We can all go on...

To preface Elder Schomburg's letter, we are sharing the story we used to break some unfortunate news to him:

Once upon a time... in a land far, far away (from you anyway) there was a mystical, mythical creature known as "the Porsche."  Many brave knights had fought for their honor against the magical fellow.  Sir Andrew had taken the beast apart piece by piece in an effort to find it's heart and tame the amazing monster.  Sir Lee had driven it headlong into a guardrail and even attempted to drown the brute in a knee-deep rain puddle, but to no avail; the hellion continued to tease and tempt its drivers with its insistent "vroom vroom" and its heart pounding rumble.  Then one evening, Sir Jeffrey was at the wheel of the beast... lulled into a false sense of security by the monster's gentle purring, he ventured into the fast lane on I-25 to pass the lesser motorists.  In the blink of an eye, the creature began to growl and then screech!  A violent explosion followed as it commenced with belching smoke and spewing oil.  Heart racing and ears pounding, Sir Jeffrey gazed through the smoke-filled cockpit to find safety. He wrestled the dying, power-steeringless animal to the side of the road where it came to rest in a pool of its own oil.  With the oil pan ripped to shreds and a gaping hole in the side of the block from a hurtling connecting rod, the creature was dead.  Sir Jeffrey had slain "the Porsche."

The End.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Not the Porsche!! Ahhhh!! ::anguish!!:: May she rest in peace. :(  [The Porsche was Andrew's first car.]

Well, all is well here with me. I am found in good spirits and with socks, so all is very, very well. Yes, more pouch! Oh, also, I received a Christmas card from the McKoons that was sent back in December I believe...welcome to Ecuador!! Thank you to all who write to me, who follow me through my blog, and who pray for me. I really am very grateful for all that you do to support me.

Things are looking a bit more up here. We're currently teaching a twelve-year-old brother of a member who recently moved to the ward, and he is not yet baptized but is probably the best investigator I've ever had. He understands everything perfectly, he always reads everything that he needs to, and the one time that he didn't remember what scriptures he needed to read he still read some of the Book of Mormon, so that's pretty cool. If only all of our investigators could be like Xavier. We're finally finding people here and there, and even some of the people that we contact in the street are a bit more open than earlier. It turns out that being obedient and diligent bring results. Huzzah!!

The missionaries here in Santa Ana are also starting to work a little bit harder. We had a mini conference this Friday and tried to get them excited. We had them write on paper all of the things that could impede them from working as hard as possible, and then we took that paper and threw it away. Maybe it was a tad cheesy, but I think it helped. There really isn't anything that can impede us, not even Satan. When we're impeded in the work, it's because we have decided to allow Satan to work in us and to put doubt or fear in our minds. We have to decide to NOT allow Satan to work at all with us, and it's a decision that we can definitely make. Sure, Satan can affect other people to try to hamper their progress, but my calling is one of God. I have received His authority and am a holder of His priesthood. Satan can have no power over me unless I allow him to do so. We're going to really try to help our missionaries see this fact, because when they really take that to heart they'll be able to work miracles. We all will be able to do so.

We're currently teaching a less-active family in which the mom passed away about a month ago due to cancer. The dad has been having a really hard time, and it's always kind of difficult to pass by there. But my mission experience has helped me to be able to relate to him a little bit. I don't have the slightest idea what it's like to lose a spouse (I'm not even going to pretend that being away from home and Michelle is anything the same), but I have learned how to endure and persevere through difficult times. Without a doubt the mission is the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life. I have never been required to give so much and to sacrifice so much, nor to gain so much experience in such a short time, and it is very true that there have been many days when I just wanted to stay home or take a vacation. But I haven't. Every day I go back out and I do what I have been called of God to do. Every day I put aside what I want (or try) so that I can do what the Lord wants. Every day. If you guys think that the Sabbath or P-Days are days of rest, you're very wrong. There has not been a day go by that I was able to work that I haven't worked. And it turns out that sharing this experience with Brother Andrade helped him realize that he can persevere too. Perhaps his wife isn't on the earth anymore, and perhaps his family is passing through a rough time, but that doesn't mean that he can't persevere. We can all go on. Christ suffered everything. Because of His suffering, we can all draw strength from Him and we can go on. As my companion is very fond of saying, "I can do anything in Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philipians 4:13). He suffered and died so that he could provide us with mercy, which is the enabling power of the Atonement. He gives us strength to overcome the things that we alone cannot overcome. And with that strength, I, and you, can do anything. I testify of that with all of my heart.

Well, my companion isn't feeling very well so I'll be off now so he can go rest a bit. I love all of you so very much. I hope all are still enduring and trying to walk the same path that Christ walked (that means every person that reads this blog). Have a wonderful week, and remember to put the things of God before your earthly pursuits, because what materials in this earth you gain you cannot take with you when you leave the earth. I love you!

Love,
Elder Schomburg