This week I hit the one year mark.
When I first started, I began to put a sentence to every week I served, and so I decided to just let you guys see into it. I was thinking about saying them all in my Homecoming talk, but that would take way too much time.
Week 3: In the Field -- Psalms 82:6
Week 4: Nothing chévere (cool)
Week 5: Lamentations 3:40
Week 6: Exodus 33:11
Week 7: Matthew 5:14-16, Jeremiah 16:16
Week 8: Isaiah 7;14
Week 9: First Baptism. Gilbert Venegas Alexis Sans -- D&C 18:18-19
Week 10: Ecclesiates 3:14 (Christmas)
Week 11: 1st Nephi 10:20
Week 12: 1st Nephi 17:49-51
Week 13: 2nd Timothy 2:15-16
From here on out share one sentence from each week for Homecoming talk.
Week 14: Give it all you got for 2 years Connor! D&C 58:27
Week 15: 2nd Corinthians 3:3. Ponder upon the words of eternal life Connor!
Week 16: 5 months out. Marcelo got deported. D&C 111:11
Week 17: The Lord has answered my prayers. Scripture D&C 25:13
Week 18: Open your eyes and see the blessings!
Week 19: I'm enjoying the mission, fasting works! Jeremiah 51:15
Week 20: Be a tool in the Lord's hand. 2nd Nephi 20:15
Week 21: Everybody is ready if you are!
Week 22: I Wasn't less active 2 years, I served a mission!
Week 23: Forgot to say that in Week 20 I baptized 2 people! (Samuel Acurero y Yuzara tapias carpio) D&C 18:17-18
Week 24: I'm eating that corn! Deuteronomy 25:4
Week 25: 7 months. The Lord lives. The Lord of Peace! 2nd Thess. 3:16
Week 26: Cúcuta is really HOT!
Week 27: The Lord answers prayers. Jeremiah 33:3
Week 28: The doctrine of Christ. 2nd John 1:9-11
Week 29: The Book of Mormon is our strongest tool, quote Thomas S. Monson April 2017 conference.
Week 30: Endure the Lord's trials for us, and he'll help us become more humble.
Week 31: Shut your mouth and then learn. Job 13:5
Week 32: The priesthood gives us the authority, not our knowledge. Matthew 10:1
Week 33: Baptized refugees, turned them into VIP's into the celestial kingdom. Juan 3:5
Week 34: A Question. If I have a bad companion, will it be a bad transfer?
Week 35: The Lord placed you guys together so you could learn from each other. I know because I just learned that here in Cúcuta! Mosiah 4:9
Week 36: I know that the Book of Mormon is blue! And True! I'm district leader
Week 37: Learning to serve my fellow beings will help one throughout the lifetime. Mosiah 2:17
Week 38: Faith brings us miracles. Mosiah 4:9
Week 39: In this life, the main goal, is to take off the natural man. Mosiah 3:19
Week 40: I don't know if I'm going to actually read this in my talk. Alma 5
Week 41: My companion left to be Assistant to the President. He was the 1st companion I had that worked hard.
Week 42: My new one is pretty cool. Elder Rodriguez from Bolivia!
Week 43: We have started fasting two times a week to see if anything happens. Helaman 3:35
Week 44: I have a fire in the bones! I truly feel like I'm a different person.
Week 45: I am really off count on the weeks, because I just hit a year!
Year 1: Jacob 1:19, Moroni 9:6
This last year, as I reflect on all of the experiences I've had, and all of the people that I've met. I think on how blessed I've been by the Lord. There is revelation today on the face of the earth. I know that I was called of God to serve in Colombia. This place has been so extraordinary for me. I love my Heavenly Father. I am grateful for my family. And I am repenting every day of what I didn't do, or what I did poorly while I was still home.
With one year under my belt, I have truly not even began to understand the masters teaching, of service. Matthew 20:25-28
25 Entonces Jesús, llamándolos, dijo: Sabéis que los gobernantes de los gentiles se enseñorean sobre ellos, y los que son grandes ejercen sobre ellos potestad.
26 Mas entre vosotros no será así, sino que el que quiera hacerse grande entre vosotros será vuestro servidor;
27 y el que quiera ser el primero entre vosotros será vuestro siervo,
28 así como el Hijo del Hombre no vino para ser servido, sino para servir y para dar su vida en rescate por muchos.
In Spanish there is a phrase ¨El que no sirve, no sirve¨. It means- He who doesn't serve, doesn't work, (thinking of a broken tool that doesn't work for what it was made for). I know that's true. The Lord has a great work waiting for everybody, and I know that that great work is here in the mission field! I still have yet to begin my true discipleship of Jesus Christ. When we think we have hit that point, we should think that it is truly just beginning. As I started my mission, I thought about competition, being better than everybody else. What I've learned in the mission is all the opposite. It is a gentle response, being humble, Matthew 5:39.
It is this selfless service. I can't wait to get to that point. And I pray for all of you to learn these truths. I miss you all. I won't say a lot because I feel like I'm at home down here in Colombia, but I miss you.
Thanks for all the memories we've had, and know that I try to apply them to my time here, to bless the lives of all those people around me. Especially my father and my mother. They are some of the most devote followers of Christ I have had the pleasure to meet.
If I could write a book of scripture, it would probably have the first verse something about the same as Nephi, when he wrote 1st Nephi 1:1.
I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; 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, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.
ONE Year down, ONE more to go. I expect you all to start writing me. Seriously!
Élder Tracy
