Elder Reeder -

12/24/11

Surprise!

So they switched the P-Day to Saturday instead of the normal monday. We are only working with citas fijas this weekend, o sea, it is better to use our pday today, when everyone is already drunk, then to try and proselyte. So surprise email!

I am not sure what i will say since i will skype you all later.......Hmmm....... well i strongly urge everybody to remember the real reason for christmas. Behind all the materialism... our savior jesus christ. His life, ministry, and atonement. I hope that everybody goes to church on christmas to take of the sacrament. How could we fail to remember our savior on the one day the world has set apart to remember him? Let us always remember him, and follow him.

Our week has been really good! Simplicity is the ultimate sofistication. We have been planning more simply, less plan A,B,C,D etc.... We do as much as we can in the time limit, then we fill out the area book, and go to our personal things. If we dont finish, we finish it up in the morning. It has been a lot better. We have actually gotten way better results out of it. I think stress and not having a little time for yourself can make the spirit go away.... So naturally doing things more simply (it is different for every companionship), and being able to follow the spirit is more effective. Elder Uchdorfs talk is really good. There are a lot of members who have a lot of excuses...mostly i am too busy. What should be our highest priorites? If your running and you are tired, are you going to speed up or slow down? I make the mistake of speeding up. I go crazy and try to study like a mad man and use all of my time effectively. The other night i just decided to eat and get ready for bed. It was a lot more tranquilo and i have done so for the past few days. The results: I am less tired, i am not stressed, i feel the spirit. Like i could try to cram studying etc. at night, but i can just do it in the morning.

The moral is be simple, dont overcomplicate things. Focus on what is important. Dont look for complicated solutions, just appreciate the simplicity of the gospel and life! If we all wanted to we could just fill up our schedules with a billion things! Our self worth is not based on how complicated our lives our. Our priorities should be 1.God 2. Our Family 3.Our Neigbor (MISSION WORK!) 4. Ourselves.

I have been doing a lot of thinking. I see a lot of young members trying to accelerate through life, trying to get ahead, trying to get to where their parents are in very short time. In order to do so they try to work more and gain more money. They sacrifice time with the family, time with Heavenly Father, and time with neighbors, and time with themselves to get ahead in life. This is absolutely not necessary. This will not give us happiness. The sources of our happiness are with Heavenly Father and our family. So what if you are not where your parents are? So what if you are going to college and living in a tiny apartment? Work what is necessary for your basic needs... but rememember what the most important things are. Ask yourself i you are really happy? Why do we work? Why do we work extra? Will doing so really make us happy? Will a cool new jacket etc. make me happier than my husband/wife? The answer is no.

I am really glad that i am a missionary so i can think these things over before i commit to anything. But those who are having problems, just trust the promise of our savior. "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

If he is our priority, we will be his. If we set apart time for him, he will for us. Have faith and focus on the things that really matter. OUR SAVIOR AND HIS GOSPEL!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love,
Elder Reeder