Week 60

The heat is back. I'm sitting in our community center writing this email and I'm pouring sweat. Luckily the keyboard has a rubber cover on it or else I'd be doing some major damage to these components. Today we get transfer calls again. I'm not gonna lie. Last transfer was probably the fastest feeling transfer I've had, and this one has been... by far the slowest. Maybe aside from my first. But due to the rain, and my comp's health, we've been stuck inside a lot of days. On the plus side I've gotten some extra study in, and I've learned that oh so important Christ-like attribute of patience. haha

I've been having a great time though, our zone is doing really well, and the mission is seeing a lot of changes. The biggest has to be the fact that every companionship just got portable DVD players. Our mission could have had smart phones, but they felt it was too big of a temptation for the missionaries. iPod Touches were banned for the very same reason. But the decision to have DVD players was handed straight down from the First Presidency. For training purposes we are supposed to watch Preach My Gospel DVD's during comp study. (PMG "District 2" is amazing by the way, I recommend all people see it) I'm guessing all the missions have those players now,  aside from the missions that are already using laptops for proselyting and record keeping purposes. This occasion marked one of the funniest quotes I've heard on the mission,

"I think the average obedient missionary won't watch too many movies."

That's from a leader by the way. I think it wouldn't be that big of a temptation if Korea didn't have bootlegged films in every subway station! But as much as I love movies, I think it's gotta be in the right place at the right time. There's no substitute for a movie theater, or sitting on your couch at home, and cranking up the sound. You can't exactly get that same experience on an 8 inch screen with speakers the size of peanuts.

That thought, oddly reminded me of marriage. And when the new Ensigns came in, it was all about marriage. Waaaay rough to read as a missionary. But just like how I won't give into temptation and settle for a movie experience that only reaches a small fraction of what a great film can be, I shouldn't settle for a marriage that is anything short of an eternal one. It's gotta be in the right place, and the right time... and to the right person. Of course, sometimes we don't always get it in that order, but we have a goal for all three.

We were teaching a lesson last week, and we shared the Family Proclamation, and of course the subject went to marriage. I admitted... "I'm old. I may look like I'm in high school, but I'm old, and I'm looking forward to marriage." I realized the other day that the 2 year anniversary of James and Hill's wedding put me at the same age James was when he got married. Of course James' maturity level is faaaar beyond mine, but it was very strange to think about.

We had a member baptism yesterday. The family that had the baptism drove us home, and in a very cute moment, that turned very spiritual, the family with the two young daughters started singing the hymn "I love to see the Temple." As the hot Korean wind blew in my face it definitely made me think of when I was baptized, but what a blessing the temple has been in my life. I still remember being sealed in Salt Lake, and first going through LA only a week or so before I entered the MTC. I hope to enter it as a family once again.

Ok, I'll  let you know how transfer calls go. Take care, and gimme some updates!

-Elder Reyes