Thoughts on Adversity...

This is half of Xela.

Hey family! How is it up in the states? Everything down here is good. But man, I didn't realize what they meant by rain when they said "rain." No, it has not rained yet but one of the members was describing it to us and had some pictures. No wonder it is called the land of the eternal spring. She showed us a picture of the street that we live on. It was like 4 feet deep raging water and there was one of those huge tourist buses trying to go upstream. The water was about halfway up the side of the bus. I thought that if I bought a good jacket and some good boots I could power through it, but needless to say I don't think that anything other than a raft will help us. It is supposed to start any day now so I am ready as I will ever be.
 

This week was kind of a bummer. You guys probably remember when I said that we were going to baptize an ex-pastor and they were really positive. Well the pastor of his church took president Hinkley's advice and gave him responsibility. President Hinkley said every new member needs a friend and a calling. Well the other pastor gave him a pulpit and helped him convert his one room house into a church. So we officially dropped them as investigators. It was very sad for us but it will not hold us back.
 

This week's quote is actually 2 quotes. "Adversity introduces a man to himself." -Unknown and "There is no education like adversity." -Disraeli. Why do we have adversity? Because it is what makes us great. The people who are most successful are successful because they have failed many times in their lives. But can we let it drag us down or do we need to stand back up and try again or not let it bug you you need to look at failure as an opportunity? For example, Thomas Edison said something like, "I have not failed. I've just found 10000 ways that won't work." I want to share another story about Thomas Edison.
 

"Thomas Edison devoted 10 years and all of his money to developing the nickle Alkaline storage battery at a time when he was almost penniless. Through that period of time his small film and record company was supporting the storage battery effort. Then one night the terrible cry of fire echoed throughout the film plant, spontaneous combustion had ignited some chemicals and within moments all of the packing compounds, the celluloid for the record film, and other flammable goods had gone up with a roar. Fire companies from 8 towns arrived but the fire and heat was so intense and the water pressure so low that hoses had no effect. Edison was 67 years old. That is no age to begin anew. His daughter was frantic wondering if he was safe, wondering if his spirits were broken, wondering how he would handle a crisis such as this at his age. She saw him running toward her. He spoke first. He said, "Where's your mother? Go get her. Tell her to get her friends. They'll never see another fire like this as long as they live." At 5:30 the next morning, with the fire barely under control, he called his employees together and announced, "We're rebuilding." One man was told to lease all the machine shops in the area, another to obtain a wrecking crane from the Eire railroad company. Then almost as an after thought he said, "Oh by the way, does anybody know where you can get some money?" Virtually everything you now recognize as a Thomas Edison contribution to your life came after that disaster. (Phonograph, carbon telephone, battery, light bulb.)" - Jeffery R. Holland.
 

I love the part it says at the end about how all great inventions came after this incident. So, how can we be resilient? In the mission I chose to write out a paragraph that helps me remember the Savior and that He is always with me. This is what I wrote. "My son, peace be unto thy soul: thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; Thou art not yet as Job. (D&C 121) And if thou be cast into the deep, if the billowing surge conspire against thee, if fierce winds become thine enemy, if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way, and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou my son, that all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good. And then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high, thou shalt triumph over all they foes. (D&C 122) ...Ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit. (Alma 13:28) ...ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that he may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. (Alma 17:11) The Son of Man hath experienced, endured and descended below all things to sustain, support and carry us through all things. When the day comes that ye shall wet his feet with thy tears ye shall know that thine afflictions were consecrated for thy gain. Ye shall have an absolute knowledge that God lives for ye became acquainted with Him through thine extremities and that price ye paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay. (?)"
 

We are going to have trials. It is part of life but we need to have a plan for when they come. I have a testimony that trials are just a small part of our life and we need to focus on the other great parts. If you ever feel bad or like you have a hard life go and read D&C 122 about Joseph Smith and his trials. You will not feel bad for yourself anymore.
 

Sorry I didn't get to write that much today.
 

Love all of you guys,

Elder Reinhold