ELDER DREW CARSON: Year 2, Week 42

The answer to life, the universe and everything.... It’s week 42!!!!

LECCIÒN DE LA SEMANA: Don’t steady the ark!! I was talking with Elder Jensen yesterday, and we had a very enlightening, doctrinal conversation about how we sometimes step outside our stewardship as missionaries. It’s a similitude of the ark of the covenant in 1 Chronicles 13:

9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.

10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.

Sometimes, we, too, want to fulfill responsabilites that aren’t ours to fulfill, and we end up impeding the spiritual growth of others. Some examples:

We want to reprimand fellow members of the church when really that is the bishop’s responsability.
We want to council someone who should really be seeking the advice of his quorum leaders.
We want to discipline other children so that they behave better when that job belongs to his parents.
We judge others when the only one capable of understanding them perfectly is God Himself.

Don’t steady the ark. Magnify YOUR CALLING in the church and in the community. Demonstrate trust and let others do their job, even when they have weaknesses. If you do, I promise that you will see progress and unity in your wards and stakes. The Lord’s work advances when we all pitch in.

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This week was half and half - half in Valladolid and half in Cancun. We spent the first few days finding in our area, and we saw lots of miracles. The people in Yucatàn are very humble and willing to listen to the teachings of Jesus Christ. We committed the father of our recent convert, Romel, to go to church and accept a baptismal date - now it’s only a matter of his choices to follow through.

We had a Zone Party for baptizing more than the other zones!!! (pride is bad, people). President showed us some fun Family-Home-Evening-style games and he took us out to eat smoked meat tacos. Elder Del Toro ate the most (about three entire plates of pure meat) and I came in second with ten tacos.

ANGEL GOT BAPTIZED LAST WEEK! He was happy to be cleaned of sin and overcome his fear of water.

Now in Cancùn, we’ve been busy doing the planning for transfers. Turns out, I´ll be staying in Valladolid with Elder Godina for my last transfer!!!! Together, Elder Marquez, Jensen, Godina, and I came up with a Henry Ford assembly-line-style system to finish the logistics in half the time. We planned, wrote, corrected, and typed about 50 movements in less than 4 hours!! WOOHOO!!! What´s gonna work? TEAMWORK!!!

Now, we´re enjoying PDay in the mission offices. Great stuff.

Hope you enjoy the photos :)

Elder Carson

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