Just a quick preface to Charlie's email. Ammon has been memorizing all 197 countries over the summer (so as not to let his brain turn to mush). He took a quiz and got every single country...except Spain!
YOU FORGOT SPAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your brother, your flesh and blood has been living in Spain for a year and a half and you forgot it! Ammon Joseph Flint, how could you! :) You probably even got Andorra, and the Vatican and those aren´t even really countries! Broma, kind of. That just means that I´m not going to bring you anything back. Sorry. Jk. Next time, I think you will remember. Sounds like things are going well there back in the US of A. It is crazy that there are only 3 months left. I don´t like thinking about it, so I will only say this much, that as much as I hate the fact that this will end, I am excited to see you also. But that´s the end of that kind of talk :) I´m glad things are going well for everyone. Harry Potter is awesome. Just sayin. I like that thought about the Holy Ghost. I remember hearing a quote from Elder Neil A Maxwell. He said something like this. My goal is to have the Holy Ghost to be with me every day. I have not acheived it yet, but I am still trying. That should be our goal too. It´s not easy, but it is possible.
So Dad keeps telling me to tell him about the ward and the work. The only problem is that I only have so much time to write and so much to write about if I start with that! And then I would have no good stories to tell you after the mission ;) But I will start to add a little more about that. The members here are great. They don´t see their own potential yet. They help, but they, as all of us, have the capacity to do so much more. But we are continuing to do that most we can to help them do the most that they can. This week we did have a miracle though. We had 8 investigators in church and 9 less active members we are working closely with. It was amazing to see the chaple filled with so many people that are coming unto our Lord Jesus Christ and learning more about Him and their Heavenly Father. A wonderful blessing.
So things for my package. Hmm. I´m not really sure. Not to sound trunky, but after my birthday I´ll have like two months left and I´ll be able to get anything I need from the States then. I would say the best thing to send me would be to put some money on my card and then get me things that would help me for when I start school and living on my own, and just leave them there at home for me. And get me things that when I was younger I would have hated. Like practical not fun stuff. Like spoons. Get me some good spoons :) Or cups or things like that. I don´t know. Or things like sheets. I need some sheets. New garments! That would be good, because I´m planning on getting rid of the majority of the ones I have now. Or you could put money on my card so that I can buy garments online (that is an approved way for us to do it here on the mission). And if you send me a package just fill it with junk food. I´m sorry Logan, but I think you´ll beat me with the whole ab thing, I get fed way too much here in Alicante and things are not looking so hot for me :/ But give me 3 months after the mission, that´s when I´ll whoop ya :)
So these last few weeks I have studying a lot about Jesus Christ and his life. I have testified thousands of times about Jesus Christ on my mission. I have not been the most obediant, nor the best teacher, or the best contacter, or best leader or best looking missionary in the world, but I have testified of Jesus Christ with all my heart and until my dying breath I will continue to do so. He is my Savior and my friend. I have learned so much about him on my mission. I have come to know him personally. Some of you will understand that, but before my mission when I heard people talk about their relationship will the Savior that way, I didn´t really get it. I understood, yeah Jesus suffered and died for me and I was truly grateful for that, but I didn´t really truly fully understand the fullness of what that means. I do now. And that hasn´t just magically come from being a missionary, as I thought it would. It has come through trial. It has come through study. It has come through faith and giving my all for Him. And you don´t have to be a missionary to do that. So what I invite you to do, it do just that. Focus on coming to know our Savior. Read Jesus the Christ, it is wonderful. Study the New Testament and the Book of Mormon (two incredible testimonies of Him) And if you want to know what the Lord´s voice sounds like, read Doctorine and Covenants. There is more direct speech from Jesus Christ in that book than in any other canonical work. So go find Him! It is because of Him that all things are possible. I love him and I love all of you. Have a fantastic week!
Love,
Elder Charlie Flint
Monday, July 21, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
Hola familia!
Sounds like you guys have had an awesome week! From LOTR to the Texas Tenors and Liberty for the United States, things seem to be going well! We celebrated a little here in our district meeting. We sang the National Anthem for one of the hymns and had hot dogs and watermelon afterwards. Pretty American I suppose. I didn´t realize how much I appreciated my country until I was far, far from it. I suppose I can understand Mom´s inability to use the computer; the natural affects of living and Amish-Mormon life :) But send her my love! I love the fishing pictures! But why is Ammon in pajamas? Good work on your tests by the way. Although you did not top my scores in English or Stats, you did beat my UPUSH by one. I admit defeat in that battle. But you have 3 more classes to go if you want to break the record ;)
So my thought for the week comes in two parts. First a thank you for Uncle Robby. I really appreciate what you wrote to me. At times I wondered if my emails were being read by anybody other than my parents, but I give thanks to the Lord that the Spirit has been able to work through me, a weak vessel to touch your hearts also. I know what I´ve said is true, and I love you all very much. The fact that you have come back to activity in the church has been the GREATEST blessing of my mission and I say that without hesitation. What could bring me or any of us more joy than to see our own family make the changes necessary to come unto Christ more fully in their lives? You are an incredible example to me. I hope you know that. All four of you! Keep up the good work, and soon you will be an eternal family!
The second part of my message comes from a scripture I read this morning and something that I have been thinking about a lot the last little while. Each of us have times when we get down on ourselves. When the days all seem gloomy and the cloud of despair looms over us, covering our self worth with a thick fog. I have often wondered how I could make so many mistakes,even as a missionary. Shouldn´t I know better? Shouldn´t I be better? More worthy? More strong? How could I be worthy enough to be called the Lord´s representative, when I do not feel even close to being good enough? As this type of thought lingers over us the first thing to do is pray. I have recieved such a testimony of prayer on my mission. I have made mistakes, but every time I get onto my knees and ask the Lord with all the fervor of my soul for forgiveness and help to become better, I have received it. And we all can. The scripture I found this morning comes from Jacob 4:7. It says: "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things." We each have responsibilities in the Lord´s work, whether we realize it or not. And the Lord will show us our weaknesses when we are invested in these responsibilites. But it is so we can come to understand his grace. What is grace? Divine help, and the saving power of Jesus Christ (for a better definition read "His Grace is Sufficient, a BYU devotional speech by Brad Wilcox. I highly recommend it! Here´s the web address: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1966). Does grace save us? Absolutely. But that does not give us a freebee. We must be changed by grace. When we come to understand our own weaknesses and that through the Lord´s grace we can be made better. We can change! I love that word. Change. I need it. Every day I need to be better. Every day there are things that I want to change. And guess what? I can! And every one of you can! That is grace. I love you all. And even more importantly, our Father in Heaven and our older brother Jesus Christ love you all. They want you to come back home to them. So why hesitate? Start now. Move forward. If you have been knocked down, get back up. And if you are on your feet, be prepared to get knocked down. Life is not easy. But what´s your bounce back time? Move forward. “Don’t give up, boy. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead,You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." (Jeffery R Holland "An High Priest of Good Things to Come" October 1999, also recommended).
Con amor,
Elder Charlie Flint
Sounds like you guys have had an awesome week! From LOTR to the Texas Tenors and Liberty for the United States, things seem to be going well! We celebrated a little here in our district meeting. We sang the National Anthem for one of the hymns and had hot dogs and watermelon afterwards. Pretty American I suppose. I didn´t realize how much I appreciated my country until I was far, far from it. I suppose I can understand Mom´s inability to use the computer; the natural affects of living and Amish-Mormon life :) But send her my love! I love the fishing pictures! But why is Ammon in pajamas? Good work on your tests by the way. Although you did not top my scores in English or Stats, you did beat my UPUSH by one. I admit defeat in that battle. But you have 3 more classes to go if you want to break the record ;)
So my thought for the week comes in two parts. First a thank you for Uncle Robby. I really appreciate what you wrote to me. At times I wondered if my emails were being read by anybody other than my parents, but I give thanks to the Lord that the Spirit has been able to work through me, a weak vessel to touch your hearts also. I know what I´ve said is true, and I love you all very much. The fact that you have come back to activity in the church has been the GREATEST blessing of my mission and I say that without hesitation. What could bring me or any of us more joy than to see our own family make the changes necessary to come unto Christ more fully in their lives? You are an incredible example to me. I hope you know that. All four of you! Keep up the good work, and soon you will be an eternal family!
The second part of my message comes from a scripture I read this morning and something that I have been thinking about a lot the last little while. Each of us have times when we get down on ourselves. When the days all seem gloomy and the cloud of despair looms over us, covering our self worth with a thick fog. I have often wondered how I could make so many mistakes,even as a missionary. Shouldn´t I know better? Shouldn´t I be better? More worthy? More strong? How could I be worthy enough to be called the Lord´s representative, when I do not feel even close to being good enough? As this type of thought lingers over us the first thing to do is pray. I have recieved such a testimony of prayer on my mission. I have made mistakes, but every time I get onto my knees and ask the Lord with all the fervor of my soul for forgiveness and help to become better, I have received it. And we all can. The scripture I found this morning comes from Jacob 4:7. It says: "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things." We each have responsibilities in the Lord´s work, whether we realize it or not. And the Lord will show us our weaknesses when we are invested in these responsibilites. But it is so we can come to understand his grace. What is grace? Divine help, and the saving power of Jesus Christ (for a better definition read "His Grace is Sufficient, a BYU devotional speech by Brad Wilcox. I highly recommend it! Here´s the web address: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1966). Does grace save us? Absolutely. But that does not give us a freebee. We must be changed by grace. When we come to understand our own weaknesses and that through the Lord´s grace we can be made better. We can change! I love that word. Change. I need it. Every day I need to be better. Every day there are things that I want to change. And guess what? I can! And every one of you can! That is grace. I love you all. And even more importantly, our Father in Heaven and our older brother Jesus Christ love you all. They want you to come back home to them. So why hesitate? Start now. Move forward. If you have been knocked down, get back up. And if you are on your feet, be prepared to get knocked down. Life is not easy. But what´s your bounce back time? Move forward. “Don’t give up, boy. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead,You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." (Jeffery R Holland "An High Priest of Good Things to Come" October 1999, also recommended).
Con amor,
Elder Charlie Flint
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