I Nearly Die, The Hakka Causes An Earthquake, And Yes Elder Parra I Still Suck At The Hackey Sack But I'm Gonna Get It Just Wait

Hapupei! What a week. With what limited time that I have now, I hope to share some thoughts and really awesome experiences that I have had this week in hopes that all of you will be inspired to come unto Christ. Because golly what a week! 

To begin... this week we were suprised and estatic to welcome a new memeber to our district. What proved to be even more of a blessing and a joy for me was that Elder Mogashoah from South Afirca is now in a trio with me and Elder Castro. Sorta out of nowhere I know but he has been a wonderful addition to our companionship and his testimony of the gospel is magnificant! Although, I will say if you thought keeping track of one other person all the time was hard try two. Anyways though he's had a lot of really fascinating life experiences then us and is 21 and he's already taught me alot about  faith in the Priesthood and Jesus Christ.  

This week, we also had to say goodbye to the latino friends of ours who left for the field Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. They are on this email list and Elders you are in my prayers. Me cayan bien todos de ustedes. It really is a surreal feeling to think that there gone now. They arrived at the same time as them and even though they spoke litterally a different language then me, like we developed genuine friendships and Idk it's just wonderful to watch all of us come from different countries, guatamala, peru, Ecuador, etc... and watch us all come together in this common purpose to serve the lord. Your humor, laughs and testimonies will be missed Elders. 

Hackey Sacks and Harmonicas are all the rage here haha every spare or unoccupied moment boom Aki Saki, double boom Praise to the Man and Piano Man on the Harmonicas.

In other news, I nearly died Monday. All had been a pretty normal day, I had sorta banged up and twisted my ankle a bit playing basketball but fortunanetly all was well haha but I walked away with a bit of a limp so I have taken it easy the last couple of days of sports don't worry Mom I've been smart. BUTTT what was not smart was when I thought it'd be a good idea to go ahead and eat a choclate bar given to me, which then proceeded to well poision me.... the peanuts were in the carmael and ussually I am absouletly fantastic and picking out the taste and not actually eating it, like fr I am quite the sletuh in this regard typically, however, I was fooled and it proceed to be I can honestly say the most painful 2 to 3 hours of my life give or take. Like, I won't give many a detail but needeless to say I was really really sick, and it was an excruciating pain. I basically tapped out of Spanish classes that night, and just had to fight through it and sleep it off. What I do want to say here is that my appreciation for the Atonement of Jesus Christ has never been this profound. And I wish I could properly convey my emotion and seriousness here because during my quite real pain, I found solace, I found peace, I found comfort in the single thought that I was NOT alone in it. However, before I go off on a spirtual tangent here I want to mention one other cool experience from this week... 

We said goodbye to the one other American district Yesterday and before they left Elder Tutang ( from the other district, Soman), and Elder Vainoka ( from our district Tongan) did the Hakka to each other and it was sooo cool and full of energy and almost emotional ina sense to see the care and passion, but anyways after they left not 2 minutes later sitting down to lunc there was an earthquake.. it wasn't bad or dangerous but enough where i felt my chair move. And what it made me think of was the description of Moroni from the scriptures.

 "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men" Alma 48:17, ... and today I felt like the powers of hell shook just a little as those missionaries did the hakka and that batch of missionaries left. Likd WHAT! Anyway, I thought that was cool thought.

Finally, I PRAY you have read this far because these expereinces and things are awesome and all, however, none of it compares to the Spirit that I have felt this week. I have never had it happen to me like this before. It peirced my soul in ways it has never had, it has given me witness and born testimony to me with power it never before has. My gospel understanding has grown. I have watched my capacity to share the gospel be magnified by God. The simple truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the REAL impact it can have in peoples lives is beginning to sink deep in my soul. For those of you who saw or were at my farewell, you'll remember I talked about the Resuce Mission I was on, which was in summary to bring God's Children in my arms and on my shoulders joyfully back to God. And the fire I have deep inside, the flame, the passion, the anxiousness of soul I have to get out there and bring people home... it is like nothing I have ever felt. I invite you with the authority and power of a Missionary, and with the genuine CARE and love for all of you as a friend, to please come unto Jesus Christ. Read the powerful witness of him found in the Book of Mormon, seek to know it's truth. I testify as a representative of Jesus Christ that when you come unto and fully embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, the way you see everything changes! Love you all, Miss you all!

Elder Ralphs

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