Week 21

Things were a little crazy last Monday so I wasn't able to get an email out. Things are getting better with how much we are allowed to go out and things like that. I have 2 new companions now. Elder Rodriguez and Elder Blomquist. Elder Rodriguez is from Utah and Elder Blomquist is from Montana.

 Now that we can go visit people we are trying to get to know the members of our congregation a little better because my companions don't know anyone here yet. We are hoping that when church starts up again we can start having soccer night with our congregation.  

One thing I've been thinking about this week is that in the Book of Mormon there is a scripture that says 

"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." (Mosiah 24: 15) 

I really like this scripture because it shows us that sometimes our trials and hardships aren't going to be taken away from us but that we can be strengthened so that our burdens are easier to manage. Just like when lifting weights, when you first start the weight you put on seems like its a lot to manage. However, over time we grow stronger and we are able to lift the weight with ease.

So my thought for you all is to remember that sometimes we have to ask Heavenly Father to help us get through our trials instead of asking him to take them away from us. 

Please water my plant mom

Elder Amata 

1) we are finally able to go out and do service again so we trimmed a bunch of trees for a guy. (Blomquist on the left) (Rodriguez on the Right)

Week 19

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY 

So for a little update on how things are going. We have been having lessons with our friend in Panama and he isn't afraid to ask us about all thing things that he has doubts about and it's been great because he's been able to experience for himself that faith means continuing to follow what he feels in his heart even when he doesn't have all the information yet. We are now able to go and visit people and have meals with them as long as we are social distancing. 

I just wanted to say thank you to all the mothers. For all that you do that doesn't always get recognized. Also to Rosario, Laura, Sister Baker and many more.Thank you for being like second mothers to me and for all that you do for your families. 

But, most importantly I want to share how grateful I am for my Mom. For those of you who don't know my mom, she is one of the most caring people ever. She loves to serve others and I will always remember her teaching me the importance of making the choice to help other people. She has been an example to me of how to look at everything with perspective. She has taught me that every single trial or problem that we have can be for our benefit if we choose to learn from it. She ingrained in me the knowledge that even in the hardest times there are always blessings that have been given to us. One thing that I will never forget is that my mom would always tell me before I left for school to find someone that looks like they need a friend or someone that seems down and make a difference to those people. I may not have always done that, but it was a great reminder to be kind and try to lift up others.

I love you mom. Thank you for everything you are and everything you do. 

Elder Amata 

Week 18

Hey everyone

This week has been very much like the last couple weeks. We have been pretty busy this week with teaching lessons and a lot of studying the Book of Mormon and the Bible. 

It's been hard to keep motivated but I learned in track that when you are in a rough patch that those are the times that it's most important to continue to work hard. Especially when we don't want to work hard, otherwise we are letting the competition continue to get better and stronger and get ahead of us. That's  kinda where my thoughts have been this week. 

Our "competition" or the "Other team" could be all of the things that stop us from coming closer to God. Something that I learned from Pole Vault is that the other team is constantly working, they are constantly getting better so we have to also be constantly working and constantly getting better too. The best thing for the "other team" would be for us to only work hard when it's easy to do so. When the sun is out , the weather is warm, and we have a tail wind at our backs pushing us along the runway. 

If we only remember our Heavenly Father when we attend church, when we have the time and when it's convenient, then we won't be prepared come meet day when it's cold and wet, when there is a headwind blowing in our faces making us feel like we can't do it. 

If we are constantly working through the days when our legs hurt, when we feel like we don't have the courage to take off the ground then we will be prepared for the hard days when they come. 

However, the biggest difference between pole vault and maintaining a relationship with our Heavenly father is that his son Jesus Christ knows exactly what it's like to feel like we are feeling when we feel like we want to give up, when we feel like we aren't enough, when we feel like no one could possibly know what we are going through. He felt all of our pain, all of our anguish, all of our shortcomings. 

When listening to a sermon given about Christ this week the question was asked "How many drops of blood did Christ drop for me individually? " What we call the atonement, when Jesus Christ felt all of the pain and sorrow of every person individually, is the thing that allows him to know exactly how to help us on those days when we just wanna "skip practice" when everything seems to be going wrong. 

He will help us through anything we are going through and He will give us strength to put on our shoes, pick up our pole and get on the runway to face anything that is being thrown at us. 

I hope that I can be better at facing my challenges this week by continuing to come closer to God and I hope that I continue to help other do the same. 

Please water my plan mom 

Elder Ethan Amata 

1)This week wasn't super eventful so I only have this picture of the pretzels I made from scratch lol