Whoohoo! Last week before the transfer, and a baptism in the oven...ain't no way I'm getting transferred without a parting shot! E. Ferreira and I are learning a lot together, and I'm happy to be alive and...well, happy!
I learned a bit more about the P-Day being useful - did you know that the Church teaches about effective ways to rest and relax? I'm getting my vision opened with regards to how complete the gospel is. For anyone who's interesting, look specifically at Ch. 27 of Gospel Principles - it's an interesting read for you adults that are reading my blog.
Work in the area is happy. I had a few members give me some personal thanks for doing things I had no idea I'd done for them these last few weeks - and we're receiving references like crazy. We've got baptisms lined up for the next few weeks...and now we just gotta work our rears off getting them into the water! There's just one thing...I might not be here in Gurguri next week. Behold, the transfer comes!
Yeah. I don't want to leave. I've gotten to know my last 5 areas better than my own home ward. And every time I get transferred I have have the wrenching sensation of moving out of my own home. But...I guess there's no point in speculating until the transfer's happened. I'm more worried about the Sister in my district from my MTC group that's going home...the final indicator that I'm ancient on the mission. It'll be really, really strange to get letters from somebody from my group...weird. Weird weird weird. But alrighty.
Anyway. Not much more to say for now. I have received more loves this week! Hence, I shall only congratulate those who have been loyal to my inbox, and those who silently read this blog - thanks for all your support! This has been quite the adventure, and I'm excited to get crunching on the rest. I'm excited - it's very likely I'll be experiencing the best of my entire mission starting now!
Soooo...yeah. Next week, if I follow the pattern, I'll have something more spiritual prepared...but for now, don't forget to write, and just remember that I love y'all!
-Erich

Too little time. So much to do.

I've got a heck of a meeting to plan tomorrow when I get off this computer. There's always a lot to do. It's kind of interesting how at the start of my mission, I didn't have that perception...but now I see so many things I could do that I could literally go days without sleep and still be focused on the work I've got. I try to imagine the multitude of things the Savior must have done, unique to His ministry alone, being the Son of God. I hope that I shall be able to do things comparable to those that I saw when I was starting and in the middle of my mission...E. Torgan, an authority that visited us, said that our most important work was still in front of us, because in Christ's work the most important things came last.

Sometimes I'm tempted to think about things outside of the mission. But every time it happens, I remember how little time I have left to do the many things I see I could be doing. Is real life like this? I think it will be. I think, dream, study, eat so that my ability to teach is better. Sometimes I wonder if it truly is getting better - other times I know that everything I've done until this point is part of the little universe that God has designed for me. It's...repetitive, but wonderful. My body is tiring, as is my mind. But I'm determined to keep going.

Gubler and his Stewardship

Hey y'all! Sorry for not getting the blog post out last week. There's a good reason, I promise.

These last few weeks....I've learned a lot about stewardship. I've revisited many principles of responsibility with the visit of a General Authority, E. Morôni Torgan, and personal studies about the story of the Morôni of the Book of Mormon. It's interesting how things have come together to teach me about it, because the concept of stewardship is surprisingly expansive...and suddenly seeing it in every aspect of the church and my life has been faintly mind-blowing.
http://www.lds.org/topics/stewardship?lang=eng

Let's start with the definition. Stewardship is basically a responsibility to take care of...something. Though it's not so specific in the definition on the page I linked, I have come to firmly believe that all people are stewards, and that all callings in the Church are extensions of the stewardship that starts with our birth.

First, as children, we learn to become stewards of ourselves, through the example and with the help of our earthly parents, who in the meantime maintain us as their stewardship. This is why the family is so important. It's within the walls of a home we learn to become responsible for ourselves - the way we take care of the internal vessel, or the "cup and platter", as Christ said in Matthew to the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. We teach in the Church that families are so important for this reason - we learn how to care of our own bodies, our own minds, our own souls through these two people, our mother and father. Everywhere else...we learn how to become not just stewards of ourselves, but also stewards of other things.

This is important. God seeks to raise us to this point: a steward of other souls; caretaker of other people. He seeks to make us more like Him - and in D&C 104:11-15 he shows us that he is the steward of all. I'm grateful for the love and care he has put into his stewardship with me.

The family, the most important calling in our lifes, is an experience in stewardship. In the same fashion, the mission is a school, in which we learn to be stewards in important things, in an environment designed to maximize learning and minimize the implications of mistakes we make. Virtually all things on the mission with respect to environment are quite temporary. Companion, area, investigators...they all present certain stewardships. They are serious. They can be heavy. But they are all short-term compared with the other stewardships in the Church, and because of this we can afford to make mistakes. We can afford to make many, not just because Christ permits as many that we repent of, but because the mission environment is designed to present many different stewardships in a short time.

I learned this week that a steward is what Christ was, and that the greatest stewardship is not of things material, but of people. While many of you may think of Him as the great Shepherd, I realize now that the shepherd is the perfect example of one who is responsible for beings other than himself. Heis the steward. In D&C 104:11-15, He declares himself in verse 14 to be the great steward of all - and as I recognize this, I'm grateful. I'm grateful for the thought and care that Heavenly Father has put into me, an incredibly small part of the great responsibility that He has. It serves to me as an example of the love that I too must have, both with my area, investigators, and other missionaries that are around me. I need to show an example in material and spiritual stewardship for them. I need to do better, so I can help them do better. I'm grateful to be part of the Church, which is His mechanism for helping me to become a greater steward, one more like He is.

Because of the time, I shall have to stop there - but there's more. Much more. I love the studies I've had this week. And I will strive to discover more jems of personal revelation. E. Torgan encouraged the older Elders in the mission to keep going - "...for the most important part of Christ's ministry was at the end." He told us that the most important part was yet to come. I believe him. And I'm excited! I'm getting aged here on the mission, but there's still much more to learn and to say before my time is up. The Church is true! The mission has been the greatest blessing I've had for this whole time. I know it's making me much better than anything else I could have experienced.

Anyway. Gotta run! I love y'all. I hope you're doing well. There are a few, though, in whom I wish to redirect to a certain scripture about writing to E. Gubler:
Alma 60:6

I hope the message is clear. Those who have written recently know who they are - but there are some in whom I am disappointed. I miss y'all! Just remember that Goob writes his story with the letters he receives, and that he simply wishes for you to be a part of it!

Love,
-Erich

Samuel's Baptism

Howdy y'all! I'm souped up on painkillers and some cold medicine, and right now I'm happy as can be. Know why?
Because there was another baptism. :D

Actually...this baptism was from LAST week. I just passed so much time ranting about ideal missionary work that I didn't have time to include it. Check out Samuel, the newest member of the Gurguri Ward!

He's a pretty scripturally adept guy. He studies the Bible like none other. You say a scripture, and he tells you where it is. You ask him to explain something, and he gives you more than just the answer, he explains everything: the background, the stories of the people involved, and generally he involves the original Hebrew to clarify semantics. He's the kind of guy that'd make a perfect missionary, for many reason...mainly due to his excitement to serve a mission and his natural ability to help others understand what the scriptures really say. He wants to serve in the US, so he can learn another language, study in BYU...he took off with the "Mormon Dream", as I've heard some call it. And the funny part was that he took a whole year to decide to be baptized. He gave the Church a grand sweeping analysis in thetime he investigated, and he started completely against the Church. He's an example of the miracle of conversion to the Good News. And he also does splits with us every day! So yeah. An excellent asset to God's army. This last week there was a normal transfer. As I suspected, E. Bispo went on to train...in the same house. So I got a new comp! His name's E. Ferreira - he's part of the group of arrivals that I left hanging at the airport back in February. He's a really interesting fellow from Joinville, Santa Catarina - a state in the southern part of Brazil. Another Southern Brazilian who loves meat! Feeeetch yeah. He's a really chill guy, very intelligent and determined to do his part. Very proactive, and very eligible to train...I think I already know how the next transfer's gonna go down. But we'll see if my speculations hold water soon. For now, we're just gonna keep on grinding;.


After the training, a few really excited members stepped up to the plate and asked to participate in the missionary work. We've got two more activities in the ward mix now, and the second will be a special missionary seminar with Pres. Gonzaga. We've already got all the green lights...so I'm really hoping to get this ward rolling soon. We've gotten almost a dozen references just this week, and the next is looking bright. We've found some interesting people, and I'm praying hard that we get fruit here soon.
missionary work. We've got two more activities in the ward mix now, and the second will be a special missionary seminar with Pres. Gonzaga. We've already got all the green lights...so I'm really hoping to get this ward rolling soon. We've gotten almost a dozen references just this week, and the next is looking bright. We've found some interesting people, and I'm praying hard that we get fruit here soon.
The scripture I'd like to share this week is Alma 48:17-20. This has become one of my favorite scriptures. Do we want to serve as well as Moroni did as he worked himself hard to bring liberty to his people? Then consider missionary work, in what's described as "...no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all menwhosoever would hearken unto their words." We can give the same service, but to others in places we might never have visited otherwise. In short...a mission is one of the best things we can do, something that lets us be a man of God as Moroni was.
Heh. That wasn't to toot my own horn...but to encourage all those thinking of serving a mission to go and serve one. I love my mission. I love being part of the mission's programs, which involves working with other missionaries, great examples of God's people, and helping them to help others. I truly love the time I've spent here in Brazil...I've gained more than just a few valuable lessons and skills from it. And there's still time to learn and grow! I'm trying to cram it all in as much as I can...struggling to help others into the water and out of the darkness!
Anyway. We're gonna get the baptismal font cranking here in a few weeks, I think. My plan is to make this ward the best area I've passed in yet. I'm excited also because...well, next week, I shouldn't have to pop painkillers just to get out of the house. ;) Don't forget to write me, y'all! I love you, and think about y'all right before I hit the sack after the race is run for the day.

-Erich