Stories From Ruth #13

It snowed! Sunday morning we woke up to a member asking us if we had church. We said we thought so and then he told us to look outside. Everything was white. Long story short, church got cancelled because it was going to snow all day and British people do not know how to cope with it. My companion immediately dragged us outside to find and make snowballs. Her reasoning was that the elders were going to do something. Sure enough we heard snowballs hitting a door. Our door. So we got them good!

 

Everyone here speaks Portuguese and my companion and I help each other out! I can say the Book of Mormon is true in Portuguese! Haha! We moved to an area with the zoneleaders and they are pretty funny. There is Elder Barfus from canada, and Elder Williams from Australia. Sunday after the snowball fight we built the tallest snowman I have ever made in my life. While lifting up the body of the snowman Elder Williams crouched down. A ripping sound occurred and then my companion who was right behind him making the head looked away and bust out laughing. There was apparently like a five in gash in his trousers. It was pretty funny. We couldn't stop laughing. Elder Williams just tied his scarf around his waist like a skirt.

Well as you all know, last Tuesdays was transfers and I have a new companion: Sister Nunes from Portugal! Yes my mission President loves to move people around a lot in this mission. And now I am in a walking area. Yeah! I am just glad it is not a busing area. There are no more car areas for the sisters since a British sister crashed the only car. So we have an option of busing, biking, or walking.

I love the ward from what I have met of it so far out here! They are huge into missionary work and

are really good at sharing the gospel! We are teaching a few people and they are great! I love them! 

Lots of crazy things have happened so far. On my first real day out here we were talking to a woman and in the middle of her sentence she just said rat. Sister Nunes and I were quite confused until we were directed to turn around. To our horror there was a rat stealing some trash. It then scrambled away under a car. Also I feel as if I have been placed in a Portuguese immersion program! I am also eating a lot of foreign food which I love! Two nights in a row I have heard things like "look out for bones" and "be careful of the spines!" It is so good though! One meal was from a woman from Africa and it was some rice with lamb and lots of spices! The first night we had dinner with this less active portuguese family and she made us this traditional Cod and potato meal! Oh it was so good! I love it out here! I think I am going to move to Portugal solely to eat. My only thought was that I am not in Cambridge anymore. Haha. Scary. 

The scripture for this week is Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." This is a commandment. The commandment is not to be your best. It is to be perfect. The only way to be perfect though is through repentance, making covenants with God and keeping them, and the atonement of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ did not atone for us, we could not repent. If we could not repent our change would be pointless, but because of these things we are commanded to repent and to change. Why? Because it is possible. God gives not commandment that even the least of saints cannot do. Even the word of wisdom. Joseph Smith said that daily repentance and daily transgression is not pleasing in the eyes of God. We all need to battle daily that we overcome th natural man and sin no more. We can all get to a point where we do not sin everyday. Yes everyone does need to repent, but that does not mean we do not change and repent and commit that sin no more. When we have truly repented of a sin we surrender ourselves fully and desire the sin no more. If we desire it no more, we will do it no more. If we truly understand the doctrine and have truly repented we will be like the sons of Mosiah who in Mosiah 28:3 could not bear that any human soul should perish. Therefore they went and they taught their brothers and sisters because they could not stand that any man should sin, especially I am sure, the same sins they committed. If we have truly repented and felt the atonement in our lives and that joy we will wish others to have it as well. We will develop Faith enough to cast off fear and help us to teach our brothers and sisters the gift of repentance. Eventually we must become like God if we are to live with him again. We cannot become perfect commit the same sin again and be cast out of heaven. We must repent and be changed. Never committing that sin again and this is how we can become perfect. As D&C 93 says, growing from grace to grace until we have overcome all things.