July Heat

Hola,

Well, we still are getting plenty of rain here, so you guys obviously aren't taking enough.  And I'm glad to hear that the rest of your Oregon trip was fun.  Oh, and enjoy the AC for me.  They haven't really heard of it here in Mexico.

There hasn't been much new this week here.  We had divisions Wednesday with Elders Thomson and Diaz, which was OK.  I went over to their area with Elder Diaz, and they have some pretty good investigators they have been teaching.  Oh, and he also bought me some kind of sucker that looks like a whole roasted chicken that I've been to scared to eat.  I keep meaning to ask Elder Tadeo if he has eaten one before, and if so what it tastes like.  You never can be sure with Mexican candy.  We started teaching a new investigator this week, named Sabino.  He lives with a couple of recent converts, a father and son named Luis and Hamberto.  He seems pretty interested, but is a bit hesitant about the whole baptism thing.  I'm sure he'll come around though.

We had a four hour long zone conference this morning, and that's why I'm writing you later today.  I really like the zone leaders, but four hours was too long for everyone.  It started out with a presentation by the zone leaders on working with the members, than the sister training leader, who has the really difficult task of taking care of all two sisters in the zone, her and her companion, and all four of the district leaders in the zone took turns giving presentations.  Then the zone leaders talked for a while more, than we did pauch (pouch, spelled the spanish way.)  There was some really good things said, but ultimately everyone was fried by the end.

Now, as far as the Ordain Women organization is concerned, I read an article that explained it in an interesting way.  It used math, so it was interesting to me at least.  It talked about the potition that they sent to the church.  This potition received 1600 signatures, which is quite a lot of people.  But there are 15,000,000 members.  But lets be fair, and say that since it was just women, and about half the members are women, there are about 7,500,000 members.  Now there are about 300,000,000 citizens of the US.  That's 40 times the amount of women members of the church.  So, 40 * 1600 = 64,000.  That's a pretty significant number.  But, the law of the country says that the white house legally has to respond to any potition that gains more than 100,000 signatures.  That means that the whole movement, if it was on a national scale, would have been completely ignored by anyone of power.  Now the Church obviously hasn't ignored them, but it's interesting to note that everyone makes a big deal about this movement that would be too small to matter to the leaders of the country.  And ultimately, it comes down to the will of God.  All of the members of this movement would probably say something about how the world has changed, and that is why the church needs to change.  But since when has God changed because the world has changed?  Ultimately I think these people need to check their faith.  They all claim to believe this church is true.  But to believe it is true, you have to believe that it is guided by God's prophet.  Now, if you have that faith, how can you doubt the validity of what he says?  I just hope these women come to the realization of this, and return to his true way.  Maybe that sounds chauvenistic coming from a man, but I would hope that if the roles were reversed that I would be on the side of God, not on the side of the world.  (Ok, coming down of my soapbox now.)

I think that's it for me this week.  Sorry about the little mini rant there.  Those women really make me mad, because they feel they know better than God.  I wish they would all give some thought to Proverbs 3:5-6.  5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  He has provided his path for them, and at one point they all accepted it.  But now, they no longer trust what he has told them.  I hope them all the best of luck in finding his path again, and I'm sorry to hear that it has come to the point of excommunication for some of them.  Still, the atonement is infinite, and I hope they all find their way back.  (OK, now I'm coming down of the soapbox.)

Well, sorry this letter is so long, but I've had that on my mind for a while and wanted to share it with someone, so there you go.  I'm glad to hear everything is going great for you guys, and I hope you have fun at the Rassmussen reunion.  I love you lots, and I'll talk to you next week.

Love,

Elder Samuel Long

P.S.  I've got another picture here for you.  This is how you make an apple pie, Mexican style.