Elder Hyrum Snell~ Called to Serve in Madagascar: 06/15/15- Do Not Doubt, Only Believe!

Faly mirahaba antsika rehetra ny tenako androany, ary Elder Snell no anarako amin'ireo izay mbola tsy mahalala an'izay. It's so good, as always, to hear from all of you and hear how everything is going back in a first world country. Things here in a developing country do tend to be very different, to say the least.

As far as this past week went, there wasn't really anything of note that happened, other than Zone Conference last Friday with President Adams, which, I might add, is his last zone conference here in Madagascar, as next transfer he will be leaving. It's so crazy how fast the time flies here in Madagascar, and I can't wait to meet President Foote, which will be very cool to see how he runs things here. Zone Conference, though, was an incredible experience, and I learned a LOT as far as advice for the mission and for life is concerned. I certainly learned a lot.

But anyway, other than that, not a whole lot happened this past week. The house still isn't finished, so we got little to no work done the past week. That actually answers my mom's first question, which has to do with the house. The rest of the things that need to be finished are as follows: the hook-ups for the washer, PVC pipes replaced with metal, new doors, metal window guards, toilet seat, shower curtain, kitchen faucet, and sink faucet. After those things are done, then it should be pretty nice. But, as we are currently in Antsirabe, we have it locked up nice and tight, so no one will steal anything (hopefully).

Secondly, no, the exterminator has not come yet to kill the cockroaches in our kitchen, so they will just have to deal that for a while.

Thirdly, my use of "they" a second ago is in answer to my mom's question, which considers transfers. And I'm moving!!! I will be heading up to work in Antananarivo tomorrow morning, and will be working in the area called Tanjambato, which is actually a ward and not a branch. So, that will be awesome! I will be working with an Elder Walker from California, who just finished his third transfer here in country. Also, fun fact, I will be heading up to Antananarivo with Elder Mack, who is also leaving his area in Antsirabe and moving to Tana! So needless to say, that will be a fun bus ride.

For the fourth question, my mom asked if I have had to teach any lessons recently to in church. Which is funny, as I both bore my testimony (gave a talk, essentially) yesterday, as well as taught the Elder's Quorum lesson. So, in answer, yes, I have given a lesson pretty recently! My lesson was on the priesthood and our responsibilities as a holder of the priesthood. In other words, as a holder of the priesthood, we still need to do things, work hard, and keep the covenant. If not, then the authority is taken away, and those countless blessings that we receive from that priesthood power are lost as well.

And, for the last question, my mom asked me how we can see God's hand, presence, and love in our lives, even when we are going through hard times. And my answer for that is very simple: take a step back, take a deep breath, and simply look around you and ponder the situation. I will give an example. You may have cancer, and you may be an orphan. You may have just lost your job, and have your spouse leave you for another person. It may be your birthday, and no one but you knows or even cares. To add to it all, you just got thrown out of your house, because of your inability to pay the mortgage. And all of this has happened within the past month or less. It may seem that you have absolutely NOTHING. But let's take a step back, a deep breath, and "count your many blessings." You're still alive. God has given you a body that, though it is sick, still is working. And you have opportunities. You can find a new job, get a new house, find a new spouse, and many other things. Also, the biggest blessing of all is still waiting for you after death, which is eternal life, if you endure your trials well. As God promises us, "If ye endure it will, then I will exalt ye on high." Our trials may seem to drag on for forever, and yet God has blessed us with the opportunity to receive and lasting happiness and peace. If we endure our trials well, which may last our entire lives (let's say eighty years), then we will receive ETERNAL glory and happiness and peace and contentment. That is to say, those blessings will NEVER END. Because of some of the things that God has done for us--especially that of sending us His son to die for us--then we can receive that eternal life. That, in and of itself, in my opinion, overcomes any sort of problem we experience here on earth.

And this comes back to my thoughts last week on keeping an eternal perspective. If we do so, and always have eternity in mind, then we will endure our trials well here on earth, so that we may be exalted in the life to come. And that is the biggest example of God's love for us, not to mention this gloriously beautiful world that He has created for us. But that is truly God's greatest gift and blessing to us, which is eternal life. As it says in D&C 14, very short and succinctly, "And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God." The GREATEST gift of all the gifts of God. And He offers it to us freely, with our obedience and endurance offered up unto Him. That right there is an expression of God's love for us. He chose to send His Beloved Son here to earth to suffer, be smitten, and to die for all of us, and then to rise again, so we could all receive eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe (and follow) in Him, should not perish but should have everlasting life." That is God's greatest example of His love for us, and I know for a fact that He did it for me, and for you, and for all of us. So whenever life gets you down, remember that Christ, God's example of love, has descended below all of us, so that He might bear us up and bring us to new heights, even to eternal life, through our obedience to His commandments and endurance to the end.

But that's all for this week, which I know might not be much, but I hope you all know that what I have said is true. I know that it is, because I see it every single day. Do not doubt, but only believe.

But anyway, this is Elder Snell signing off until next week!

Love you all!
Elder Hyrum Snell