Lost in Translation. 11/12/12

Dear Family and Friends, This week was really slow since we were recovering from Dengue, so we weren´t able to teach very many people. However, Tuesday and Wednesday we got to go do some humanitarian work with some American dentists and doctors. All I did was translate, but it was pretty fun. I also had to help hold down a some incredibly strong little kids that were freaking out. I took a few pictures but I’ll have to send those next week. We just did a bunch of dental work for children, a.k.a. pulling rotten teeth. We also gave out a bunch of hygiene kits and did check ups for a bunch of pregnant ladies and their kids to make sure everything was ok. It was fun and the people we were translating for were all really nice and mostly LDS. I really enjoyed it and they said that we helped a lot. I was really grateful to get some service in. We just haven´t come across many opportunities to give service, so it felt nice to finally be able to help out. Other than that the mission has been pretty normal. Just trying to encourage people to keep the commandments so they can receive the blessings and feel closer to Christ. We are still trying to help Yerdis receive a personal witness the Christ is his Savior as well. I imagine that our Heavenly Father wants Yerdis to have that testimony, so if it hasn´t yet been revealed to him I am sure there is a good reason. I was thinking in church this week about the things that really matter in this life. We deal with many people inside and outside of the church that have just fallen into a routine in life and are going day by day. Many people put so much emphasis on money, prominence, material objects, or daily chores and have no idea what really matters. We all have to move on from this world. The only things we can take with us are what remain in our head and heart. I would also add our relationships. Our intelligence rises with us in the resurrection, and the prophet Alma says that our state will be awful if the Word of God is not found in us. Judgment is an assessment of the type of person we have become, not a tally of good acts vs bad acts and the hope that we are not in too much debt. Who we are matters. Christ like attributes are keys to the celestial kingdom. How could we live in that kingdom if we do not possess those attributes? How would heaven be complete without our family and friends? We need to study the Word and make it a part of us. We need to submit to the will of God and be more like Christ. We need to do temple work for our families and missionary work for our friends. These are the things of eternal significance that will bring lasting happiness. Elder Nichols