Exactatude

Hey there!  Happy Easter!

So, everything here is going good.  As far as I heard they basically drink wine as a family here for Easter, otherwise, I don´t think there´s really an easter bunny.  Here they call it ¨Samana Santo¨ or ¨Holy Week¨, everyone here loves Jesus, we´ll see what happens.  However I´m pretty sure there will just be a little wine and dinner shared between family.

My camera did die, however I think I´m behind on sending pictures so I´ll see if I can get this computer to read my card.

So, this week we got to go to the temple and listen to Presidente Riggins talk to us.  He explained the scripture where Cain´s sacrafice  was rejected by the Lord , he explained that yes, Cain did do as the lord ask by offering a sacrafice, however Cain did not do it under the lords requirements.  He explained that we often do what the lord asks but we don´t do EVERYTHING that the lord asks of us.  In these cases we need to ask ourselves, is our sacrifice good or will it be rejected?  Our God is a God of exactness.

Some say ¨I don´t think I´ll go to hell for shopping on Sunday¨

The answer is: No, but you will for your rebelion.  Remember that Satan was cast out of heaven for rebelion, God asks for our 100%.

We can take this same thought to our questions or doubts about some of Gods comandments.

It´s posible that we don´t see the harm in getting a peircing or drinking coffee.  However that doesn´t matter; You wont be condemed for the coffee, but you will be for rebelion.  Remember that our God is a God of exactatude.  REPENT YE!

Erm. anyways, this computer isn´t loading my SD card...dang it.

I gotta go... Sorry if this was short but I need to buy some food before pday ends.

Love you all!

-Cameron

Rice Bellies

Hello!

Mom has been asking about my health, which I suppose is natural. I'm pretty sure I'm doing alright, although she says I've been getting thinner...

I've come with full intention of telling you all that I'm pretty sure I have a belly, I think it's a side effect of rice:  people a thin everywhere except of the middle aria.  I've seen tons of guys with big arms and round bellies. Apparently that's what we call a beer belly but I'm on the theory that rice does the same thing.  ...freaking rice...

I've actually come to be acostomed to rice and the food here in Ecuador.  I eat a lot and I eat really fast.  Between me and the fat guy, I usually finish first.

I've noticed however I'm always tired, and normally when I get tired I get grumpy.  I don't like being grumpy so I've been putting a little thought into how I can help me stop being tired.

Being tired is a natural symtom of missionary work as it seems.  I've never met a missionary who didn't say he isn't tired.  However, I've been thinking about my diet, I eat a lot of bread and milk products, mostly because I barely have any time in the morning to make more than eggs and toast, toast with eggs, tortillas, or a PB&J sandwich.

I've opened my eyes a little bit and noticed every single fruit in existence is avalable to me fresh out of the feilds.  I can make smoothies in the morning, I just got to figure out how to do it.  Maybe you guys could help me out with finding and sending some awesome smoothie ideas?  Exotic isn't a problem.  We have dragon fruit, passion fruit, and a big veriety of fruit that you have never even heard of.

Emotionally I've been doing ok too.  The work isn't easy and people break your heart every single day.  I've been kinda grumpy but that's because I'm tired, I'm working on ways to be happier.  It's been awhile since we've found anyone who actually wants to progress in their lives.  The only people who actually want to live to gosple is Tony and his family, but we still can't baptise them and it's possible that we wont be able to for a very long time. 

I'm doing alright, it's hard but there's nothing betting to be doing right now.

and I mean that as something.  Many people say "there's nothing better to do" because they have nothing else they could be doing.  I mean that was I have a ton of things I could be doing but at this point there is nothing better than being out here getting my butt kicked by the work of God.

I'll send pictures when I can, however, this computer wont read my SD card.  I've also been using my camera less because it's slowly dying.

Right, I gotta go buy something to eat this week.

Talk to you all later.

~Cameron

Questions and Concerns

One time in Buena Fe me and my companion were finishing a lesson,

At the end of the lesson my companion asked the investagator if she had any questions, and she said no.  I then asked if she had any concerns and my companion cut me off and said questions and concerns are the same thing.

I've lately come to believe to that is more or less a lie. Over the last couple weeks I've found a couple of things in the doctorine that don't make complete sense to me.  This hasn't been the first time that I've come accross things that don't make sense to me and I am certain that it wont be the last.

There are lots of people who come accross these types of things and see it as a reason to not believe that the church true and to not join or leave the church. This is sad, because I've come to learn that these things always had answers. With all the things that I've come across, I've taken them to be questions rather than concerns.  And as questions, I looked for the answers through study and asking the people around me, and I've found some incredible answers that have helped me understand the plan that our father in heaven has for us a whole lot better.

If I were to take these questions as concerns or doubts, the doubt would do nothing but wear a hole in my testimony and probably spawn more doubts. 

As a missionary I would never be able to help anyone understand this thing that I myself don't understand if I let that thing personally become a concern. 

Concerns are different than questions, but it's true that they're similar.

However, if someone DOES have a concern about the doctorine of the Church of Jesus Christ, I encouage them to turn that concern into a question and take that quesiton to scripture study and friends.  Try to find the answer.  The cool thing about the church is that the doctorine is perfect and there is always an answer to the questions that we have.

It's true that some things are hard to find, not understandable, or hidden from us.  But what we need to understand is that God's plan is perfect and has no fault.  More, the Church is true everybody, that too is very important.  :)

Cameron