well, another super fast week and this time another fast month! i don't know if june even existed. my journal says that it did, but i am entirely unsure! it's already july which is only super significant for me because it means i am coming up on not being a greeny anymore by the missionary made rule book. kinda crazy that that technical stage of the mission is already in expiration...technically.
well it would appear that the world cup is continuing. the reason i know is because the shops still shut down every once in a while during the day and the street goes empty and the missionary opportunities become few and far between. i guess there also is the news that the united states team has returned back to the land of the free and the home of the brave. i only get that told to me about 18 times a day. i guess i still look pretty american. =) but the cup appears to continue for brasil! who knows how far the road will go but hopefully to the first 6-peat in world cup history. we'll see! the other proof of the continued tournament is the existence of a lot more drunk people in the street. i am pleased and stoked to tell all of you that i have officially met the oldest man of my life at about 5000 or so years old. that's what he said anyway...he apparently was on board and helped build Noah's ark! i continued to ask him if he knew any giants on board the ship because the bible dictionary says that giants existed before and after the flood so i wondered if he would know. he didn't know quite what the answer was unfortunately. (see bible dictionary "giants")
i sometimes forget while i'm here that the things i see here are now normal to me and not to you yet so i thought i would share one more thing you can be grateful for during the 4th of july. usually every meal we have with members has rice beans and some kind of meat with a "salad". let me describe to you a salad in brazil. take some lettuce and deep fry it...yes deep fry lettuce and then put it in a large bowl with some salt and oil. yum! brazil is still working on the salad dressing stage of salad.
in missionary news, marcelo carvalo was baptized this week and i am so proud of him! his baptismal service was very spiritual and very awesome! i even got the opportunity to play the piano during a special musical number! it was an awesome privilege to know and be a part of this part of marcelo's life! congrats man!
we also almost had another baptism this week with a 9 year old daughter of a less active but her mother wouldn't give up her own selfish desires to let her daughter have someone to accompany her to church each week. Luane is the girls name and she was literally crying because her mom would not go to church. i asked her a question to which came a very sensitive reply...i asked laune why do you want to get baptized? and she responded perfectly and simply...because i want to be on the side of god in heaven. wow what a moment. i was extremely grateful to witness that determination. unfortunately without her mothers help and willingness to get back to church, we aren't accomplishing anything by baptizing her but adding to the less active list. =(
anyway, i've also had some other cool lessons that i have learned and would like to share as always. it's a good thing i am a missionary because i love sharing the gospel principles i learn! the first of these lessons is that every single one of us on this planet will encounter adversity at some time in our lives and in some way, shape or form. i regret to inform you that if you are reading this email, you are also among that list. the good news is that there is help through the gospel. we read in hel 5:12 that christ is a rock and unwavering support. but i think it is interesting to add a time frame to the story. take the example of the wise man and the foolish man. it's interesting that both the righteous one and the foolish man encounter the storm. just because you are righteous doesn't exclude you from the test of life. the floods will come and the only strong surface to all of this is the gospel of christ. the lesson i learned to all of this tho was from 2 nephi 2:25 which i'm sure you will all recognize. "adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy!" we are here weathering our own personal storms that heavenly father will send but we are to do so in the end result of having joy! prepare your house on a strong surface. the floods will come but regardless the damage, remember the outcome is for your eternal joy.
another lesson that i have perceived around me being on a mission is the outlook of the world and the view it has. what a frankly sad view it is. it seems like the whole world is trying to get as much as they can for doing as little as possible. our world is obsessed with the idea of getting a lot for nothing. take gambling for example. put your practically worthless penny in the slot hoping to win big. it's a very sad view we have taken on and i've thought of it a little differently lately. instead of trying to get a lot for nothing we need to do a lot for nothing. service is the opposite of this view it would seem. i encourage all of you today to pick the person that is closest to you in distance right now and do something for them they can't do for themselves and expect nothing in return. watch the smiles illuminate! i promise you the blessings will come and heavenly father will reward you for the service. after all "when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are in the service of your god!"
i've also realized something from my past that i would like to change and so i'll speak my two cents and see if it can help anyone for their future too. i spent a very large amount of my teenage days chasing the world. i chased the fashions. i chased the trends. i've also noticed that a very popular trend to follow and chase is to try to be different from everyone else. let me add my advice here and give you full permission to chase the world in the way of being different. stand out. the world will not thank you for following it but there is one person that will. heavenly father and jesus christ will thank you on an infinite level if you follow them. they say that fear is the opposite of faith so have faith. stand out. you can change the crowd. your choice can have the impact on millions of other people and most likely will, so take yourself seriously and stand for what you would want to be known for. decisions truly determine destiny! the game of life is fairly accurate from what i've come to realize. you get your cards dealt to you but every once in a while you get to choose from a select few. my friends, please choose the cards that will help you win the eternal game. it is the only one that matters.
i bear my testimony that you will never regret following the gospel if you do it 100%. never in your life will you regret it. don't follow the world. the commandments aren't just the 10 suggestions that moses got and thought would help a little. they are the ten commandments of god and 10 opportunities to receive blessings from your father in heaven who loves you.
i know this gospel is true and as elphaba says in the intermission scene of "wicked"..."nothing will ever bring me down." build your foundation where you should and stand in the place that will help you win the eternal game! i love you all and i know that i am not alone in that statement! Heavenly Father loves you too! thank you for all your support. continue to pray for me because i know you are and know that i am doing the same for you.
Elder Zack Excell
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