Hola Familia,
Hey so I don´t have too much time because I was in Asunción all day so my comp could have his final interview with President. I still don´t have my transfers yet, any minute now they´ll come. It´s funny you ask me about my health because I was just thinking today about how lucky or mejor dicho blessed I´ve been with my health. I remember being pretty nervous before I left that I would just be sick all of the time but I really think I´m healthier here than back in the States. I realized that the Lord is really aware of my personal needs so he´s been helping me to just feel good all of the time. Your letter was awesome mom and I think it really helped. Tomorrow Hna. Cristaldo will be getting baptized and she´s asked me to do it. I´m super excited and it´s been super great being able to watch as she came to fully accept the Lord. As far as journals go I often think of myself as Nephi with his two sets of plates. I´ve got my small plates (a small leather journal I bought in the MTC) where I write everything that I learn in my studies, then I have my large plates (a bigger journal that Grandma Honey gave me as I was about to leave) where I write down stuff that happens during the day. I´m not the greatest at keeping up on my large plates, I usually only write in it a few times a week but I´ve set the goal to write in it daily so hopefully I can get better at that. So today at the office I got 2 packages! I haven´t had the chance to open them yet but I´m really excited about it. My area is doing pretty well and we have some great investigators. I´m really proud of my companion for still working hard even at the end.
I´ve been having some pretty cool experiences trying to figure out really what my role is as a missionary and what is the definition of a successful missionary. One thing I realized earlier this week is that everyone has the same responsibility from Christ which is bringing souls to Him. Before the mission I wasn´t sure what that meant. I tried inviting my friends to things and tried to be an example, not too concerned or better said aware of gospel progression. Then I got on my mission and I felt like my whole purpose was just to prepare people for baptism, baptize everyone. Then I started thinking how I have no idea what my role is after the mission. I really wasn´t seeing the connection between all of these roles, but then I read a talk by President Eyring and I realized that his purpose as an apostle is to invite everyone to come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, confirmation and enduring to the end. I realized my role before the mission, during my mission, and after my mission are all the same. I am supposed to be helping everyone always grow closer to Christ. The only difference is the amount of time or my capability in doing that. Right now I don´t have to worry about anything else but this, but before I had to try to balance other things (as I´ll have to do after). But essentially the only difference is the time spent doing it. I also right now as a missionary have the grand opportunity to be able to teach and preach and testify as a special representative of the Lord and Savior and am therefore involved in the conversion process of others in a little different way, but all of us have the same mandate to bring souls to Christ and we are all called and qualified. Our objective now is to find out how we can magnify this call in the capacity that we have. The Gospel is so cool! Probably none of that made any sense, or it is completely obvious to everyone but me. But it´s something that I´ve had a hard time figuring out and is finally making sense to me (I think). I know this church is true and that the Savior lives. I love Him. I love you guys too and I hope you have an awesome week getting Big Spencer all ready for the DR.
I´ve been having some pretty cool experiences trying to figure out really what my role is as a missionary and what is the definition of a successful missionary. One thing I realized earlier this week is that everyone has the same responsibility from Christ which is bringing souls to Him. Before the mission I wasn´t sure what that meant. I tried inviting my friends to things and tried to be an example, not too concerned or better said aware of gospel progression. Then I got on my mission and I felt like my whole purpose was just to prepare people for baptism, baptize everyone. Then I started thinking how I have no idea what my role is after the mission. I really wasn´t seeing the connection between all of these roles, but then I read a talk by President Eyring and I realized that his purpose as an apostle is to invite everyone to come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, confirmation and enduring to the end. I realized my role before the mission, during my mission, and after my mission are all the same. I am supposed to be helping everyone always grow closer to Christ. The only difference is the amount of time or my capability in doing that. Right now I don´t have to worry about anything else but this, but before I had to try to balance other things (as I´ll have to do after). But essentially the only difference is the time spent doing it. I also right now as a missionary have the grand opportunity to be able to teach and preach and testify as a special representative of the Lord and Savior and am therefore involved in the conversion process of others in a little different way, but all of us have the same mandate to bring souls to Christ and we are all called and qualified. Our objective now is to find out how we can magnify this call in the capacity that we have. The Gospel is so cool! Probably none of that made any sense, or it is completely obvious to everyone but me. But it´s something that I´ve had a hard time figuring out and is finally making sense to me (I think). I know this church is true and that the Savior lives. I love Him. I love you guys too and I hope you have an awesome week getting Big Spencer all ready for the DR.
Con mucho cariño y amor,
Elder Zachary J. Hulsey
