I actually already wrote my entire email up for yall and was about to send it when I read over it and it was genuinely was one of the most boring e-mails I’ve ever done. So, hopefully this draft is better lol.
Last pday was supa fire! We went down to the LB Pike and hit up Nike and bought some new basketball shoes…. they are tuff. We then dipped over to the church and played ball for HOURS!!! It was so much fun. I might have to join Lebron and Luka here in LA, but I haven’t decided yet.
Tuesday was fire, until it wasn’t. As you may remember, we are in a trio with Elder Anderson from AF. We had some great lessons with Mark and Hasii. After some good planning we got a call from the AP’s…. They called and said things are changing and they are taking our boy, Elder Anderson. They are sending him to my baby area!! It was so sad! We went back to the apartment that night, after grabbing some angels of course, and helped him pack hs stuff for the morning. It was truely devastating.
Wednesday morning we drove him to his apartment, which ironically, was my first area and apartment too! It was super weird being back in those Apts. On the way back we dropped off a baptism jumpsuit for some sisters ( shout out fr ) and so the rest of the morning was taken up with chores lol. We then had no energy to grind. But there is something about Elder Capps and me, which is we somehow just can’t stop working. Both of us could be shlumped but regardless, we find a way to use God’s help and push through. It’s awesome.
Thursday lowkey bummy day lol. We had like a 100 lessons cancel and on top of that it was gloomy and SUPER COLD!! It was a solid 54 degrees and sheesh, we were double layered shivering out here. Like legit. However, we did have a goated member meal with RC, Robyn and her fiance Todd. They are awesome!
Friday got a lot better, for sure. Zone Conference is like my spiritual charge for the next 6 weeks. Prezzy chopped it up about God’s Divine love for us and how we need to love our friends so they can receive the highest form of God’s love! I thought I understood God’s love, but boy, was I wrong. Go read John 15:1-15 and you’ll see that God loves everyone. Yes, absolutely, there is no doubt…. but…. he has a higher degree of love for those who make covenants with him. It’s supa cool. The saddest part is seeing the departing testimonies of missionaries.
Got to see E. Poole, E. Ballester, and Sis Dixon all say there final thoughts and give their testimonies. It was super sad. E. Evans is also leaving but he is banished in Brea rn so I didn’t see his departing testimony, which sucks. Love you tho.
Saturday was a good day. I was on exchanges with Elder Reyes from Provo. He is in the Samoan ward here in LB. It was fire being able to spend time with him. We spent most of the day in Compton which was a lot of fun. I love Compton.
Sunday was crazy. Our friends have been flakey. Only Mayro pulled up to church. During testimony meeting, this dude got up and said it was his first time in a LDS church. He said his name was Bill. All of us missionaries looked at each other and then looked at our app we had and we had no records of a Bill. Apparently, he met someone on Thursday, who is LDS and she invited him to research the church and to try it out. He said for 48 straight hours he studied about the Church, ordered a BOM, and more material. He seems super elect, but he is actually crazy. He can’t stay on a subject for more than 2 seconds before going off about something random. So. we will see how it goes!
We also have been spending lots of time in the Projects recently. Hits the title of the email ( iykyk ). We seem to find the most elect families ever! We got a referral from a lady who’s son was murdered a couple days before. We visited the home and she wasn’t home. However, her daughter and the rest of the family were home. We taught them about our families and how they can be sealed with priesthood power. They were eating it up! Good times.
My spiritual thought this week is around Mosiah 3:19. It reads, ” 19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”
This week in Sacrament Meeting, I was really just fed up with myself on how I always tend to let the natural man get the best of me. Natural man kept going through my mind until finally I pulled out my BOM and opened up to this verse. I read it over and over again and then it really hit me how its through the atonement of Christ in which we can be perfected. As I read that and felt that, the young man held out a trey with the bread and I remembered being overwhelmed with the spirit. I knew I was being forgiven as I partook of the sacrament and tried my best to put off the natural man.
Sorry for the long email. If you read the whole thing, respond with you favorite highlight from the week! I love you all and I can’t wait to see you all again soon!
Elder Lando
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NHrV4D2UezMB4PMq8
