If you were thinking to yourself "that pineapple needs a haircut" I'd have to agree with you. so I gave it a haircut:
In unrelated news, we found out that the knives in our apartment are REALLY dull.
In even more unrelated news, we found out that it takes less than a minute for 2 missionaries to eat a pineapple, but much, much more time than that to peel one.
Here's a cool bridge we found:
I've been thinking a little bit recently about joy. In life, as well as on the mission, sometimes we think that certain things are going to bring us joy. I know at least in the mission, sometimes I get in the mindset that if I get certain numbers I'll be happy. If I get this many people to church, if I can find this many new people, if I can get so many baptisms, etc. Which makes it hard when you're having "success" on your mission, in terms of numbers, but you still feel sad. I was thinking one day, and absentmindedly whistling Come, thou Fount of Every Blessing, and I thought about the lyrics to the second verse:
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by thy help I come
And I hope by thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
In Hebrew, אבן העזר, or Eben-Ezer, translated means: The Stone of Help, and refers to 1 Samuel 7:12, where the Isralites erect a big 'ole stone to commemorate the Lord helping them to win a battle. I think that this idea of remembering the Lord's help is key to finding joy in life; remembering the blessings he's given you, and remembering that by the grace of Christ alone we will be able "safely to arrive at home." That idea fills me with joy. Jesus Christ loves us so much that he rescued us all from the danger of sin and death through his own blood, and I love him for it. Even though I wander all the time, reminding myself that there's someone who cares so much about my personal salvation that he would take upon himself all of the pains he knew would keep me from returning home [brings joy].
Love,
Elder Menzie
Tagalog like ya just don't care:
kung gusto mo, may paraan; kung iyaw, maraming dahilan -- If there's a will, there's a way; if you don't want, there's a lot of reasons
