Almost completed 8 months

I am going to try to put the sound recording at the bottom if you miss the sound of his voice and want to hear a little bit of Spanish. Surprisingly I have not heard much Spanish from him and may request that he do that in the next few weeks. I love the growing up the missionaries do while they are out. They mature at a much quicker rate than most other young men and they come home Men! I would like nothing more than to let my children be trained in the Gospel at this crucial time.



I trust you will be able to catch a little business from the sound
files. A little innovation I´m trying out. Tell me if they work,
please. It could be the greatest thing ever. Even if my voice does
sound punky. Important points : I´m going to get a CD player so I can
request stuff, and also because there´s less danger of getting robbed,
and stuff... better explained in the sound file. Also, if you happen
to send camera, send a memory card too, maybe. They´re expensive here.

Two sets of Scripture Mastery stickers!! Elder Silva really really
really wants them.

Anyway.

I just wrote to the President that if I realized as much about
everything and grew up as much as I did this week, I´d be about 92
years old at the end fo the mission. It was like a dream. I got more
and more information every day about my weaknesses and strengths. I
have become intimitely aquainted with my need for the Atonement and
the help of God. I once was convinced God doesn´t really do anything
to change the course of our lives. It was all set from the beginning,
yes, but to say we don´t need His help is a lie to ourselves. (See one
of my favorite Bible books, 1 John (not the Gospel of John))

See that? I just cited Bible. I've discovered one of my skills in this
work which is uncommonly elevated. (I say this to tell you of God´s
help, not my pride.) With a good amount of study, I am finding myself
more and more hungry to learn the Scriptures. That study has produced
a lot of understanding. I am getting to the point where I have four or
five available scriptures for every point of doctrine memorized and
ready, including background information. I can tell you roughly what
happens in every chapter of the Book of Mormon up to Alma, and I´m
still going. You should see the density of my marking. All that´s
something I have. I´ve also gotten complements on my technical use of
Spanish Grammar. All from study, and from God.

Let me tell you of the key to all of it. Go into every situation with
the goal of helping other people. Do it not in an idealistic, mindless
way, but rather specifically, and fearlessly. As a missionary, it´s
easy in lessons, for example, but when we go to meetings, it´s easy to
think, "I´m here to learn and contribute nothing." In divisions with
old missionaries, it´s easy to think, "I´m here to learn and
contribute nothing." Before the mission in Prinicple of the Gospel -
"I´m here to learn and contibute nothing." Have you ever thought that
not commenting in class could deprive someone of an answer for which
they´ve been looking? Be a blessing to everyone.

We did missionary stuff this week, but I barely remember what we said
or did. Randy´s words to me last week were exactly right. Being on his
level, the "promenade deck," is there for everyone who will climb the
stairs. I think I´m going to remember always "right before I completed
8 months" as when I figured out how to be me, really, and who God
wants me to be, which are one and the same.

I´m physically sitting in front of a computer, but I´m spritually
standing on a tower raising a sword over my head. My God is a God of
Victory.

Love,
Elder A Conrad Crist


I will work on getting this figured out.