The Shame of the World

A little bit of what some of my area looks like!

September 16, 2013

The map I constructed out of pure miracle

So this week was pretty slow work-wise. I finally decided i was sick of getting lost and so we went to an internet place and spent 2 hours slowly panning over google maps, taking screen shots, taking them to the house, and pasting them together on the wall carefully. So FINALLY we have a map, and yet....that didnt really help. So half of the addresses we have, we found out dont exist....funnnn. So then we decided to do something that most old timers wont think is so drastic but in this mission is very rare......KNOCKED DOORS. *GASP* I know, a little bit crazy, but we were desperate. So that didnt work a whole lot either haha but hopefully this week will be better and we can have some success.

CHINCHES!!! 

        So the big news this week is we have a new visitor in the house!!.........drum roll.....CHINCHES!! Dont even ask me what that means in English. I think its something like bed bugs or fleas. Who knows all i know is that we GOT EM, we got em in BULK, and I got the scars to prove it. So that was fun. Cause on Thursday we realized we had them, then on Friday I actually got sick and then we were in the house pertty much all day except to go out and buy raid. Then finally on Saturday we were able to spray the room, spray the beds, bed spreads, sheets, matresses, walls, pillows, pillow cases, ect. And let them air out. So we think that they are gone now. But let me tell you something. If you have never had chinches....count your flippin lucky stars, IT BLOWS. 

RISK! 

        So thats pretty much all that happened this week. We actually had a party as a stake for the 16th of September which is known as "Noche Mexicana"! It was pretty awesome! They hired a mariachi band to play and then they had all the youth from the different wards put on different dances....yes mom and dad, it made me think of the dance festival....and they had chalupas and gorditas, and elotes, and lotssss of food! It was really fun, and it had a tonnn of the mexican culture. Then of course last night was pretty crazy. We had to be in the house by like 7:30 and we werent allowed to leave cause it was the day before September 16th which is like the Mexican version of 4th of July on STEROIDS. People hire mariachi bands, and eat traditional foods, and throw parties, and get drunk. Sooo that was TONS of fun. But we at least got to hear the chant they were doing in the center of town and see some fireworks and hear bands play nice and loud while we tried to sleep! haha it was pretty cool. We also spent most of the night with Elder G and his comp! We made waffles, and played RISK! It was awesome.

          So spiritual thought this week comes from the Book of Mormon in the book of Jacob in chapter 1 verse 8. Nephi is about to die and so Jacob is talking about how they were laboring to help the people believe in Christ and partake of his goodness. But I loveeeee what it says in verse 8. It reads: "Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfill the commandment of my brother Nephi." I love the part when he says that all men might view Christs death, suffer his cross, and bear the shame of the world. It made me think about my life and how hard it is sometimes to give up the world. How many cheesey stories have you read in the Friend about someone at a friends house, and they put on a bad movie, and they stood up against their feelings of embarassment and told them to turn it off. Well as cheesy as that is, in our lives we have bigger problems. We arent 6 years old anymore. Now we have poeple trying to tell us that its okay to break the law of chastity, that we can have just a sip of beer or a shot of vodka, that its cool to get awesome tattoos and piercings, that you can smoke....but its even cooler to do drugs, and even little stuff like modesty. Its all so much more real than a movie at a friends house, because we are living in this world. This isnt a one time situation. This is every day of our lives. So I ask you now very sincerely and seriously, Are you willing to bear the SHAME of the WORLD? Are you so firm in Christ that you can give up those pleasures, and take up his cross? Can you love you savior enough to bear his name, whether shame or shunning or ridicule comes? Its not some question in a for the strength of youth handbook. Its not some catchy phrase on a facebook wall. This is your life. You and you alone, decide if you can actually love God so much, as to give up on being just like everyone else. Are you willing to bear the shame of the world? Ask yourself.

Love,

Elder Josh Hamm

Waffles

A dog or a horse...I'm not sure which