Mosiah 4:27...I've used that scripture quite a bit now. I wonder just how far-reaching the influence I have here as a missionary of God is...but I know my job isn't to worry about that so much as what I can do now to make sure that it's the best it can be. Mission life is getting easier in the routine respects. I literally teach lessons in my sleep (ask any of my companions I've had), and being the talkative American is a role I like filling. I whip out my planner, show people the picture I put on it of a father and his son viewing a portrait of Jesus Christ, and explain how that all correlates with their life and why exactly the missionaries are interrupting it. I explain in clear terms to people (most of the time) what it is exactly they need to do to have the single lasting happiness that will survive death. I do it all in Portuguese, in a country I never set foot in before the mission, in a language I didn't really speak before the mission. I say things I'm not sure I would have the courage to say in English to people I knew before. And yet, amid the thrills and despairs of missionary work, I'm feeling an inner peace .  It's pretty cool.
                                                                                                                                                                                   Part of that peace is in finally knowing that I will have baptized at least once with my companion here on the mission. He can't say I was a complete slacker, huh? We baptized a family member (who's ancient!) of a member with a really strong testimony. He's already hurdled dozens of missionaries at his family, and he was so happy when he finally baptized his uncle this last Sunday, he never stopped smiling the entire day. He's told us he expects it'll take another 4 sets of missionaries to fix the next most likely person...and he's got at least 4 living people to baptize to go. It's all one eternal round, huh? I've been thinking about that "eternal round" thing a lot lately. There's a Chinese proverb that says "The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.", which I think is extremely insightful analogy for our progress in this life and after. How much of myself am I polishing here, I wonder? How much do I have left to go before I get to be one of those spiritual giants here that are my heroes? It seems long and winding, but hey, it's eternity.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                   
At this point in my mission, I'm a lot more preoccupied about principles and what sorts of things that we should do instead of what we should do. E. Acevedo, very good missionary material, is discovering how to lead and is developing the initiative to just do the things he feels are right. Being a trainer is becoming less stressful. Writing in the diary is taking way longer. And there's simply no way I can fit all the details I want to now into a single email.                                                                               Bah. It's good to have the opportunity to just type out my thoughts here to the mission that a celestial standard, though I may never completely people I love. I've realized over the course of my understand its meaning, is something I want now in my life.
                                                                                                                                                                                    
Does it sound weird to hear that from your goofball nerd who liked to bury his nose in Linux and programming instead of FHE? Then again, perhaps not - there's so many weird things that have happened on my mission that aren't coincidence, and I'd bet you guys, my goodly parents, have already seen many things that are wonderful and seemingly too good to be true both in and out of the field. The longer I think about it, the more I just want to study, write, and do these same things I've been doing for the last months. I think President Gonzaga phrased it best when he diagnosed this condition I'm describing: "You're no longer just a computer but another missionary.                                                                                                                                                                                                           
"Gaaaaah. There's so much stuff I've been thinking about lately, it's all blurring together. I've already written a lot, and the clock here's getting mad at me - so I guess I'll terminate for this week. But remember that I love you all! Don't forget to peddle letters for me on the blog, and always remember that I'm thinking every day about what I'll say to you guys on P-Day!                  
                
Love, Erich