July 7

The title of this week's letter comes from a conversation that I had with Elders Bence and Neilson as they were about to leave to proselyte on Saturday, and I sat on the floor in a patch of sunlight listening to music. When asked how I go about with all the trials and labors that I face as a missionary, I responded with the above, which brought out a lot of laughter from the Elders. 

Why?

This week has been very, very different from the rest of my mission, as I have mostly sat in the house, trying to keep myself occupied. My poor companion, Elder Flores, hurt his leg pretty badly walking the hills of Santa Sabina, and the pain had progressed to the point that he was told by a doctor that he shouldn't even be walking for about a month. So, he got very comfortable with his bed, and I found out that our house isn't really that interesting.

Some of my achievements this week: Deep clean the entire house. Twice. 

Draw and color and laminate a large and intricate  visual aid for teaching the Plan of Salvation.

Design t-shirts that have a number of inside jokes for the Elders of Santa Sabina.

Read through about half of Jesus the Christ, by James E. Talmage.

Monitor the World Cup Results.

Using raw materials found in a large trash pile outside the house, repair a broken cabinet.

Eat a whole lot of toast, ramen, and flan. I have gained three kilos this week. (Exaggeration.)

Make my bed.

Update a great deal of my journal that had fallen behind horrifically.

Write a short story (About fifteen pages).

Have several philisophical ponderings.

Shoot my struggling companion with a Nerf gun many times. 

Get to know the Dueña a whole lot better when she sneaks into our house during the day.

Battle the slugs that infest our bathroom (These suckers are about a half foot long each).

Needless to say, it has been a whole lot of fun. Also needless to say, I wouldn't wish this on any Elder that I know of. While we have been able to catch up on any lost sleep we've had recently, I have never felt this angsty. I am itching to do some real proselyting and working. We talked about this the other day, and we feel that this is how many missionaries feel after returning home. There just isn't a purpose to our existence at this point.

There truly is great joy in work. It, by definition, is not easy. But as Elder David A. Bednar put so eloquently last conference, 'Happiness is not the absence of a load, but the load helping us to develop and gain the spiritual traction to progress.' Or something like that. A missionary without work is not a happy missionary. The other Elders in the apartment tell us that they are super jealous of our current house arrest, but I really want to trade places with them. There is great happiness in being efficient.

As nice as it has been to rest a lot, work is something that every person, missionary or not, needs a solid testimony of to enjoy this life. If we work, we will find that there is wonderful satisfaction to getting things done. It is nice, and good, and proper, to rest from time to time and relax a little bit, but it only is well deserved if it is following good work.

Our Heavenly Father has incredible plans for us. I'm a bit scared of what He has planned for me, allowing me to rest in this calm before the storm, but I am assured that whatever comes my way, He is in control. No matter how fierce the storms of life may rage or the winds may howl, the Savior (Of Whom I gain a stronger testimony of every time I open Jesus The Christ) is ready to reach out His hand and calm the tempests. 

Being a missionary is a great work. I love it so much. I love it so much that I hope to get back to it soon as possible. I can't ask for anything else, because nothing else brings the same level of happiness nor satisfaction. There's a not a whole lot to it, but what can I say?

I live a very simple life.

With love towards you all,

Elder Richardson