Email - 8/2/10

Sent: Monday, August 02, 2010 1:50 PM

Yeah, there are a lot of things these days that are requiring a lot of getting used to. For example, we had a surprise, mission-wide transfer on Thursday. E. Clark is in Uberlandia with E. Maxwell now, and my 20th companion is E. Pimentel! The whole of our mission is changing, and not always for the better. Not that the changes coming from our leaders happen to be wrong, or bad, but there are changes happening amongst the missionaries as well. I feel some days like the Apostles must have felt when the Apostasy began. Sometimes I see missionaries I never would have believed to be capable of doing the wrong are the first to rise up and do it. Some days I see fights between missionaries, and all too often I hear one or another speak ill of the other. The worst is when I find myself less than I know I can be. I love this mission and these missionaries, but sometimes, I don´t even know how to handle my own personal weaknesses, let alone the problems created by others!

But I suppose that´s where faith comes in, isn´t it? All things are in the Lord´s hands. And I know He can and will cure us of this sickness, as He in times of old cured me of my sicknesses. I longed with a great longing to participate in this work, and I have never been so happy and felt so rewarded as I have in this last year and 9 months, but I must admit, I´ve seen eanough things on the mission to really change who I am. I left home with one vision, exceedingly narrow, of the universe. Now I see another, and perhaps I find it a bit too broad some days.

But I´m just whining, really. What have I to complain of? Everyday I work to better the lives and eternities of the people around me. I have the support of generations long gone and yet to come behind me. The Lord walks at my side when I am righteous, and corrects me powerfully when I am wrong. It´s not that the Lord prohibits me from error, but rather that He watches me so that, when I´m erring, I don´t go too far. How humbling it is to represent the Lord, and have absolute perfection as the standard of excellence! Even when I´m doing my best, I never come so close to Him, yet even when I´m doing wrong, He, by the grace of His Atonement, never lets me go too far.

Love you all, and am doing well. Hope I´m bringing honor to the family name. Never have I had a time in my life so full as this. Some days I wish I could have you all here, seeing me. Other days I´d really rather not, haaha. I guess you wouldn´t understand the most part anyway, as it´s all in portuguese.

Gotta split, much to do still tonight.

Love,

Bryan