Days in quarantine are like days going by in solitary confinement, you don't know what day it is or how much time has passed. It's been one of the weirdest experiences of my life trying to stay sane and disciplined during a time like this. I'm still in great spirits and trying my best to have a good attitude, safe to say that none of the Elders I'm staying with have tried to kill each other yet. We are all just trying to do missionary work while playing a different game on a different map. I've resorted to an email every two weeks because of the lack of cool stuff happening in this mess, here's what I got for the last two weeks:
-We contacted a few members trying to give them a spiritual thought or two. That's been a tough one for sure, not a lot of people answering. I'll get back to you when something happens there.
-Got a referral who wants to have us do a Book of Mormon read with them, we're getting that setup for this coming week.
-Lots and lots of cards game. That will always be a constant activity happening, we all enjoy it here. I know I said last email that we are starting to get sick of them, but that was a lie. We are still grinding them out whenever we can, which is a lot.
-Finished my first toothpaste tube on my mission, so that's pretty awesome I guess. Getting close to the deodorant stick being done too, now that'll be a special day.
-Did you know there are 410 bathroom tiles in the men's restroom at the church in Foley? Well hey, now you know. I counted.
-Oh yeah, it was my birthday yesterday which was on Easter, that was a little different from the daily routine. I got a call from our mission president in the morning saying happy birthday as well as a call from the AP's who sang it to me. Also got a cake made from one of the members in our ward because our ward is amazing. I did open my presents earlier in the week because that's when I received them, they were all wrapped up in a box. I got a Batman tie, a box of Sour Patch Kids and a hair cutting cape and apron because I tend to do that a lot on my mission for other people. Anyway, it was a great birthday, thanks to all who did anything for it.
- I'm kinda feeling like writing something spiritual, so here ya go. My mission president refers to this current predicament that we are in as our own "Personal Liberty Jail." If anyone has read D&C section 121-123, they know that Joseph Smith was going through some of the worse of the worst. He prayed continually to Heavenly Father for help and comfort during such a time, and in this moment, one of most beautiful scriptures is spoken by God to Joseph Smith saying "My son (And daughter), peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment. And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes" D&C 121: 7-8
The key phrase there is to 'endure it well' and if we do that God will pour a blessing on us that will shape us more and more into what we can become. Trials are imminent, you can't escape them, they will happen. "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." -Isaiah 48:10. God is forging us into what He knows we can become through hard, tedious and crappy situations. We must endure them well, they are for our good.
Alright, I'll hop off my soap box and stop writing this email. Catch you guys in 2 weeks.
Love y'all
Elder Batman
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