La Chancla

Hola Hola Coca-Cola! I hope everyone is doing well! This week has been pretty insightful. As I write these emails, it seems like I completely forget every important detail about my conversion.

The longer I stay out on my mission, the more I ponder what kind of person I want to be. It's something that's on my mind quite often. I often wonder if it's just my behavior changing, to be obedient unto the Lord, or if my character and nature are changing because of the Lord.

I've been studying the Ricciardi letter, which is about a missionary who is a legend in a mission in England. Many missionaries are probably very familiar with this letter, and if you don't know what it is, ask me to send it to you.

Ever since I've read it, my mind and vision have expanded. One thing that's helped in my missionary work is a quote that says, "When people know and feel your love, you can never be too bold." Absolutely true, and I've been more bold in my contacts and less of a time-waster. I feel like this principle applies to most things in life and most people. My parents were right all along...

Something else Elder Ricciardi says is, "I fear no man!" So I try to recite that in my head. Silly enough, it works. Who are we to fear? Fear is a tool of the devil, and God is the God of hope and courage... provided you have the faith.

My biggest fear is returning home and being some lukewarm believer. And knowing myself, it could definitely happen. But I know Jesus Christ can change my nature. He already has, but boy, I have so much room to grow. I often find myself getting a little prideful and not leaning on the Savior enough. I really ought to lean on Him for everything.

I've had my faith stretched and stretched, and it's quite interesting that we look at faith as something we shouldn't openly struggle with because people get worried. There are many Christ-like attributes that we can work on openly, such as virtue, diligence, or humility. But how come, if I say, "I just don't have enough faith to do that," or "I'm not sure if that's 100% true," people start flipping out, wondering if I'm going to go through some faith crisis? But why can't we just work on faith like every other Christ-like attribute? It's normal to not have very good faith because that's the whole point of this life. If we had perfectly amazing faith, the veil wouldn't exist for us. Sometimes I simply don't have the faith in someone I'm considering putting on a baptismal date, or faith that we're in the right neighborhood, or faith in myself, even, that I can change or transform into a whole new creature. So what do I do? Well, we learn things line upon line. It's okay that my faith isn't perfect. But the Lord promises that as we put in the effort to grow closer to Him and learn of Him, we will grow in all aspects and attributes. I will say I probably have more faith than when I left. Sometimes I had no clue how I'd survive on a mission, and now I know I'll be okay no matter what.

Now you all are probably wondering, am I going to write about any missionary work in this email? And the answer is probably. We put two of our friends on date, who were particularly hard to put on date for difficult reasons. I personally thought they weren't ready, which is absolutely true. But the baptismal date is only a goal. Of course, they're not going to be ready when we set a goal. If I set a goal to do 25 push-ups in a row by the end of this month, and I got down and did 25 push-ups right then and there, what would be the reason for the goal? Goals help us achieve greater things and ultimately help us become more like Him, and achieve the greatest goal: eternal life.

Now there was much joy and greatness in my life. The Lord was moving us around like chess pieces, and there were several times the Lord definitely put us right where our feet were planted. My apartment had a hoot listening to the dreams I wrote in my dream journal. You'd have to really know me before I read them; otherwise, you'd think I'm really weird, which is true. Maybe I'll read a few when I get back.

Anyways, I love you all so much, and I'm thankful for my missionary service. I hope these emails (if you read them) help brighten your day and help you ponder your conversion to Jesus Christ.

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1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704

United States

With skibidi,

Elder Berry