If Life became a Pitcher, its specialty would be curveballs!

Hey Everyone,

This week has been incredibly full of ups and downs, and I pray that I will have the time to express everything that's been going down in this crazy eventful week!  

So last Saturday, I was told my companion Elder Manwill, that he was going home!  This was incredibly difficult because I had seen him struggling and tried to offer him comfort but nothing seemed to work! He told me that he would be flying out with another Elder from our district that was also going home!  This put a huge damper in the group because we have all grown to love each other so much and the fact that they both were going home for unknown reasons made it really difficult to handle!  But then I was reading once again in the 24th chapter of Mosiah, which deals the people of Alma being placed in bondage, and I was comforted by the following verses: 

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

I strongly recommend you read the whole chapter or verses 10-16 to get a better understand of the context!

This was the best time to be reminded of this story because I feel that I'm the kind of person that wishes to immediately fix whatever problems I see but in this instance I was helpless and I felt as though I had failed somehow, and this caused a burden on my missionary efforts!  But through God, I was able to feel lightened, and face this challenging time head on with faith and hope that whatever was to go down would be according to the desires of God!

Sunday:  We had a phenomenal Sacrament meeting, and I was able to play some musical numbers once again which is honestly my favorite part of the week, but the Spirit is incredibly strong when Missionaries pour out their hearts in songs like I Need Thee Every Hour, and I Believe in Christ!  We had a phenomenal district meeting, and many wonderful things were said leading up to the transition of losing two members of the district.

Monday:  We had a MASSIVE tie exchange in honor of the Elders going home, and I was able to exchange with the two leaving Elders so now I have something to remind me of them constantly!  It was a phenomenal day and our lesson with Naomi (Hermana Correa, the morning teacher) went amazingly well which was a tender mercy because Elder Manwill had been upset at his struggles with teaching in Spanish but he taught incredibly well!

Tuesday:  The day finally came where we had to say goodbye to Elder Manwill and Johnson, and this was very difficult internally but each of us knew that this was the right step for everyone! After they had flown home Elder James and I went to reception expecting to become companions, but surprise two new Elders from the Provo MTC who had a difficult time getting their visas were coming to be our new companions. My new companions name is Elder Sabin, and Elder James' is Elder Gunderson!  

Elder Johnson

Elder Manwill

Elder Sabin is a really awesome guy from Seattle, Washington, who is incredibly calm, and has been the perfect fit to this crazy past week! Although we've only known each other for 48 hours, I have
a good feeling about our companionship! 

Elder Sabin from Seattle WA

That evening we had a devotional from Elder Pingree of the Seventy and he shared a phenomenal talk about the importance of the Atonement, and I wish that I could forward the devotional to you guys, but they don't redistribute MTC devotionals! One thing I got out of it that I want to challenge you guys to do is to find a way every day in which you can write down how the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ strengthened you to do something that day.  I promise that if you do so, you will have a deeper sense of gratitude and love of others by seeking to find the daily application of the Atonement.  The pattern is "The Atonement of Jesus Christ helped me to (Fill in the blank) today"

Wednesday: Fairly uneventful, but I learned that Elder Sabin is crazy good at basketball, so when we do 2V2 in the morning it is the best playing in my companionship, haha!

Thursday: We performed service cleaning up classrooms abandoned by the sixth-week missionaries that left this week!

Friday: Today we are going to the temple again, so I got to go, but I love you all so much and you're in my prayers!

Love,
Elder Raven