Week 21: The Land of Milk and Honey

Kamusta kamo?!? This was a pretty baller week.

I knew whitewashing would probably suck for like the first week, but things are really getting better. Now that we've been meeting with more people and getting to know them and the area some more too, we are really going to get moving now. Also, living with 2 other Elders has been really fun because there's just more people to talk and hang out with. The other Elders' area sounds crazy so it honestly makes me grateful for our haha. It's been fun cooking together and playing games too. And there's more people to convert to kendamas hehe....

Anyway, the main difference that I have noticed about Lehi v. Eagle Mountain is that Lehi actually has food places haha. Eagle Mountain was literally just Subway, Domino's, DQ, and Village Pizza. Not that I'm complaining, because Village was amazing, but Lehi/American Fork in comparison is basically the land of milk and honey. There is every food place imaginable and more, so needless to say we have been partaking of the bounteous fruits of this land. Pictures will be attached haha.

For pday today, we went to one of the greatest food establishments I have ever been to, which is Cravings Bistro in Pleasant Grove. If you haven't been there and you have the means to go, please do. It's a grilled cheese restaurant and it is amazing. My comp and I and the 2 other Elders we live with all thoroughly enjoyed it today.

Last Tuesday we had a really good meeting with one of the people we're teaching too. Her name is Maria, and she is literally so golden. She kind of impulsively moved to Utah in April and didn't know anyone when she got here, but over time she met some really great people and found that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was what she was really looking for in a church. She wants to get baptized too! We just have a couple more things to talk about with her, but she really is all set and is so ready to take this step! Elder Dieker and I really only get to see this very exciting part of her story, but we are so excited to get to work with her some more! She just has a very busy job as a caretaker, so we don't get to meet with her very often, so please pray for Maria that everything will work out!

Also, this week at our combined district council, we talked about a new way to read the Book of Mormon that we'll be doing as a mission. The goal is to read the whole thing by General Conference in April while focusing on 4 different aspects of Jesus Christ: His character, His doctrine, His love and mercy, and His engagement. It's been pretty cool so far to focus on Christ in the Book of Mormon.

That's something I've been trying to really emphasize in my missionary work is how Christ is involved in every part of our lives; that He lives and He loves you, and that through Him we can overcome anything in our lives. It is so special that we have this knowledge of the power of Jesus Christ, and that we can learn how to use it every day of our lives. With Jesus Christ, we are never truly alone. So why not believe? Why not believe that your life isn't all on you? Why not believe that you have a loving Father in Heaven who wants to help you with every hard thing you will ever experience, and all you have to do is let Him? Your life is not an endurance contest, and your Heavenly Father never meant it to be just about work or school or money, and full of hardship and disappointment. 2 Nephi 2:25 tells us, "Adam fell that man might be, and men are that they might have JOY." Heavenly Father meant for you to have joy, and it is through Jesus Christ that we are able to have it permanently.

If you read all that, then thank you. That was basically the week though. Feel free to write me back too!

Palangga ta kamo!

Elder Snyder