Monday, October 19, 2015

Very Healthy & Very Happy

It's been a good week! The work has really been taking off in our area! People are just popping out of the woodworks that want to be taught, and it's been a huge blessing! We're super excited to keep working and in another couple of weeks I think this area will really start to take off! Fingers crossed I'm around to see it!
For when a regular size glass of strawberry lemonade just isn't enough.
What a successful Ward Correlation meeting looks like.
This week has been kind of interesting because Elder Dixon had a bit of a bike
accident, which kept us from having very much proselyting time. The first day
he was condemned to bed, and the next day we were busy visiting urgent cares
for most of the day looking for one that would take his insurance. He's ok now
though!!!
Elder Dixon's new friend, Bones.
I got an MP3 player and some speakers in a care package from home today, and I don't think I realized how much I really missed having music with me these last few months.  I couldn't stop smiling for a long time once we started listening!   (We sent Ty some church music and some classical orchestra pieces which are approved in his mission.  I like imagining the smile on his face as he got to have such a big part of his life back!  Big thanks to Kylie for helping us get some of his favorites!)
A couple of pictures of houses decorated for Halloween.  Everyone down here goes crazy decorating for the holidays! These aren't even the best ones! One of the houses pictured has a whole pirate village in the backyard!
This week I've been ponderizing D&C 130:20-21:
* To predicate on- to found or base something on.
* Paraphrase: There is a law that cannot be changed that was made in heaven before this earth was created, and it's upon this law that all blessings are based. And when we receive any blessing from God, it is because we followed the law it's based on.
* Footnotes:
- Galatians 5:14- "for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Is there only one law being referred to in this scripture?  I'm starting to think that the reason that this commandment was given as the most important, is because if we love God, and love our fellow man, all of the other commandments will fall into place. We won't have a desire to steal or lie or cheat or kill because if we truly love as we're supposed to, we'll see the harmful effect these sins have on others and have no desire to do them.
* In a lot of the footnotes, it keeps mentioning a law of Liberty, so I want to dig deeper into that and see what relation it has to the law mentioned in the scripture and what its relation is to the law being fulfilled by love.
- In the topical guide under Liberty is says see also: agency; bondage, spiritual; bondage, physical; citizenship; deliverance; freedom; governments; opposition.
                                                                                                                       
In my studies right now, I'm going through Genesis, Matthew, 2 Nephi, and D&C Section 5.  Trying to keep it balanced between all 4 books, and I never feel like I have enough study time! I'm definitely seeing the blessing from my patriarchal blessing come to fruition that I'll develop a deep thirst for spiritual knowledge.  I have all these conference talks and different things I want to do as well, but never seem to have enough time to do it! 

I feel so lucky to be out sharing the gospel, and am so grateful for the love and support of everyone back at home! 

Elder Excell

Q&A 10/19/15

1.) How are the pedal cranks on your bike? -- I'll send some pictures today for you to post!  I've been keeping them tight, but the problem is that they keep on cracking more and more because they grind against the curb from time to time.  It might be easiest to just send money and I can try and find a bike shop where I can find some replacements next p-day. For now though, thanks to the miracle of duct tape, they're holding out well enough to last a little longer.  One of them came off the other night, but again, thanks to duct tape, I'll make it through!

2.) What Sunday meetings do you attend? Do you go to a Ward Council Missionary Meeting? --
We go to ward council and PEC before church, and then stay for the full 3 hour block. 

3.) The most humorous moment of the week? --
The funniest part of the week would have to be one of our recent converts, a big 6'3" Samoan who probably weighs about 300 pounds, leaving his house after our appointment on a bike that was not nearly big enough for him.  We had to fight pretty hard to keep straight faces after that one!

4.) Are you healthy and happy?  --
Very healthy and very happy! 


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