Hey
guys!
We had our changes this week, and I'm still staying here in
Zacapa. I've now lived out here in Guatemala 7 months. Everyone I knew when I
arrived here in Guatemala is now gone. Everyone is a new face except for Elder
Flores, Elder Carter, and Elder Cortes. What happened to the time? I'm still
living in August of 2015.
After 7 months (almost a third of the time I'm going to be out
here in Guatemala) I've seen a lot of the world. I've known pains beyond pains.
It's very different to be a missionary. I've lived in a country seven months.
Every day, I think, I read, and speak in another language, and the people see
us. Some hate us for the message we share, others love us. Some reject us,
others listen. I've found myself talking with people and helping people solve
problems worse than I could ever imagine 7 months ago. I've seen people grow in
faith, and I've seen others reject faith and become harder and colder than
ever.
As I think back on the time I’ve spent out here in Zacapa, I
realize that being a missionary is so much more than walking around with a tie
and a Book of Mormon. It means helping everyone at every corner you turn. It
means mourning with those who mourn, and comforting those who need comfort. It
means being a leader. People look to us to help them find peace, to bless their
lives. This mission isn't about me. No matter what I thought before, it NEVER
was about me. It's about Guillermo, Erick, Rosa, Leandro, Indira, Silvia, Jose,
and every other person I meet here.
This week has made me think very hard because we've met a ton of
people who have problems with their lives: Destroyed families, drugs,
addictions of every kind, fear of other people, you name it. And I learned
something: Every person suffers. Everyone has hidden pains and sorrows that
they don't show us. But there is someone who sees all of those. There is
someone who personally took upon Himself all the pains, all the sicknesses, and
all the hurt. This person was Jesus Christ. we can't imagine what he felt.
There have been times this week when I've wondered how a person can carry so
much weight and pain in their life. Jesus Christ personally suffered for every
single human being. He saw you all, in every moment of your life. When He
prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, He saw you. He saw me. He saw every single
one of these people that I've met. And he loves them. The pain he endured, and
the things he suffered are unimaginable. But there's not one pain in your life,
one hurt that you've felt, that He didn't see. He knows when a sparrow falls,
and are ye not much greater than a sparrow.
You are not alone.
You are never alone.
I love you all! Keep writing!
--
Elder Jeffrey Reed
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