but I am still loving it. It is hard but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I came to work and have fun while I am at it haha. A tough week but a good one at that.
Last week Dad asked me what i had learned from Pres. Chávez and from Pres Humphrey soo far, so I want to share it with you all....
Pres. Chávez, he understood the atonement of Jesucristo and he taught it to us all the time, and I know why....it is the key to all other knowledge of the gospel without the Atonement we are nothing and can do nothing, we are lost and unloved, but He died for us and He paid the price for us. I learned to love and to cherish the Atonement of Christ.....before the mission I think I understood that He died to save me and that it was the will of God but other than that i knew nothing, Pres Chávez taught the Expiación siempre. My knowledge and understand of this great sacrifice has grown 1000 times than it was before and yet I still don’t come close to understanding and knowing the half of it. In one of the darkest and deepest pits of despair in my life and definitely the deepest and darkest of my mission, Pres. Chávez taught me and counseled me to study, learn, understand, trust and apply La Expiación de mi Salvador Jesucristo. That is what he taught me, my love fro Jesucristo has grown and I definitely know He loves me too. Pres Chavez also taught me to trust in the Lord in all times....not just when I sin, but in all things. I continue to study the Atonement and try to learn more about it and I teach it in every lesson because if the people don’t understand the Atonement they will not understand anything else, it is the center of Gods plan. I know the Atonement saves us and helps us in tough times. Study, Learn and Love the Atonement.
Pres Humphrey, has taught a lot about trust and his trust in us and the Lords trust too. He talks about living so the Lord will trust you to do His work and trust in the Lord to see His miracles and receive revelation. It has helped me to put aside my pride and trust in the Lord and do His will because it is not my work it is His.
I know mission presidents are called of God and that they lead the missionary work in the world to help bring to pass Gods will. I love the work. I love you all and hope you have a great week. Take care I love you a lot cannot wit to hear from you next week.
Love Eric
Hey mom and dad can you send me the MTC address of Ryan when you get it and Nick and Matt’s home addresses and also President Jackson’s if you could I felt I should write him a letter and thank him and tell him how I am doing. Thanks
Take care love yal