Things are heating up!

Hello my loving followers! I hope that this letter finds you all doing great. I know you guys are doing your thing and enjoying your lives. Keep up the good work. Thanks for all your love and support you guys are the bomb. So lets get to it shall we!

Well I think that I have NEVER in my life sweat mucho. es horrible. I can ring my shirt out on some days. That’s how hot it can be. This week was worse too because it rained a few times, and I mean DOWNPOORED so it got soooo humid. One day this week it absolutely rained liked cats and dogs and we were an hour from our house (first time it rained here in months) and it rained like crazy! We were absolutely drenched! We made it fun though, so it was a good time! So to give you an idea how hot it is here, our water from the tank above our house literally comes out like boiling from the shower. Since the tank is in the sun all day the sun pretty much boils the water and then at night we can’t even use the water from the shower because it’s so hot. Yea.... but it’s all good. We’re working in the rays and getting our tan on (don’t worry mom I am wearing sunscreen)! Oh crazy!! One day this week I had a tie tan... so when I took my shirt off at night you could see the outline of my tie from the sun, hahaha crazy stuff! All Great experiences though!!! 

The past few weeks some things have happened that have made me do some reflecting. They have all been things that I really have learned from. This week when I found out that my 97-year-old Great Grandpa died it made me do some reflecting, and I know that my grandpa is in a good place so I wasn’t worried about anything. He is living happy and feeling great with our Heavenly Father. But, when we loose someone that was close to us and has had a great influence on our lives it brings reflecting. I really looked up to my Great Grandpa, and it made me think about some things. He was a great man, quiet by nature and I want to be a great man and father one day as well. So I did some thinking about what exactly I could share with you guys this week.

First I was thinking about what drives us in life. What makes us better and want to do better. A few things came to mind. When we have goals, set backs, rejection, success, and faith – all these are things that bring actions. How are we going to re-act to situations in life? But I want to talk about the most important work that we have. We all need to plan and envision our greatest work. What is our greatest work? OURSELVES. Can you see, have you seen, who YOU want to be? What will happen if we have no vision of who we want to become? We all plan-everyday in our lives we plan of some sort. Whether it’s for school, sports, work or goals, were always envisioning and planning. We MUST plan in life to succeed. But, have you planned your greatest work? Have you envisioned who you will become or be? Do you plan for what kind of person you want to become? Can you use in your mind in who you want to be? Do you know? As we consider what kind of person we want to become, what choices do we have? Here are some choices, but overall they are a choice between the qualities of light or the qualities of darkness. 

Do you want to be powerful or weak?

Certain and confident, or afraid and insecure?

Do you want to have peace or conflict within?

Generous or selfish?

Influential or inconsequential?

Honest or dishonest?

Do you want to be forgiving or hard and unforgiving?

Knowledgeable or ignorant?

Do you want to be a person of faith or doubt and fear?

Trustworthy or unreliable?

Hardworking or lazy?

The first of these choices are an attribute of light. As we incorporate Christ like attributes (faith, hope, charity and love, virtue, knowledge, patience, humility, diligence, obedience) into our character we will begin to shine bright like light and choose to follow Christ’s example. 

I know that when we follows Christ’s example we will have the spirit more in our lives, and we will receive blessings. That’s a promise. I challenge all of you to find who you are and what you want to be. Then take action and try to be more like our savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve at this time and in this area. I know that our Savior lives and that when we need the Lord in our lives, he is ready to help us. I challenge you all to pray every day and to take 5 little minutes for our Lord every day, whether its praying, reading, or going to church on Sunday. I promise when we put the Lord in our lives, we personally will change and find out who we really are and how we can become better. Thanks for all your love and support, make it a great week, aim high in all that you do and put your best foot forward. 

LOVE YOU ALL! 

Gi, your a stud, keep up the good work! Family and friends thanks for everything! 

Make it a great week! 

Con mucho amor,

Elder Long!!