Elder Zachary Gehring: Luz

Dear Family,

Are you ready to learn more Spanish? If you don't speak yet, you've still got a few months to learn because I'm set on only speaking spanish when I get back. Here's my week... in spanish.

Primeramente me enfermé. Bolivia no cesa de darme infecciones intestinales. Yo pensaba ese barco ya había zarpado. Aparentemente no. El jueves me sentía un poco cansado al terminar el día. Dormimos como normal a las 22:30 y viernes el 21 me levanté mal. Trabajamos aún porque no quise quedarme en la casa durante mi cumpleaños. Mi compañero, con todo el amor que tiene, dijo a la pensionista que era mi cumpleaños y en la tarde me compraron una torta. Ya estaba mal de mi estomago pero iba a sentir mal si no lo comía. Comimos torta y visitamos hasta las 19:00. Fuimos a la correlación misional y dentro de 30 minutos de estar sentado sentía como si estuviera a punto de desmayar. Me dieron una bendición y tomamos taxi directamente a la casa y me eché en la cama. Desde las 20:30 hasta 02:30 estaba muriendo de dolor, vómitos, etc. Por fin a las 02:30 no aguantaba más y fuimos a la clínica. Me pusieron suero y dijo el doctor que estaba muy deshidratado. Mi presión de sangre estaba baja e hicieron varios exámenes. Me dejaron salir a las 07:00 el sábado y descansé hasta las 16:00 mas o menos y de allí fuimos a trabajar de nuevo! Todavía estoy un poco mal y no quiero comer mucho pero estoy bien!! No se preocupen!

First I got sick. Bolivia doesn't cease to give me intestinal infections. I thought that boat had anchored. Apparently not. Thursday I felt a little tired at the end of the day. We slept as usual at 22:30 and Friday the 21st I woke up ill. We went to work anyway because I didn't want to stay in the house on my birthday. My compaion with all the love that he has told our landlord that it was my birthday and in the afternoon he bought me a cake. I was sick to tmy stomach but he would have been hurt if I had not eaten. We ate cake and visited until 19:00. We went to missionary correlation and 30 minutes after sitting down I felt like I was about to faint. They gave me a blessing and we took a taxi direct to the house and I went to bed. From 29:30 to 2:30 I was dying of pain, vomiting etc. Finally at 2:30 I couldn't stand it further so we went to the clinic. They gave me fluids and the doctor said I was very dehydrated. My blood presssure was low and they did various examinations. They let me leave about 7:00 Saturday and I rested until 16:00 more or less and then we went to work again. I am still a little sick and I don't want to eat much but I am all right. Don't worry.

Aparte de todo esto, el miércoles tuvimos el consejo de líderes. Hablamos de la apariencia, urgencia, y reverencia de nuestros llamamientos en preparación para la gira de Elder Uceda. El martes tuvimos una reunión de oficinas con el Presidente y cambiamos un poco del horario de cambios para el mes que viene. Estoy animado por la misión.

Aside from this, Wednesday we had leadership council. We talked about the nature, urgency and reverence of our callings in preparation for the visit of Elder Uceda. Tuesday we had a meeting of our positions with the President and we changed a little the list of missionary changes for the coming month. I am excited for the mission.

El área de Abundancia sigue fuerte. Los miembros son los mejores y el Líder Misional está más animado que nunca. Este sábado que viene la Familia León se va a bautizar. El próximo sábado una referencia de un Converso Reciente se va a bautizar y el siguiente se bautiza una familia nueva que son amigos de la familia que se bautiza este sábado el 29 de agosto. Bautizaremos cada semana en nuestra área. No hay mejor sentimiento que el de ver a una familia hacer sus primeros convenios con nuestro Padre Celestial. Entiendo un poco mejor mi llamamiento como Elder. Doctrina y Convenios 20:38

A pesar de mi enfermedad, el área, etc. pude conocer a mi Salvador aún más. Estaba leyendo en Mosíah capitulo 16 y me cambiaron la vida los versículos 4-9. Para ayudar al presidente en las conferencias de zona que vienen nos pidió que estudiáramos acerca de ''Luz''. Ni estaba buscando por ''luz'' pero lo encontré. Lo voy a copiar en ingles para que lo puedan leer.

Because of my illness, the area, etc. I have been able to know my Savior even better. I was reading in Mosiah, chapter 15 and verses 4-9 changed my life. To help the president in the zone conferences that are coming up, he asked that we study about "Light". I wasn't looking for "Light" but I found it. I am going to copy it in English so you can read it.

4 Thus all mankind were lost; and behold, they would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state.

5 But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God.

6 And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption.

7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.

8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

Cristo es la luz, Cristo es la vida del mundo. Lo conocí más esta semana y por medio de Él, la muerte no tiene aguijón.

Christ is the light. Christ is the life of the world. I came to know Him even more this week and because of Him, death has no sting.

Hurra por Israel!

Elder Gehring