Feb. 4, 2019

 Transfers were Thursday (Jan. 31) and Elder Trezise was transferred to Shelley, ID.  These pictures are all in Idaho Falls (I think) before his transfer.

Missonaries getting ready to have a "funeral" for a sister who was going home

The sister's "funeral".  It's hard to say goodbye

Best companions ever

P-day basketball

At the Idaho Falls Visitor Center

Elder Trezise's Email for the week:

I'm doing really well. I didn't realize President emailed you. He is the kindest, most genuine and loving person I have ever met, and I'll be really sad to see him go in July. My companion, Elder Jevne, is really cool. We get along really well, and are having a lot of fun. We get a ton of time to talk because we are in a walking area, and he has similar interests as me. He's really serious most of the time which is hard at times during lessons, but he is a genuine and kind person. He has read a ton of Brandon Sanderson and played some magic which is awesome. He is really into Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and such, so I can relate there. And we're staying with 2 other Elders in our district and they are hilarious. (But none of them get my quotes the way Elder Nelson did, so that's sad.) One of them was one of my AP's when I came out, and now he's my zone leader. He only has 1 transfer left, and he's not too excited to go home. I've only been out a little while, but I can relate. We were at lunch the other day, and I asked him if he missed home at all. He sat there silently for a second, then said "Yeah, but it doesn't matter. I miss music, home, everything, but I don't care anymore. I would easily give it all up if it meant I could keep serving. I have absolutely no desire to leave. I want to stay. I want to be a missionary." I love being a missionary. It is incredible. I still have a while left, and I'm happy about that, but it is really hard to believe after this transfer I'll have been out 6 months. That's an uncomfortable thought to me. It has gone by much too fast. I hope it slows down. I'm in Shelly, and my address is a quad thing, so it would be best if you send packages to the mission office and I could get them on P-Day's. I like being in a walking area and walking around in the snow and slush. It's fun. I am technically wearing a coat most of the time :).

In other news, we're both new to the area and trying to figure everything out right. So we are teaching a bunch of people we have never met. We had the chance to meet some, and we were hoping to meet the rest at church yesterday. CHURCH GOT CANCELLED. Yeah. The flu is the worst they've ever seen it, and school's are being shut down and church got cancelled because of the virus. We were super bummed out about it. I was really looking forward to going. I feel like I'm going through withdrawals without having the Sacrament this week. It is upsetting.

I heard the game was super boring, but I'm glad the Pats won. I couldn't root for an enemy of the Cardinals, haha. I feel so bad for Max. I have been praying for him a lot. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. I know it's hard. I'm sorry I can't be there. Yeah, it was hard for me to say goodbye to the Carvajals. I wrote them a card saying how grateful I was for them, and then the night before they gave me their 'transfer journal' that all their missionaries sign. I wrote a lot in it. They are like family to me, and I'm definitely going back after the mission.

I have been re-reading the New Testament, trying to understand it more. I got to Matthew chapter 25 a few days ago, when I read these verses,

"35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."

I had an interesting thought while reading this. But first let me start with some concerns I've had for a while. I always struggled to understand one aspect of the Atonement. The Savior suffered every pain we have right? So if I were to just headbutt the wall or something, then He would have suffered that right? Well if He suffered that, and it was my agency and my choice to do that, then doesn't that take away from my agency a little? If God knows every single decision we will ever make, then He knows which of His children would return to live with Him again and which wouldn't? Why would He send some children down knowing they wouldn't come back? Elder Nelson and I talked a lot about it, and I came to a conclusion. Yes, God knows every choice we will make. Yes He knew which children would and wouldn't return to Him. But He knew that it was our agency that allows us to return to Him or not. He willingly sent children down knowing they wouldn't come back, because He loves us enough to let us choose for ourselves. He didn't want to force His children to live with them if they would otherwise choose not to. Which brings me back to the verses. For the first time, I took these verses literally and not metaphorically as I read them. Christ suffered every pain, yes. But when we see others hungry, thirsty, in pain, or whatever else, we are literally doing it unto Christ. Think about it, when we lessen the pain that someone feels as they struggle, we are lessening the pain that Christ felt in the Garden. We are taking away a burden He would otherwise have to bear. It has helped me a lot. My first transfer we saw a woman crying on her porch and we walked by because it was awkward. 2 days after I read that chapter I saw a woman crying by herself sitting on the side of the road. But I didn't look at her as some random woman. I looked at her, and I imagined the Savior sitting there weeping. I would do anything to try to help Him. The awkwardness faded. I walked over, asked her what's wrong, and gave her a Book of Mormon and testified of it. I didn't hear back yet, but I hope I was able to lessen her burden. I know I did what I could to help. And I know that I tried my best to not only help her, but to help my Savior as well. I know how important it is to view everyone as a child of God, and how important it is to see all who are struggling as the Savior in Gethsemane. Everyone deserves to at least hear the Gospel. Everyone deserves the love that it offers them. Everyone deserves the healing that the Savior offers. And I know that as I talk to everyone I see about this Gospel, even though most will reject me, it doesn't matter, Because those times they don't reject me. Those times they don't reject the Gospel, the truth, and happiness, make it all worth while. Watching the Lord heal 1 person after a thousand rejections is worth it. Because I know that I didn't just help that person, but I helped my Redeemer. I love this Gospel. I love the peace it offers, and I am so grateful for His impact in my life. I love you all so much, and miss, and think about, and pray about you all daily!

-Elder Trezise