NEVERTHELESS

Oh man... It's been a crazy week. I hardly even know where to start. The work continues to roll forward despite my shortcomings and I continue to grow, so that's always a highlight. 

Men of God:
Elder Ramos and Elder Sork

Transfer calls came in this Saturday, just 2 days ago and I'll be remaining a zone leader in the Texas Lubbock North Zone, but I'll be training a new Zone Leader  named Elder Johnson and we'll also be training a new missionary fresh out of the Missionary Training Center named Elder Walker. Sadly, the Spanish area has been moved out of Zone Leader  jurisdiction, so I'll now be serving in the English speaking ward of Heritage in the Lubbock area. I'm sorry to say goodbye to my old companions and friends Elder Pastrana and Elder Ramos.. its been a fun few weeks and my Spanish has improved so much! Looks like the Lord has other plans for me though. He knows best!

Ricky and Araceli
Investigators I have been teaching.  I will really miss working with them.

So the last week with my Spanish companions was one full of adventure and peril. We went up to a distant town called Gail to do some service on Wednesday where we proceeded to use fence post diggers to help construct a fence. It was my first real taste of ranch life and I was loving it! During the course of the day I accidentally smashed my foot with those post hole diggers though. Ouch. I knew it was hurt pretty bad but I didn't take off my shoe because I know things tend to swell up and become REALLY painful from experience. So I kept the shoe on and continued to work... eventually the pain subsided and everything was okay. 

Even Toes Grow Big In Texas

During that service we found a whip scorpion and rats, black widows, and tons of other Texas critters. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I LOVE hard work. 

This is a whip scorpion I caught while doing the service.  It was a nasty critter.  Unfortunately, it died on the 2 hour drive home - I guess it made getting the picture easier...

Anyway... on the 2 hour drive back home my foot started hurting me REALLY bad. I finally got back to the apartment and took off my shoe, and my sock was soaked in blood. I spent the night with my foot propped up hoping that it would get better but I woke up in the morning with so much pain that I HAD to call the mission doctor. 

He told me the reason it hurt so bad was because of the pressure building up beneath my nail. So I had two options.. stick it out, or put a hole through the nail. I chose the second option. My companions found a paper clip and with a lighter we heated up the end till it was cherry red then proceeded to poke a hole through my nail. It hurt like the dickens. 

Superman Not Looking Very Super

I've got a video that I'll have to show y'all when I get home, but let me suffice it to say that it HURT. Anyway, after it was able to be drained the pain went down a ton and I'm back up on my feet working away! But man... what an adventure. 

AHH, Relief

I got to say goodbye to our investigators and on our last trip up to a small town called Brownfield. We were able to deliver some furniture to a family in need. We'd been collecting it for weeks from members and storing it in our house until we had everything the family needed including a bed, couch, TV, toys for the kids, chairs, and dressers. This is the same family that we made the benches for a few weeks ago. 

A Missionaries Truck:  Used to Serve In All Capacities.

Because the parents now have the items their children need in the home to live comfortably they'll be able to keep their children. Child Protective Services had given them time to find furniture and beds before they took the kids away. I'm glad we were able to help that family out.  

Keeping Families Together
I am so glad we were able to help these kids stay in their home with their parents.

The weather is starting to take a turn again. The past few days have been cloudy and rainy with a brisk wind blowing in from the north. It's the kind of wind that chills you to the bone! But I'll gladly take the cold over the heat ANY day! I feel like Mandy and I should've had our calls switched- I would've loved the freezing air of Canada!

The Aftermath of Mission Field Surgery

My foot is doing okay. My companions are packing up and getting ready for the new transfer. Things are going good. I'm excited to see what the next 6 weeks has in store!

A Casual Dinner

Hang In There!

Come what may and Love it. Don't simply "endure" to the end- smile, laugh, and help others along the way. Then "enduring" won't seem like such a tedious verb!

This is MY Zone (less four companionships) We R Lubbock North!

My thought today comes to give comfort and solace to those that feel like they can never be happy. It's something that I struggled with, and I know countless others do as well. I'd like to draw your attention to the prophet Nephi in the Book of Mormon. A man of great stature. Always choosing the right. A leader favored of the Lord. You'd think he had it all right? (Besides the crazy older brothers). In my reading the scriptures this week I was reflecting on 2 Nephi Chapter 4, one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon. Often referred to as Nephi's lamentation it's Nephi exclaiming, "Oh wretched man that I am!" 

At this point in his life we must remember a few things:

1. Nephi has left his home and traveled to a distant land after having wandered in the wilderness for 8 years suffering "many afflictions".

2. He'd almost been killed by his brothers countless times, and they hated him and everything he stood for.

3. In Nephi Chapter 4 Nephi's father, Lehi, passes away

That's enough to make ANYONE sad. 

But look closely at Nephi's physical reactions to these hardships- in 2 Nephi Chapter 4:26 it reads:

"O then if I have seen so great things, if the lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh  waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions."

I'm no expert but these seem to be the basic signs of depressions. Losing hope. Physically suffering (i.e. Losing weight). Losing strength. This helps us to know that even the greatest men of God, the ones we read about each and every day, had struggles very similar to the ones we face today. My question is how did Nephi overcome this? How did he get out of this emotional and physical rut and push on? 

The answer is found in versus 20-25 and verse 30. I believe he found his way out by counting his blessings and seeking understanding and peace through mighty prayer. Counting blessings helps us look at the world "half full" and not half empty as we recognize how fortunate we truly are. And mighty prayer helps us realize we are NEVER alone, no matter how alone we may feel. Nephi did these very things and later in 2 Nephi chapter 5 verse 26 or 27 he records that he and his people "lived after the manner of happiness."

Nephi's Sorrow by Steve Nethercott

In 1 Nephi chapter 1:1 we read:

"...and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God..."

The word I would like to point out in this verse is NEVERTHELESS. The trials and tribulations never left. But NEVERTHELESS, he still felt blessed and loved. You can too.

Let me know if there's anything I can do for you! I love you. Thanks for all the support and love you send me through emails, letters, and prayers. I think of you often.

Take care. God bless.

Your son, friend, brother, and missionary,

Elder Austin Daniel Sork

I saw this and it brought back fond memories of my first home in Texas, The Lilly Pad.  I miss Kermit.