August 3, 2015
So many dang meetings we can't get anything done!

But really, that's been the name of the game this week, go to meetings in some far off part of the country and then try and hoof it back in a standing room only bus in time to rustle up a couple of lessons in the night time. Every day this week was a meeting-zone meeting, district leaders meeting, branch meetings, and interviews-great meetings and super uplifting, but hard to get any work done! Then on friday we had a great activity-spent two days preparing for it (remember the missionaries do everything here) so we're evaluating if the activity is worth the effort but it turned out really cool. We made a volleyball court out of a field (everything made by hand-I cut saplings to make the posts and made a net out of rope), organzied tournaments, water balloon tournaments, catch the water balloon games, stuff like that-everyone loved it, If I can get my hands on some pictures I'll send them.Had a great time, letting loose. We also gave out prizes, one of which was a free water balloon at a missionary of your choice. Good times. 

Motivations doing pretty good. I mean, I've always been motivated, I was just worried about my motivations, you know? But the district leader's meeting we had was really motivating. 

Also had a great interview with president klein on saturday-the highlight was what he told me about what I told you all, as I had expressed concerns and asked for advice. The short story is basically what you all said-it's normal. The goal to have my desires perfectly in line with Heavenly Father's will is the quest of a lifetime. And it seems to me that even Jesus Christ didn't achieve this up until the very end-reading in Luke 22 (I can't even remember how it goes in english) asking the father to pass the bitter cup from him, if possible-but if not, thy will be done. He didn't want to suffer all of those things, but he did it anyways-because he loved the Father and us. His natural desire was not to suffer, but he did it anyways, because its who he is and he loved the father enough to do it anyways. And because of this, he truly became one with the father. I read Mosiah 15 with new eyes this week. I had always found it kind of confusing because it makes the trinity sound like a niccenne creed type thing, the whole jesus and God are one person, one great spirit type of apostasy, but I read it with a new perspective. Verse 7-Jesus submits his will to the father. Through this, he and the father become one. In purpose, in power. And in verse 8, he is given power. This is something that's been called the divine endowment of Jesus Christ. As he submits his will totally to the father, he unites himself so completely that he becomes one with Him. It's something really simple, but it struck me. It's the same thing we do with our endowments as well-we make covenants, giving our will to the father, and recieve power and blessings. What christ did was a total endowment, giving all of his will and recieving all of the power-and what we have, as humans, is an opportunity to go at it step by step-giving our will a little bit at a time, recieving a little bit of power at at a time. Progression. Basically, I shouldn't expect to achieve something right now that not even Jesus Christ achieved until the end. It's the pursuit of a lifetime and really (according to a verse I read in DandC this morning, not sure if its doctrine or not) won't even really happen until the next life, because we can't recieve  a "fullness" of joy until the next life. So, all I gotta do is do what's right and follow the will of the Lord, even if I don't want to, and that I can do. But yes, thanks for the fast, it worked. You all told me the exact same things as president Klein and the scriptures, so thanks for that. 

But yeah, I'm in my last change here. Trying to do everything I can to leave a mark! It'll be interesting to see where I go. 

The food? Yup, everythings finger food. The rice is eaten with tortillas-you scoop it up with the tortilla in the palm of your hand. Kate would love it here. Every time I eat with my hands I think of all of us railing on kate for sticking her fingers in her food. And at the begining of my mission I felt obligated, but...I got over that real quick. I now have no shame in saying "hermana, I love ya, but I'm not eating that" I've gotten real good at refusing food without offending people. Or not finishing it. With our cocinera (did I ever tell you all we finally found a cook?) in the past I would feel obligated to finish it all, but now...I already paid all that money to eat the food, I'm not paying to make myself sick. No point to pay good money for food if it's gonna make me sick, I eat what I want. Something I'm noticing about the food though, is the more I can eat, the more I can eat. Right now I'm in a good cycle of eating lots, and eating good hearty food, and it makes a difference. 

The bushes are engaged? I wanna see pictures. 

And yup, the fam ortiz is gonna be official and leaving the whole fornication thing the 21st of this month! And they are excited as could be. 

And what Dad said about being a bishop. Great advice. I liked reading that, that was what | wanted to hear. That's what I told President klein too in our interview. When I was still stressing about my desires-I told him "look, I have absolutely no desire to do what you do. Be a mission president. Be a general authority. Stake president. Area authority. Nothing. I just want to serve in my ward, be a young mens president, and make a difference in the lives of the boys. One on one" And then he informed me that that is exactly how it should be.  As a district leader I feel that's a strong point I have too-one on one interaction. Although I'm doing really well at administration too, but really, its not that hard to manage 6 missionaries. 

And no, I hadn't heard anything about the BSA-I never hear about anything. Why? That is sad. The BSA will die without the church. 

I wanna hear about scout camp! And loved seeing the pictures of everybody. Nice to see spanish moss again. And Orrin sent me some sweet pictures of St. Johns, absolutely beautiful. I think I'm gonna spend my whole life caught up between AZ and FL. Good thing I like driving I-10. But yeah, take that phone fishing, and send me some pictures! Can't let Curtis get too Utah-y, gotta keep some Florida boy in him. Sterling's keeping it real with the surfing and all but its still not the river!  I miss the river like nothing else. Hunting deer on chilly mornings, bass fishing, swimming, tubing. I've got so many memories, as far back as Hyrum, going back in the swamp with our shotguns, catching bream, jumping off the bridge-my teenage years sure would have been a lot different without that place. Say hi to Julie for me! 

How was your little gathering with Cathy? 

And does Kate want to move to Utah now? When all was said and done how was her trip? 

Keep them pictures coming! Send more of the kids trips to utah! 

And more ancestor stories please...I crave them! I also wanna hear more about your lives. Growing up. What was it like growing up in Old Mesa? St. Johns? I wanna hear more stories about your young adult life, mission, college experience, first jobs, friends, dumb stuff, funny stuff, your families, family gatherings,  all that good stuff. Give me some good juicy stories. And pictures if you got em, I'd love it. Also, give me some mission ideas! Ideas for the branch, activities, reactivation ideas, stuff like that if you all have anything in your leadership arsenal. And yes please, throw in a bottle of fllintstones vitamins. And if there is anyway you could make chocolate chip cookies or no bake cookies or really anything and find a way to send it-I get packages really quickly now, I got the last one in two weeks and just forgot to tell you I got it. Also, include some stuff for my comp! Latins almost never get packages and it would be nice. Also, don't buy 40$ ties! I about had a heart attack, that's a month's worth of food here! DI ties baby, I can literally buy ties here for a dime. Not nice ones, but still...no need for Beall's ties, ya know? Thanks so much for the packages, I feel very lucky to recieve them. And they are a huge morale lift! 

But yeah, that's all I got for ya'll. The church is true, and the work will go on. My testimony grows slowly but surely, sometimes from reading, sometimes from teaching, and sometimes from hearing the stupidest things from other churches, but it's growing. Read the Book of Mormon and go to the temple and pray in families, its so simple. Thanks for the example, and the support. Where much is given much is required, so here I go. 

Love you all!