Try to Have Missionary Goggles for Yourself

11/11/2013

(We asked Elder Ollis a lot of questions this week, so I have compiled excerpts from his emails to each of us)

My Shoes Need Shining

…I’m feeling better now, so don’t worry about that. Whatever I had has passed.  We have enough water to drink, and sleeping is great, just wish I could get a little more.  I have some time to exercise in the morning, I just don't like getting up earlier to do it.  We have four elders in our house so it's hard to get ready in the time we should be ready.  I really need to exercise though, I think I'm already getting fat….. My clothes are doing pretty good, just getting less and less white as the washings go by.  And yeah, I need to polish my shoes and my others look about the same.  It’s because a plow thing came by on the streets after the rain and scraped everything flat then it rained again so the streets were all muddy.

… I love hearing that you are trying to be a good member missionary.  That’s so important. We don’t have that here and it makes things really hard.  Continue to share the gospel and don’t be afraid to do it.

… This branch, and quite frankly the church here in Cofradia is really unorganized.  Our branch is difficult.  We don’t really even have a fully functioning branch.  There aren’t enough people to fill all the callings, especially priesthood holders.  There is no ward council and now we don’t have a ward mission leader.  There are no home teachers.  Members aren’t particularly interested in being missionaries and helping.  But I love it here nonetheless.  It’s hard.  But as the prophet Joseph Smith learned, “all this will be for your good.”  I know that this is for my good.

…I just want to share that this gospel is awesome and that we need to live it and make it a part of our lives.  We always have to be seeking to progress spiritually.  We can only go forward or backwards, there is no stalling in the middle.  There is no other way.  Please always remember that. I would encourage you to find something more than just work and to always seek to progress spiritually.  This is the time to prepare to meet God and to seek to build the kingdom of God on earth.  That is what we should always seek first in our lives, and should be our ultimate goal.  When people say that missionaries have missionary goggles, I think that is what it really is. Missionaries have that constant view of helping people to prepare to meet God by inviting them to come to Christ through faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost, enduring to the end and building the kingdom of God on earth.  That is their goal and view each day.  As we do this, the Lord will take care of all we need. He knows us and what we need in our lives. Try to have the missionary goggles for yourself.

A Typical Morning in Honduras

… I’m so happy to be here. I can’t tell you how awesome this experience has been and I honestly can’t see life any different than it is right now.  I love you so much.  Really thanks again so much for the package and the conference talks! 

  

Elder Ollis

The Lizard in our House