So, this past week was amazing. Haha, I got a taste of what it was like to be a normal human bean (pinto, naturally) again as we celebrated 설날 here in Korea! It was awesome, with back to back hikes, some sweet trainings, plenty of time playing frisbee, badminton, rugby, watching the Best Two Years, and other activity, we were basically in paradise!
But.. haha at the same time we all just wanted to get back to work. We can do all these things when we get home, am I right?
Things right now are great with my new companion, Elder Moon! He's Korean, and my same age. Plus, we're both tall, dark, and handsome. What more could anyone want in a companionship?? ....On second thought I guess humility is pretty important.. ..and the spirit.. haha. Oh well.
So! I don't have tons to say today - I know, I know, I'm the worst -- but, I do have a scripture to share with you today. I've been thinking a lot about the prophets of old, and how they always somehow had this awesome power to move mountains, part seas, turn stones into lights, and slay giants, and how -- in our day, we just can't seem to do anything near as incredible as that!
So, I wanted to know what set these fellas part from everyone else. How it was that they were able to do so many things that we couldn't. ..And that's when I found the answer. ..Though it may not in all actuality help us move mountains or slay giants, we can be free of mountainous burdens and overcome giant trials in our lives if we take more time to fast. ..Yes. Fasting.
Fasting helps us gain strength of character. When we fast, we can learn to control our appetites, as well as passions and desires. We are a little stronger by having proved to ourselves that we do indeed have self-control. When we fast wisely and prayerfully, we develop our faith, are promised peace, improved health, and even spiritual guidance.
Isaiah tells us of the blessings that come when we fast:
"Then shall thy light break forth as morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am." (Isaiah 58:8-9)
So, as hard as it may be at times, take some time to fast! Pray, and improve! You are all amazing, and I hope you can feel the love of the Lord, as well as those around you in your every day lives. Have the best week, and never forget who you are! You are who you choose to be!
All the love,
Elder DeMille
So... I was reading the scriptures the other day and I was thinking to myself...
................I'M IN KOREA.
...HOW DID I EVEN GET HERE??!!
Hahah then, I thought about all the lovely people I've met. Which led me to think about all the lovely things people say.
You know how sometimes when we're down, or discouraged, or even madly in love, all we need is a quote to sum up our feelings? Haha well, I know how you feel! And today, I wanted to share some cool quotes I've gained on my mission in hopes to fulfill that wish for those of you who are searching for some kind of motivation, explanation, or answer. I love you all! Enjoy!
"The decision to change is yours, and yours alone." -Jorg Klebingat
"It takes purely human courage to renounce the whole of temporal in order to win eternity.. and that courage is the courage of faith." - Kierkegaard
"Sometimes 'how' we need to do it is what we need to figure out." - Elder Higham
"If you don't receive an answer right away - it may be because you are doing something right." -Elder Miller
"Courage is the form of every virtue at its testing point." - C.S. Lewis
"The Lord doesn't expect immediate perfection - but he does expect immediate progression." -Elder Chow
"When you feel like you can't go on -- go on with even more faith and you will see miracles." -Sister Kim Chun
"On my mission.. ..I learned how to love. And I will never forget it." -Elder Light
"If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people that ever lived." -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
"One day, believe it or not, you are not going to be a missionary anymore. ..And no one is going to give you a white, little, detailed book of rules to keep you from making wrong decisions." -President Morrise
"No matter what happens, as long as my heart feels good - I know I'm doing alright." -Elder Ryan
"He puts us through trials to help us be better. I know it must be terribly painful for Him to do that, but - that's how we grow." -Elder Pruner
"The Lord never punishes people for serving him." -Elder Cowles
"He knows every single effort that you make." -Elder Westbrook
"Decisions determine destiny." -President Monson
"..Divine aid can be ours every hour of every day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience." -Elder D. Todd Christofferson
"I want my kids to understand that giving a gift is better than having a gift." -Elder Gibbons
"I can't fix myself in two years. Otherwise God wouldn't have given me a whole lifetime to prepare to meet him." -Elder J. Ellsworth
"That's the thing about knowledge. Sometimes you gain it without knowing." -Elder Helms
"I always thought that if I ever got rich I'd spend my money on poor people. But why would God trust me with money if I'm not willing to spend it on poor people while I'm poor?" -Elder Eddy
"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." -Batman
"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. The only thing for them to decide, is what to do with the time they are given." -Gandalf
"I see now, that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It's what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." -Mewtwo
"Challenge everyone to modify their manner of living by inviting them to act." -Elder J. Ellsworth
"A number is not always a perfect representation of what you are doing as a missionary." ..Me.
"We can't be constricted by the idea that you are defined by a number." -Elder J. Ellsworth
"There was a definite process by which one made people into friends, and it involved talking to them and listening to them for hours at a time." -Anonymous
"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." -Anonymous
"Don't get so caught up in the wounds that you forget you are alive." Elder Preisler
"A man is what he thinks about all day long." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The only currency God accepts is faith." -Elder Wilcox
"I think everyone in the world just wants to be themselves. ..And they want to be okay with it." -Elder J. Ellsworth
Love you all! Hope this helps one of you somehow! I know they help me!
Have the best week!
Elder DeMille!
I'm so sorry I missed out on sending an letter out to all of you last week! I do want to let you know that I didn't forget about you though, haha. Don't worry!
This past week, I reflected a lot on what the most important lessons to learn as a missionary are. Granted. I'm no Prophet or Apostle, but I thought a lot about it, and a few things stuck out to me as I read through some recent Liahonas and older talks that apostles and prophets gave way back when. ..And well, I figured since I hit my year in country mark this last week, I'd share some of them with you! Who knows, maybe if you learn to develop them now, they'll help you later! ..haha.. actually, let's be real. We all know that if you work on anything now, it'll help you later. ..
...Alright, I'm going to stop talking. Here are a few points I've learned throughout this week! Typing fingers.. ENGAGE!
First is Prayer.
Make time to pray, and share with Heavenly Father our full range of emotions and experiences. He is interested in the most important as well as the most mundane facets of your life.
Scripture Study.
He most often communicates back to us through His written word. Feasting on the words of God each day is more important than sleep, school, work, tv, video games, or social media. Dedicate time every day, personally and with your family, to study God's word. As you do, peace will prevail in your life. It will radiate out from you to influence others in the world around you.
Communication.
Have empathy for another's experience first. Fully own the limits of your own imperfections and rough edges, and practice asking this question, with tender regard for another's experience: "What are you thinking?" Minister grace through compassionate language with empathy for the feelings and context of others.
Love.
Christlike love is the greatest need we have on this planet - So if love is to be our watchword, as it must be, then by the word of Him who is love personified we must forsake transgression and any hint of advocacy in it for others. Pure Christlike love flowing from true righteousness can change the world.
** Knowing who you really are makes decisions easier. **
Selflessness.
We all have a desire for recognition, and there is nothing wrong with relaxing and enjoying ourselves, but we cannot make seeking the gain and praise of the world a central part of our motivation. Those who whole-heartedly turn their lives over to our Savior and serve God and fellowmen discover a richness and fullness to life that the selfish or egotistic will never experience. The unselfish give of themselves. When we take advantage of the unlimited opportunities to love and serve our fellowmen, including our spouse and family, our capacity to love God and to serve others will greatly increase.
Follow the Prophets.
It has been said that history turns on small hinges, and so do our lives. Decisions determine destiny. But we are not left unaided in our decisions. If you want to see the light of Heaven, if you want to feel the inspiration of Almighty God, if you want to have that feeling within your bosom that Heavenly Father is guiding you, then follow the prophets of God.
The wisdom of God oftimes appears as the foolishness of men, but the single greatest lesson we can learn in mortality is that when Got speaks and His children obey, they will always be right.
Humility.
Humility is to recognize gratefully our dependence on the Lord. It is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; it is an indication that you know where your true strength lies. You can be both humble and fearless. You can be both humble and courageous. None of us likes to admit when we are drifting off the right course. Often we try to avoid looking deeply into our souls and confronting our weaknesses, limitations, and fears. Consequently, when we do examine our lives, we look through the filter of biases, excuses, and stories we tell ourselves in order to justify unworthy thoughts and actions. ..But being able to see ourselves clearly is essential to our spiritual well-being. If our weaknesses and shortcomings remain in the shadows, then the redeeming power of the Savior cannot heal them and make them strengths. We must approach our Eternal Father with broken hearts and teachable minds. We must be willing to learn and to change. ..Those who want to learn and progress, those who learn of the Savior and desire to be like Him, those who humble themselves as a little child and seek to bring their thoughts and actions into harmony with our Father in Heaven - they will experience the miracle of the Savior's Atonement. They will taste the indescribable joy that is the fruit of a meek and humble heart. They will be blessed with the desire and discipline to become true disciples of Jesus Christ. As the simple question, "Lord, is it I?"
Faith.
There is a quality of faith which develops as we focus all of our heart, might, mind and strength. It is seen and felt in the eyes of a great missionary, a valiant and virtuous young woman, and righteous mothers, fathers, and grandparents. It is the ability to focus and be steadfast, continually holding fast to true principles, nothing wavering, even when the mist of darkness confronting us is exceedingly great. However, it can be enticing to choose doubt and disbelief over faith. Faith and fear cannot coexist. One gives way to the other. We all need to constantly build faith and overcome sources of destructive disbelief. --We do have a choice. We get what we focus on consistently. Some are the result of Satan's direct influence, but for others, we have no one to blame but ourselves. These stem from personal tendencies, attitudes, and habits we can learn to change. In a household of faith, there is no need to fear or doubt. Choose to live by faith and not fear.
Be you.
Be great.
All the love,
Elder DeMille!!
We have no letter from Elder DeMille tonight as he made some time to respond to a few people who really needed to hear from him. I love that he can be that generous. In his brief conversation with me, he sounded like he is struggling just a bit. Last week was hard for him and his knees are acting up again. Please pray for him this week that his spirits may be lifted and that his body may regain its strength. Thank you!
Meanwhile, back home, we were able to meet up with Elder DeMille’s trainer, Elder Chow!
