Dustin's September 26 Letter

2011 September 26

Dear Mom,

Thanks a ton for the e-mail. I love hearing that all is well at home; it brings me peace and joy. I can`t wait to see pictures of the house! It sounds like it will be all done and fancy by the time I get home. I am glad to hear that seminary is going well. I think it would be a wonderful calling to be a seminary teacher, because I absolutely love studying the scriptures and the Gospel. I especially like the topic of Enoch and the Zion society, cause that`s the goal isn`t it. You are right. It is so important to write in a journal and record your thoughts. As a missionary you should have a personal journal and a study journal. The study journal has helped me out a ton and gives me the chance to receive revelation and organize my thoughts and then a personal journal helps me realize the miracles. My mission pres. taught us to be optimistic and look at the glass half full and in the full half of the glass is where you find the miracles, because they happen every day. He then invited us to write down the miracles that happen in the day in our personal journals and then we really can recognize the hand of God in our life. And it also organizes my thoughts. I went through a time in my mission when I didn`t write hardly anything, so you`d think that nothing happened right? but it was the quite the opposite, it was full of many things and now I have to think back and catch up, but it has been my goal this transfer to write in my journal every day. I missed a few days but I am doing much better and the blessings are coming just as promised. I am super excited for you and Dad that you`re going to Germany! I know you always have a great time and learn tons. Hope this visit will be better than ever! I am truly grateful for all you do for me. Every time I teach the Gospel I teach about the family. Every time I teach about the family joy and satisfaction and gratitude fill my heart for the wonderful family that I have. Thanks for your example and I hope you know that every day I am being the man you taught me to be.

Love,

Elder Divis

Dustin's September 19th Letter

2011 September 19

Dad,

Thanks a ton for the E-mail. I like one definition that I read. That faith is a result of righteousness. I also learned this week in my companionship study that our faith grows as our knowledge of who God is grows, cause if we don`t know God we don`t know what to believe. Like the scriptures say what eternal life is, to KNOW God and His Son. But the three phases are clear examples of this. When we are excited, it is because we are learning by the Spirit or getting to know God, because the Holy Ghost testifies of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. When we are concerned, like Nephi, not knowing what to do or how to fulfill the commandment of God he went, led by the spirit, to attempt for a third time, after being chased to be killed and beaten by his brothers. He was concerned but FAITHful. And the sanctification, when we know God to the point where our will comes into harmony with His will. We know God is pleased because the Spirit manifests it to us. The promise to all mankind if we endure to the end is eternal life. We will know God. I have come to know Him more and more every day and feel His love that He has for these people. Now the question is, will we ever fully know Him? Do we need faith if we live with Him? I believe that faith is something that will forever exist. I have got a lot to learn, but as we know faith is an action word. So, I have got a lot TO DO. Thanks for the e-mail, I learned a ton. And I am definitely focused in quality, but as my mission pres. and Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley we don`t have to choose between quality and quantity but that in the work of God, Both can and do exist. Now here in the city it is a little bit 'harder' some say, because people mock you, slam the door, yell, argue, and laugh. But I say that it is still the work of God and where ever we are we can find the miracles. We have to look at the full part of the glass, if it’s half full, a fourth full, an eighth full or a sixteenth full. Because in the part that is full is where we find the miracles. Because if there is true faith all the gifts of the Spirit exist and they exist daily, we`ve just got to find them and use them. Don`t know if I communicated myself well enough cause I feel my English is suffering. I love you Dad!!!

Elder Divis

Thanks for the letter Mom! I love you tons. I kinda got carried away in my letter to Dad so I don`t have a ton of time, but we had our stake conference and it was great. So hey to Tyson, Jenny and the seminary crew and good luck in the exercise program :) Love you bunch Mom.

Elder Divis

Dustin's September 15th Letter

2011 September 15

Dear Mom,

Sorry I didn´t write on Monday. We didn´t have P-day until today (don´t know if I told you last week).  My week and a half have been great! We have one baptismal date for this 24th and another for the 8th of October so that is great, especially because the ward as only seen 1 baptism in the last 6 months. The Lord has children of His family ready to enter into his kingdom in every part of the world. I love what Jesus has said many times in all the scriptures, "the field is white ALREADY to harvest" the mission field is ´white´ right now! Not in a week or a month or a year, it´s ALREADY full of people looking for the Gospel. They might not know it but I do, we do, and God does. I, Elder Divis, just have to rely on the Holy Ghost to guide me to these families that are capable of entering into the Temple and living eternally in the family of God. Sounds like the progress on the house is going very well :) you´ll have to send me pictures. Say hi to the visitors, although I am pretty sure they have already departed. I am also glad that you enjoyed the stake conference broadcast from Salt Lake, I´ll have to tell you how ours goes here. All of Peru will have stake conference this Sunday and it will be broadcast from Salt Lake. I am very excited and I will tell you all about it in a few days. I am also unbelievably excited for General Conference in a few short weeks. Let us all prepare to receive direction from God. I love you!

Elder Divis

Dustin's September 5th Letter

2011 September 5

Dear Mom,

My week was great! It is good to back in Lima in the same ward. Almost all of the members actually remember (well the active ones) which was kind of a surprise to me. I also had a work visit on Friday, I went to the other half of the ward with Elder Harding (born in Oregon, raised in California, and recently moved to Utah) We had a good time and a successful day. It was nice. Tell Whitley I say hi and Tyson too (when he gets home:) I would love pictures of the great room when it’s finished. Thanks for the quote it is something that I really understand from personal experiences, both physical and spiritual. And I no longer have to sleep under a net and the people here are a little bit more closed but still super friendly. In the jungle if we knocked on the door they let us inside before we could say anything and here they let you in if they are actually interested. Makes it easier to tell who will progress and who won’t but harder to find new people. It`s a give and talk sort of deal :) I only had one baptism here and it was my first week. She no longer lives in the same house but a member said he knows where she is living and that she doesn`t go to church that often, but we hope to find her tonight. We have two investigators with baptismal dates and quite a few families that we are teaching. Our goal in the mission is that every companionship has 8 families (dad, mom, and children) in our teaching pool. The importance of families is so vital. I love you and thank you for the wonderful family that I have and the blessing that you have made possible for me. Good luck in seminary.

Love,

Elder Divis