Elder Adam Moffitt's Mission in Honduras: Life is Hard, the Secret to Happiness, and Send Letters!

Let's have a moment of silence for the recent tragedy that occurred in the Sun Devils Stadium at the USC - ASU game this past week.

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There is a lesson we can learn from that game, and it is that sometimes, bad things happen in life. Sometimes life is just hard. Sometimes all we have to eat is rice and beans. Well actually that is always only what we have to eat here in Honduras, but sometimes we don't even have that. This week we have had a lot of problems with people that are just in rough situations. A family of seven with a Dad who can't find work and can´t even afford food or pills for his fever-laden family. Single moms who can't work and who have no idea what to do. Men who get drunk just to forget about being left by their whole family and being completely alone.

But the thing is we are never alone. Yeah sometimes life stinks, but the point is we aren't in this by ourselves. Life isn't just a rat race or a game of chance. Happiness isn't reserved for the rich and successful. Mosiah 2:41 in the Book of Mormon reads, "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

The "secret" of life is right there!

All we need to do to have a guarantee of happiness in this life is keep the commandments of God! We keep the commandments, and we are blessed in ALL things, both temporally, with the food to feed our family, the money to pay for a decent home, everything, and perhaps more importantly, spiritually, with the peace, comfort, and joy that accompanies a moral and religious life. The world offers us a myriad of short pleasures, mere experiences that come and go, but simple obedience opens the heavens and allows God to shower us with blessings. We have shared this message like three times every day this week just because we are teaching so many people that are struggling with various difficulties, and I know it is true. The above mentioned Father without work received an offer to work driving a taxi for the day on Sunday morning, but even though his family hadn't eaten in over a day and he had no diaper for his 6 month old baby, he refused the offer, saying he was going to go to Church and observe the Sabbath. Wow. And you know what? The very next day he got a job working in a higher paying taxi and now has the money to buy food and medicine for his family; now his family is all healthy again.

These blessings are real! No matter what your situation, it will improve if you put your trust in God and obey his commandments. What this gospel does, what God does, is replace the good with the best.

Favorite experience of the week: We were walking kinda aimlessly at 6 pm at night because a teaching appointment had fallen through and we were waiting for a few minutes to go to a different appointment when a guy stopped in front of us and stared at us sadly while smoking a cigarette. We said hello, and, feeling prompted to do so, started to talk to him, asking him why he was smoking and why he had been drinking. He quietly told us that he was doing so because he was having family problems. We told him briefly about how these things can give us pleasure for a moment but only that, and that we can help him change his life if he wants to to have the blessings of happiness in his life. He said he really wanted to change his life, and promptly took the cigarette out of his mouth and chucked it on the ground and asked us to follow him to his house to teach him. Along the way, tears flowed quietly down his face as we told him that he is not alone, that he is a son of God and is loved, and that there is a way to change his life. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

Just a gentle reminder to everyone to SEND ME LETTERS OR EMAILS OR WHATEVER!!!!! I want to hear from you people! Even if you just send me your email or address so I can send stuff to you, DO IT.

Love you all!

Fight on!

Elder Moffitt