Mom - I'm super sorry. It sounds like your guy's week has been pretty crappy. Okay, from what you have told me, super crappy. With so many problems happening it may seem even difficult to get into the Thanksgiving spirit, but I hope everyone can still recognize all of the blessings that you all have still.
If I might help you all to count some:
1. Nobody got hurt seriously with two separate car accidents happening at the same time.
2. Those 2 cars that you were driving were still brand new to my perspective (since I still have never even seen them), so new cars even if they are crashed is a huge blessing.
3. You live in a country where they celebrate Thanksgiving - so you get lots of food and turkey decorations.
4. (This one is more for mom)- you got blessed with a friend to share with you more than 40 + years of life.
5. You have an eternal companion and children to share life with you for eternity as well.
6. There is always hope in Christ, this life is not the end of the plan of redemption.
7. You have a super-cool son that got to spend a fun weekend in Puerto Rico with an apostle!
...... and many many many more as well.
If I can add on to that as well some counsel that Elder Christofferson gave to us about overcoming our trials with our faith: If you are going through hard times, Keep going. ("you might make it out before the devil even knows your thereeeeee"). He taught us that frequently in our trials, God teaches us even more. Not because he brings us miracles and glorious wonders to remove us from out of the middle of hard times. Nor does He give us great amounts of courage and energy to push through at a sprint. But most of the time, God will give us just barely enough support for us to make it throughout that very day. He did not give the Israelites monthly or even weekly 'support bread'. He gave to them and He gives to us support every day in our Daily Bread. Our faith isn't to pull us out of hard times and into glorious ones, rather our faith is to trust in God and depend on Him DAILY, as we fight sometimes just to get to the bread at the end of each day. (Elder Christofferson also shared a super cool story to go along with that).
I am thankful as well for many things in life:
1) Even after our flight got canceled to Puerto Rico and we waited 8 hours in an airport, we still got to safely fly from Dominica to Puerto Rico and enjoy an amazing weekend with an apostle!
2) We learned many wonderful things that are now going to help us complete the will of the Father on this Island.
3) We made it back safely (with the wonderful package you all sent, thanks all!) to Dominica on Sunday afternoon (after a flight delay in Puerto Rico as well).
3) We made it back safely (with the wonderful package you all sent, thanks all!) to Dominica on Sunday afternoon (after a flight delay in Puerto Rico as well).
At the point I am at in the mission - and also very prompted by some thoughts that Elder Christofferson shared, I have thought a lot recently about how short life and this mission really are.
This life truly is too short, and the mission I serve too fast, for me or any of us to waste time away from the Spirit, or away from the service of God. I, and all of us, are Humans. We are imperfect. And as we serve we are often times unable to contribute all that we might hope to contribute to the building of the Kingdom of God. But as we serve with all our might, even in "our own weak way" (as the patriarch called it in Grandpa Ivan's blessing), we can make a difference, and we can contribute a lot.
I know by personal testimony but also because I recently heard it out of the mouth of an apostle, that I have been given authority from Christ to declare His word. To act as He would, and to teach as He did. With this authority, despite my in-capabilities and the "weakness" of my way of serving, I will be, and am, able to help the Kingdom of God progress on this Island nation to which I am assigned. That is my hope and Faith, and the promise I give to Him to use all of the time I have let here on this mission - and for the rest of my short life, to serve Him, to Follow Him, and to help all others around me to do the same.
This life truly is too short, and the mission I serve too fast, for me or any of us to waste time away from the Spirit, or away from the service of God. I, and all of us, are Humans. We are imperfect. And as we serve we are often times unable to contribute all that we might hope to contribute to the building of the Kingdom of God. But as we serve with all our might, even in "our own weak way" (as the patriarch called it in Grandpa Ivan's blessing), we can make a difference, and we can contribute a lot.
I know by personal testimony but also because I recently heard it out of the mouth of an apostle, that I have been given authority from Christ to declare His word. To act as He would, and to teach as He did. With this authority, despite my in-capabilities and the "weakness" of my way of serving, I will be, and am, able to help the Kingdom of God progress on this Island nation to which I am assigned. That is my hope and Faith, and the promise I give to Him to use all of the time I have let here on this mission - and for the rest of my short life, to serve Him, to Follow Him, and to help all others around me to do the same.
I hope all goes better for you all this week, Happy thanksgiving to everyone!!!
I Love you all,
Elder Bailey
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