Easter email

Hello everybody!  Happy easter a day late I hope you all enjoyed the Spirti that accomnpanies this season where wer celebrate the greatest victory in the history of existence.  Especailly with the opportunity to hear from the modern day prophets with their inspired messages.

Well I will just share with you all a little that I haved learned in conference and over the last few weeks.  Truth is is that we have been experiencing some true challenges in the work here in our area and I let it get to me a little throughout the days with day after day of rejection and what not.  Also it wasn't helping me that around me I felt that every other misisonary I know is having all the success ever and I let the temptation of comparision get to me a little bit wishing that I could experinence some of the same success.

With all these feelings we go to general conference hoping that one of the 6 investigarores we had committed would show up. None did for any session.  But within the messages of general conference the Spirit oF God lifted my spirits and taught me many impoortant lessons.  I love the talk that explained that many of the most important aspects of service cannot be measured with numbers.  I learned that it is not all that important, how many, how long, in what postition, or who you serve, more that just the simples aspect of HOW you served.  I looked into myself, How is it that I am serving.  Am I really here in Portugal beacuse I love and want to serve my Savior Jesus Christ and offer what little I have?

Now I know that I am not the missionary with the best results, or the most famous missionary in the mission nor the best teacher or the most fluent portuguese speaker.  But not of that matters if I am truly serving with my heart in the work.  The Lord doesn't so much care about the numbers or statistics of our mission.  he cares about what we become because of our service.  And that all depends on HOW you serve.  And that is completely within my power with the agency of none else in play.  So I will keep trying, I will keep pushing, I will keep praying to become what he wants me to become.  I will worry with what he thinks of me and not what other missionaries may think.  I know my Savior lives and is the Redeemer because he Has redeemed and saved me and he has done it more than once.  He lives my friends, and He loves and wants to help us.

I love you all so much 

Elder Eldredge