Elder Perrin - 27 April 2009

So how's it going? How is life? Life here is good. NO complaints. How is the weather? Yesterday I had to wear a coat and beanie for some reason. It was like 80 degrees one day and then like 38 the next. It doesn't make any sense, because it's one month before summer. It shouldn't be 38 degrees. But oh well I guess. Elder Melchor and I are doing good. We didn't teach much this week , but we're trying really hard to work with members a lot more, since most baptisms come from members anyways. That's about where I am at right now. I guess I could write down all my experiences to you all but I really don't feel like right now, sorry about that. I just am not a fan of email. Gettting letters is so much better than emails. I guess I'll try and write a letter today if I have any time. I still got to clean the apartment and cook some stuff and cut my hair and get some stuff for my bike, so we'll see if I have any time. Thanks mom for the really long letter, it's good to hear from ya. I love you and miss you. I can't wait to ask for your wise council and advice when I get home. And I might have you reteach me piano again, we'll see about that. I think I want to take a nap today. I think if I have extra time that a nap would take priority over the letter to dad.

So Elder Melchor and I have been having a pretty good time here doing some crazy things some crazy ideas with the work. I hope it all works out. So what's the deal with Chelsea? Is this sickness going to stop her from serving a mission? I can't believe she's going to go. That means I wont' see her for a really long time, like a really long time. Like it's basically as if like my sister died, and then 3 and a half years later I find out that she's alive and I see her for the first time, and it's just super weird and so crazy. That's what it's like.

So do you have Zach's address? I think I'm going to try to write him a letter. Maybe I can talk some words of sense for him. Maybe he needs to hear from me. I guess I'll just get over the fact that I'll never hear from him, but I think I'll write him. I guess I still feel partly guilty for where he's at and I need to write him to rid myself of the guilt I have about this. It basically is tearing me up inside. I don't know how to explain it. But at the same time, I guess it could be worse. I am pretty sure he'll come back, but it still sucks. I wouldn't even care as much if he maybe had his crap all figured out and was all clean, and like died or something. At least I would see him after this life, but now, if he dies, he is basically toast. I imagine as parents you feel pretty crappy about this too, but I hope you and dad realize that the way to do this is to do it like Alma's dad did. Fast and pray and fast and pray.

Either we're serving the lord with all our heart and doing all that our leaders ask of us, or we don't, and we foolishly choose to submit to Satan's way, whatever other choice that may be, laziness, anger, no time, excuses bla bla bla the list goes on. As Joshua says, as for me and my house, we will serve the lord. If we're not serving the lord, who are we serving? Think of how Satan laughs at us every time we are weak in the church, especially because of the promise we made to serve the Lord with everything we got, and then he convinces us that it's too hard or time consuming. Man if we could just see his little smirk every time he wins, I'm pretty sure we would want to punch him in the face, and then in order to shove it back in his face, we would do what the Lord wants and then even more, just so that we could see his disappointment. But why don't we understand that the Lord's way is the easy way? Why? Why? Why? Obviously when were breaking the commandments, even the little ones like little things prophets say, we're not as happy as we could be. We've experienced both sides, yet we still don't get it do we. We still want to choose the hard way. Not only do we sacrifice the peace of the spirit, but in the end, we sacrifice maybe even eternal life? How stupid and mindless can we be??? Who loves the feeling of the temple? I do. Everyone does. Yet why is it that when our home should feel the exact same way, we still fill it with arguing and fighting and tears and sadness, and with the world and with Satan, he just laughs at us!!!! Why do we do that? Why do we settle for less!!! It's like we all know the girlfriend who deserves a better boyfriend, one who doesn't treat her like crap, but she still settles for less! Why do we put ourselves through such misery and heartache when all we have to do is do what the Lord says, and we're safe, and happy, and our family is happy. Man, why does pride have to fill our lives. Don't we know that cars, and more cars, and nice things and envy and being better than our neighbor will be the cause of destruction, even among those that think they are righteous??? Why then do we set our hearts and vain and pointless things like vacations and our house, and cars and gadgets, when they get us nowhere, and we can't even do our calling, after all the Lord has given us. We read the Book of Mormon and we think to ourselves, man how sad. The people just went right back to being wicked. That's so sad how they became so prideful in such a short amount of time.... we are no better than they!!!! Yet we don't even see it. Our pride just blinds our eyes and the world, little by little just tears us down. Let's do what we know to be right, and lets drop the pride, and most of all, let's drop the world behind. We're supposed to be different. We're supposed to stick out. Let's stick out a little more and choose the right and serve the Lord. Serve the Lord. He is greater than the rest, and only he can offer true happiness.
Love Curtis