the nature of God is the nature of happiness

Thanks for everything! Yeah, it's a great thing to gain a testimony of study and the power of the Book of Mormon in conversion! Totally do it, there's lots of pointers in PMG chapter 5 "The role of the Book of Mormon in conversion"! It's good to hear that things are going good at home! Halloween is such a fun time ;) Haha, that's awesome that J is learning his letters, he seems like a very intelligent person ;) I was thinking recently, a verse in the Scriptures implies that the nature of God is the nature of happiness. We can't dwell with God without repenting to develop that nature. And the glory of God is intelligence. When we act like animals, and when we yield to carnal things, we can't live with God. We need to live up to our intelligence.

When I first got here, I kinda just focused on my own studies, but I'm learning that the MTC is not an honors class, some missionaries are not accustomed to studying. So I'm really working on serving others. I was called as district leader recently, I know the Lord really wants me to learn how to serve others. Feel free to give me any pointers or advice concerning service and the likes. I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks again for all you do! Thanks for the packages, they're awesome!! Love you!

Aia, tekeraoi ma te bong aio!

angels on my right and left

haha yeah, heard of "The doctrine of Christ" by President Nelson, Or "Developing the Character of Christ" by President Bednar? ;) They're the movies we watch on Sunday nights.Yeah I've really felt the hand of the Lord in my life these past few weeks, I know He loves me, I know he loves us all equally. I'm so grateful for the repentance process, and that we're able to change.

I've been working really hard on humility these past few days, I know that we need to see each other equally, as we all have the same degree of importance and potential, and that we need to be humbled before God, because He is created us, the plan, and sent His Son, which is our only reason for hope.

I'm also trying to gain a testimony of hard work... The first couple of weeks, I have to admit, I was pretty lazy. Like, I payed attention in class and stuff, I followed the rules, I used my study time completely.. basically I did everything that was written down.. But I've realized that even then, there's so much time that we have, like when people are talking just to talk, and you find yourself listening just to listen, or between and during meals, arise, bedtime, class time.. I know that I'll "return in vain" if I don't do everything in my power to serve Him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.

I have seriously felt angels on my right and left and have felt that my steps have been guided! Truly, I know the Lord is watching out for each of us, we just need to exercise faith, be faithful to our covenants, repent, and strive to become better. He will literally guide our steps, and you won't be able to help but feel His infinite love surrounding you. I know that we have no reason to fear, we just need to trust in Him. I know that the Lord works by faith. I know that it's never too late for anyone to come unto Him, and that He wants for us to come unto Him and have peace and joy and is continually looking out to pour blessings on us when we are obedient, or when we ask for His help.

, I've got a lot of learning to do, but I know the Lord is helping me do it. I know that as we exercise faith and as we are tried, we can gain a witness, and that faith can progress to knowledge. I'm so grateful for the Atonement, that we can repent and become more Christ-like. Thanks for all of your guys' examples :) I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us more than we can understand. Have a good week!

Thanks for your support. Sounds like the fam is doing good. I love you all! - Elder S

oh and yeah, President Bednar was here a week or so ago ;)

Throwing all worldly things away...literally!

So after a long summer of trips, camps, and working in Oakland Jared put all worldly things away for the Lord...literally "threw all worldly things away!" Enjoy his first letter!

Hey... how's it goin?... ;) jk, it's weird that I'm actually on my mission, cause it doesn't feel way different.. I feel like I've been getting shipped around all summer, so it's not that weird to be away from home ;) any way, there's a very strong spirit here at the MTC, it's pretty cool! It kind of feels like the temple. My companions (I have two, I'm in a trio) are very ambitious, and competitive in a good way. I believe that the companionships here are indeed inspired of the Lord ;) I never knew how much it would help, but I know now, that familiarizing yourself with language study before your mission gives you a huge head start, in stress management, and in language learning methods! Alright, I just want to end with my testimony... I believe that the spirit does speak to us. When I feel the spirit, it's a feeling of peace, and of God's love. I believe that God loves us, it's a message that really speaks to me! I believe that we need to be continually improving in the commandments, and that as we do so, God will bless us with His spirit. N aran Iesu Kristo, Amen.

P.S. Haha, oh yeah, I bet you're wondering about my phone ;) so yeah, I forgot it was in my pocket and brought it here. I was going to mail it back, but I kind of figured it was just a cheap phone any way. So feel free to take $40 dollars out of my account to pay for it, but I throwed it away c: (I can totally see Dad's reaction right now)

Love you all!

 Last dinner with Jared...Elder Seffker for a while!  Party makes a "goodbye" a little easier!

 At the MTC drop-off in Provo. He'll be here just for a short time then off he goes!

better than what I expected

heyy hows it going,  this email it is probably the last one I will write in the mission. but yeah this has been a good last week for me, already gave my last talk in Church now we are mostly preparing to go. today is pday tomorrow ill be finishing things up and then well finish things up in the office and in asuncion on Wednesday and then ill be on a 🛩 and then ill see yall soon. but yeah the end of my mission has been good so far, didnt really expect it to be quite like this but I think it is better than what I expected so thats good. 👍

yeah i had a interview with President E today, he is the new one, he is really cool, and it was interesting for me in the interview how i have seen that my testimony has grown a lot. also i sort of noticed that i have found a lot of good friends here in the mission, i feel pretty blessed for that aswell. 🙂☺

i am glad i will be able to go see you guys again, it will be fun to see what kind of new things you all have going on love you and see you soon 

Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people;

that is cool about Beccas rash thing that she could get better for at least now hopefully later too, she told me in one of her letters about it, she was very optimistic about it. one of addis letters was really nice, that reminds me in Church this week we listened to the primary sing a song, it is really cool to see them sing and in Sacrament meeting a whole bunch of them went up to give their testimony. and i am not kidding they were really cool simple testimonies, it was really interesting, so thats a good memory for me. yeah and so i am running low on time but ill see yall soon enough right love ya chow
well sounds like you guys have some fun stuff going on, that is cool that you got sustained, does that mean you will be teaching Melissa now? i remember it was fun when i was in your class with mike. one thing that i usually try to do to have the Spirit strong when i teach is i first of course try to prepare, i have to ask for help. I have had some times where the Spirit has given me a topic to focus on, those times almost always have turned out pretty good but sometimes where hard for me because i wasnt sure how it would turn out. I had to have faith that things would work out. one big part of preparing the lesson is that it makes it so i am not nervous. I think the Spirit is more easily heard when you are prepared,  you feel like you did your part and are ready to recieve guidance and dont necessarily have to use the things you prepared. 

Another thing that has helped me have the Spirit in my teaching is just listening to the people when they talk and trying to open things more up to discussion.  if you just nod your head and move on most the time people wont care or wont say anything but if you want people to participate a ton tell them that by the way you listen and try and build on what they say a little bit so that they feel like their comment is important. I remember in the class you taught when I was like fourteen or so you where pretty good at that and you tried to find ways to help us participate. that stuff is pretty cool, so yeah i think that, listening, is really important and is all part of loving the people. I was looking at this one new book from the Church on how to teach and the first thing was ``loving those you teach`` which only makes sense. I like that one part of the Bible when that guys asks Jesus ``what is the great commandment`` or something like that  and He responds number one and too, love the Lord and your fellow man. and all the law is based on that. I like how that can be the base of teaching it only makes sense, it seems to me like one of the only righteous motives to teach. It doesnt matter how much you know, and mabye it doesnt matter how much you teach if you dont have charity. if you dont have charity your nothing. so yeah with that just them recieving the message from your heart, I mean if you are really sincire then I think that helps a lot. ``for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men.`` 2ne33. 

i dont know i hope that helped a little, that is cool that Jared will get his endowments in the temple when I get back, I am excited for that. I love the temple, it s soo cool.

speaking of, i had a dream that i was in a gang two nights back, it was really funny, it reminded me of the opening scence on batman two, where a bunch or robbers come and rob a bank in masks but in my dream we were  missionaries not clowns. it was a pretty weird dream, almost kind of dark. but yeah i dont recomend batman 2 its pretty dark as well 🤔 and yeah in my dream i remeber there was a part where i grabbed someones backpack without them looking and then threw it over a wall,

and i also had a dream where i was eating at the table with you guys too, it was kind of trunky but also scary, at the end someone asked me a question, and i said no if i do that then i will wake up and it will be a dream, and then i woke up it was really weird. 😳

speaking of wierd, we had a zone confrence, it was my last one and the last one of our president, he will be finishing the mission here in july as well so we are the group that leaves with President McMullin. so my last interview will be with some other new president but I am sure it will be good all the same. and in the confrence this time he mostly just told us cool stories. i feel like we all got to know him a lot better and it was a little bit interesting to see him as a Dad. I think it made us all apreciate what he does  a little more but one of the interesting things he told us is that there were a lot of cool miraculos stories that he had seen from his time in the mission. also he explained to us how it is to get called as a mission president, i guess it is kind of cool, they have someone in the first presidency call you and interview you and set you apart and all that, he said there is a plane on President Uctdorfs desk and a statue of two missionaries on bikes and a bunch of other stuff like that🤓. then he said that they all go to the provo mtc, them and bunch of other mission presidents and there are no missionaries there, it is just them and the first presidency, well at least all of the first presidency that isnt feeling sick. and they get capicitated on everything. 

he also explainded some interesting stuff about his family, like what happened to them while they went to Paraguay and all that. it was interesting stuff. 

o yeah and i got the pin you guys sent me and the letters that went with it, i like the pin it looks like there used to be horns on top of its head, also the mission gave us a pin that says preach my Gospel its pretty cool ill have to show it to you guys. 

and yeah some interesting things have happened this week, i can definetly say i am seeing miricales, things i think are amazing. 

and yeah all is well, one cool thing i have been realizing is how the Lord has helped me say the things i want to say

5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men;

 6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

 7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.

but yeah i really like that scripture and the principle, i feel like when i apply that, all goes well and i some times find my self saying things that are beyond me, i think sometimes the Spirit can calm and clarify things you never really understoud while you are talking. 

best times of the week

that is cool the Sacrament is usually one of the best times of the week for me, i just feel really relieved sometimes. that is cool that you would mention that you felt closer to God, it reminds me of a time where i prayed before sacrament meeting for that  and i still remember that super well a year later. 
well this was a good week for me, it is interesting finishing up the mission, it seems like i am gonna be here for longer, just because i feel so used to it but all good things must come to an end just kidding.  i cant wait to see you guys soon but there are still like 4 weeks left, i dont know about you guys but for me that seems really short, time goes by super fast here. this week was good we had a cool investigator come to Church and she seems to be liking it a lot. also a recent convert that hasnt come to Church in a really long time came, goes to show that people feel a reason to come if you consistently show them that you care by visiting them. so yeah lots of cool things happened this week though i just cant remember them very well. one cool thing is that today we got to play soccer, i think that will be the last time we play soccer here in paraguay sadly. i am really enjoying my study time lately and there is so much to learn, so much you can change about yourself by simply listing to the Spirit and trying to appy it. i think that studying the scriptures gives me a lot of motivation too. but yeah this was another good week, i am beginning to like this area a bit more and so that is good, to be liking my last area.

I, God, have suffered these things for all

well this has been a good week, it was a great week for me to learn about the Atonement, I feel like that is a big blessing. I had an hour of studies where I had some kind of deep thoughts about the Atonement, it really is beyond me what kind of a Sacrifice it was. I love DyC 19

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

 17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

 18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

 19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

 20 Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit.

Here is a thought that I had, who would I be willing to die for? and for many people such as parents it may be those that they taught the Gospel or shared it with well I was thinking personally about that then I had the thought of what would happen if I died for someone that decided to drop the Gospel, simply because it was to hard, or they didnt want to. there would be no fair reason for anyone to drop the Gospel after someone had died to give it to us right. well the Atonement is what gives us the Gospel and Christ didnt just die but something a whole lot harder than that and some of us think we have the right simply to not live the Gospel in ignorance. I think that is crazy. I have been able to feel Christs love for us more lately. you know we really don't have to suffer all that much. living the Gospel is not to hard and there is nothing happier.  The hard part Christ already did, we just have to do our part

dyc136

27 Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward.

 28 If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

 29 If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.