Week #53 - Be still, and know that I am God

We left home on September 4, 2023, to serve a full-time mission working in humanitarian aid here in Mexico. It's been a tough couple of weeks pondering the respective outcomes of resigning myself to the status quo (i.e., being acted upon) or continuing to try to lead from the bottom (i.e., taking action) in the work we have been assigned to do. 

Looking for answers, I took a closer look at Elder Bednar's April 2024 conference talk entitled, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10) as well as Elder Rasband's conference talk from the same conference event entitled, "How great will be your joy". The title/invitation of the first talk came clearly to my mind in answer to my prayer for help and in a miraculous way, immediately calmed the turmoil in my anxious, almost breaking heart. What I was looking for in the second talk was to understand why more full-time senior missionaries are needed in this great work of gathering Israel, specifically why we were called to serve where we are Mexico. Looking at the two titles together as I write this blog, I can now see they are a principle, an if-then statement, that I can have full confidence in. Likening the principle to myself, be still, know that He is God, and then, how great will be my joy. Our Saviour is in charge, trust Him and keep working with a happy heart. Elder Rasband provided some additional perspective with respect to the anticipated outcome of our service and its value, “And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!” Our administrative service may be where this happens but just as likely it may be an Uber driver or someone else we have contact with (we have had heart piercing conversations with several Uber drivers and shared copies of the Book of Mormon with them). With two Area assignments, humanitarian aid and being the Area senior missionary coordinators, there is no shortage of things that could be done, the challenge is knowing what to prioritize to have an impact. I dot connecting part of me keeps reminding myself of the pioneers that crossed the plains in the U.S. in the mid 1800's planting crops for others travelling after them to tend and yet others to then harvest and the big difference in the outcomes with even a very small change of one or two degrees...and then how great will be my joy.  

On Monday evening we enjoyed spending time with Elder and Sister Douglas and receiving instruction from them. Elder Douglas has also been newly assigned to oversee senior missionary service in the Area.  The photo is of Elder Douglas and the senior missionaries serving in the Area offices.

We participated in a protocolario event in Mexico City a week ago at a migrant shelter that houses mostly Venezuelan refugees while they wait for their refugee interview with US immigration officials at the Mexico/US border. The shelter is run by the Catholic Church with support from donors including our church. We were represented by our local ecclesiastical leader, President Romo, a delightful fellow. After the formal protocolario event we were seated after the ceremony at a table, chatting and enjoying empanadas that the shelter's resident cooks had made for us when a small boy approached President Romo and asked if he (the boy) could feel his (President Romo's) shaved head, he smiled and happily bent over and the boy cautiously and gently petted President Romo's head, to everyone's delight. 

The conversation that we had with the priest who oversees the operations of this and a number of other migrant shelters about the deteriorating border situation for these migrants once they get to the border was heart wrenching and disturbing. However, he offered a message of hope from Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The Roman Catholic Church, ourselves and other faiths are gathered together and like my aha moment described above, we need to keep working, be still and know that he is God and is in our midst. Our donation supports job skills training and legal representation and legal counselling of migrants. The picture below is of a couple of the cooks, most of the residents were out working to be able to purchase food, other necessities and to pay for the costs to get their families to and across the border.  

Today is President Nelson's 100th birthda (4pm MDT). He has asked that our gift be to reach out to serve someone who could benefit from our attention, figuratively leaving the 99 in our flocks to seek out the one. On Tuesday we have a meeting with Elder Douglas to present a proposal for a nation-wide devotional for full-time senior missionaries which we hope will be positively received. On Thursday are scheduled to participate in a protocolario event in a small town in the state of Hidalgo. We are working with an organization called Construyendo Esperanzas (building hope), to provide materials to fence family gardens with a chicken coop attached that will provide families with access to better nutrition (fruits, vegetables and eggs) and a source of income in that they can sell what they don't consume themselves. Friday night we are celebrating Mexican Independence Day a fews days early (the official grito, or shout, "Viva México, viva! viva! viva!" is on Sunday night with the national holiday on Monday - the video link is from two years ago and includes the now outgoing President's key messages). Our date last night was making large tissue paper flower decorations while we listened to a couple of documentaries. Add the full days of work needed to make humanitarian aid happen, our assignment in our ward as family history consultants, the two EnglishConnect classes I teach, morning workouts, my karate class, a couple nights at the gym rolling with my BJJ buddies, and prep day on Saturday and the week is full to overflowing. Sundays have been my day to be still but I need to create more opportunities during the week as well.