I think the reason we sometimes don’t push ourselves to take
an important “next step” is because we are already subconsciously telling
ourselves “it can’t be done”, or “person so-and-so won’t like it”, or we are
indecisive or afraid of failure and resulting unhappiness. I’m realizing this
is something that I do quite often, usually without even noticing that I’m
doing it. And I am realizing that there is a lot of value in taking a moment every
now and then to work on myself and to really think about what I want and need
in life.
Truthfully, in the mission, there aren’t many options around
what I “want”. A lot of the big decisions have already been carved out for me. Sure
I choose when to wash my clothes vs. writing my family on p-day, what to eat
for breakfast, who to visit on a given day, where to look for service, and what
service we end up giving. But I’ve been working on having a meaningful opinion
about these things and, more importantly, expressing that opinion. And it’s
been great for me. After knowing what we want, it’s all about putting on a game
face, going out, and getting after it using the tools we’ve been blessed with.
I’ve come to respect people that don’t sit and wait to be
blown wherever the wind will take them. I appreciate people who get up and act.
On Wednesday, I met an awesome person. He doesn’t have much, but he has a small
place to stay the night and he has a motorcycle that he uses to stay afloat.
When we met, he passed us a small, hand-made business card that explained his “to-your-door”
delivery service. He basically goes out and brings to people anything they
want. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that his idea, which is very revolutionary
here, had long been mastered by Pizza Hut back home. But I was seriously taken
aback by his ingenuity and work ethic. He calls himself the Genie of Ipiales. Latin
America has the ultimate culture of do it yourself and ingenuity. Anything that
can be used to make a living is used to make a living. I love the jugglers and
fire-breathers at the stoplights. I love the small candy stores operated
through iron-bar covered, living room windows. I love the people who sing, rap
and tell jokes on the busses. I love the homemade business cards and constant
offers for services. The pick-yourself up and make it happen culture has really
taken root in me and I love the work ethic of this people. They are people of
action and I love that!
On Thursday I went on splits with my zone leader who I
really respect and appreciate. (Splits is a missionary word for when we switch
companions for a day to share ideas, learn from one another and catch up on how
things are going.) Being with him really
helped me to think about my own next steps. For dinner, we called “The
Genie” and requested hamburgers from the most authentic burger place that we
know in Ipiales. Since we can’t have random people knowing where we live, we
met him by the nearby statue to the Virgin Mary. (The people here are generally
Roman Catholic with a deep respect for the Virgin Mary. One way they show it is
to build throughout the neighborhoods, little shrines with rocks and jewels and
a small fence to protect a small statue of Mary. They’re great for giving and
following directions like when you need to meet someone delivering food.) In the
zone leaders house I slept on a small, very dirty mattress that I was allergic to.
The springs in the middle of it were broken so I could feel the slats coming
through, holding me up. Elder Chavarraga told me a funny story about secretly
removing the slats from the bunk bed one night and when his companion returned
to climb into bed, the mattress gave out and he hit the ground.
Prayer has become so important to me. I’m not going to lie,
it was something that was kind of new for me coming out here but now I know I
can’t live without it. I’ve come to see that those who pray every day are the
ones who progress. And I’ve seen over and over again that the people who don’t
pray are the ones who struggle to leave the world behind and slowly slip away.
I’ve had many experiences where my prayers have been answered directly and I’ve
been guided in my efforts.
Friends, I encourage us all to take a moment, sit down, and
think about our needed next step. Everyone has a dream. Everyone has a wish.
Everyone has something they’d like to learn more about or something about
themselves they’d like to improve. Think about it. Pray about it. And then plan
a step in that direction. Take life on and go out and get it. Forget about
failing. Don’t worry about the opinions of others. Make it happen. I love you
all.
With love - EE
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