main { System.console.to_ostler_
" Hola familia, how has everything been? Sorry about the delayed letter. We were not able to write yesterday due to some holiday. So instead, we played football. That was rough. But it was fun. Today we had Zone Conference and my companion Elder Gonzalez, gave his testimony. Yes, sadly, this is his last transfer. It was really weird, seeing him on the other side of the hill. And then I saw it. Next month I will have been out for a quarter of my mission. WHAT??? That's what was ringing in my mind's ears for quite awhile. (Yeah... for some reason, saying "ringing in my mind's eye", really didn't sound correct. And yes, my mind has ears.) So hmmm... things to talk about. I have been trying to send everyone letters. Dang! It is so hard to do out here. Everyone wants a part of our Preparation Day. We have a Recent Convert family that is only free on Mondays so I mean, we have to go visit them. We can't say, "Sorry, but we can't do that. That is our time off." Because, in reality, it isn't. It is just the time we have to prepare for the rest of the week. We still wear our name tags.
Anyway, I had something of an epiphany not too long ago. It has been long in the making. For some strange reason, I had always thought of my life as a bunch of boxes. Work has its own box. Religion. Family. Fun. Etc. Each of these had their own separate boxes, and sometimes the things within one of these boxes would spill into another one. Such as Fun into Family.
But they were to be separate for some reason.
But then I realized... that is not right at all. Even though we might want to admit it to ourselves, I think that many of us are guilty of this. And in reality, this is a serious problem.
There is a reason that every young man is called on a mission. It is to learn the purpose of life. Sure, probably every member of the church as well as even some of the least religious catholics (I am picking on catholics just because that it was the first thing that popped into my head. And other reasons.) could tell spew off something about needing to be good so that we can come back to God. But really, who actually lives that? Who actually lives the things that we profess to believe every time we go to church?
I believe that the truth is that many of us don't really understand that the Gospel must be our core. The doctrines taught by the scripture must sink deep to the core. Their value and importance transend everything. To put it into geek-speek, we have to rewrite the software. It has to be part of the BIOS (that is the part of the computer that looks all old right when you turn it on). It must not be... "Hmm... well, my friends are doing it and honestly, that is pretty cool, so just this time." It has to be, "No. That is not what Christ would do."
OR
On the other hand, it must be, "Huh. I know that I need to do this. I know that it will be hard but still. I know that I need to do it." It shouldn't be..."Well, that sounds like a nice thing to do. But ehh... thats not my thing. Not my style."
When I was reading the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, I looked up the meaning of Tares in the Bible Dictionary and I noticed something very interesting. It says that Tares look very similar to wheat throughout their growth stage. But, instead of yielding 'good fruit', they give poisonous fruit that can cause dizziness and disorientation. Isn't this biblical allusion interesting? Do you see the parallelism?
When that is our BIOS (for a lack of a better word), that is when we are built upon the rock of our Redeemer. And when that happens, that is when we are truly happy. Believe me or not, that is the truth.
Thus, that is what I am striving for.
Anyway, sorry for the longish essay, but that was something that I thought would be useful for yall.
I hope that you are all well. I think about you in my prayers. I thank you for yours. They have kept me alive. Literally. I am saying right now that I am alive because of your prayers or in other words, I would not be alive right now if it weren't for that.
Take care.
I'm sending the letters tomorrow. They just need to be mailed.
I love you all so much. You are truly the best thing that ever happened to me. =)
Love ya.
Elder Ostler" } }
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