Elder Hilchie's Hiking Analogy

Well, this week we were in Congohance (a different city) waiting to do intervistas batismais, we had some time on our hands because the times for the bus there is not the best, I think only 4 times a day. But anyways, we decided to go to a catholic church nearby with 12 statues depicting different prophets, it was really cool. I learned that the statues were made by a famous guy without hands, he did good work. 

Spiritual thought- this week I was thinking, and I came up with a good analogy. The three kingdoms of glory (celestial, terrestial and telestial) are like three different places during a hike. You have many different people, but only one trail that leads up the mountain. People arrive at the first place to camp, it has water, good shelter, tents, and hammocks, everything you need for a good campsite. Some people decide to stay and not put in the extra effort to reach what will be a better campsite. Everyone else moves on and arrives at the second campsite, which has a waterfall, a really good shelter, food, water, fire, everything you could ever need. Some people decide to stay because this is legitimately a really good campsite. But there is a promise that there is an even better campsite if you go just a little bit farther. And so, some people stay, and some people move on, and after a long and difficult hike, they reach the top of the mountain, with a gorgeous view and literally everything you could ever want or need, water, delicious food, a really big house with air conditioning, literally everything you could ever want. And its all there for free, for those who work for it.

Hope you guys liked that analogy! Hope you all have a great week!!!! Love you all!!!! Let me know how it’s going!!!

Elder Hilchie

Lots More Rain

It rained quite a bit this week. So much so that one day while we were walking back to the house, the sewer grates were being pushed up by the force of the water that was pretty neat. Oh, and yes there is Ouro Branco chocolate, but it is not made in Ouro Branco. It is just the name they came up for it. It was pretty good though.

Moses 4:1-3 (Pearl of Great Price) what I got from it is that Satan is trying to take away our agency through sins, like drinking, smoking, pornography, and muito mais. All these have a grande allure and have promises that they will give us joy. But it is a temporary and false joy, and causes us to have addictions to them, where we can think of nothing else but them, and this is how Satan drags us down to the abyss. BUT God knew we would fall, and that’s why He sent His son, to guide us and heal us through His everlasting Atonement, which shines even in the deepest abyss. We just need to follow it so we can return to our loving Pai Eterno and live in His love for eternity.

Love you guys!! Hope you all have a great week!!!! Let me know how everything’s going!!!

Elder Hilchie

Walking

Well guys, here in Brazil, Saturday is considered the holy day of the week, so almost everything is closed and there aren’t very many buses. But we had to take one very early in the day to go do intervistas batismal for the sisters in the district. After, for like 5-6 hours there was not going to be a bus that went to Ouro Branco, so we came up with the great idea to walk back to Ouro Branco! Yeah, it was a lot longer than I expected it to be, like 26 km(Approx 15 miles). Saw a truck get its tire blown out, that was very interesting, I don’t think he realized what was happening because he just kept on going. About a little more than halfway into our journey, a guy pulled over and offered us a ride. The people are so great down here, that’s why it’s so good here. but yeah, that’s kinda the story of the week.

I’m going to try and include a spiritual thought tambem, so, this week we had a conference thing where the schedule for the mission changed, like we can get up at 7:00am now. But there was one quote I really liked "miss no opportunity to serve your fellow man" -Elder Dallin H. Oaks. I think this is super important because everyone on Earth is literally our brothers and sisters, and if we can help them we need to. And also, when we are in the service of our fellow man, we are only in the service of our God. How great is our joy if we can help the children of God?

Love you guys, hope all of you have a fantastic week!!! Write me, I love hearing from you guys!!!

Elder Hilchie