Elder Connor Zarate

We had a baptism this week of our friend Pamela! She is so awesome and we are so happy for her. She will be the first of several baptisms in the Cork ward and they are so excited. Her birthday was two days before the Baptism and then she was baptized on Easter Sunday and that was extra special.

For p day some members drove us down to old head a cliff on the southern shores and it was so beautiful.

We also had a member invite us over to their house for dinner and they are both Indian and the food was sooo good. I miss spicy food and theirs hit the spot.

Sorry for the quick email here is a longer Spiritual thought

Jesus is our friend

As a kid my brother and our neighborhood friends and cousins often played "army" where we fought valiantly, faced insurmountable odds and seemingly impossible missions deep in enemy territory, where only because of our unique skill sets, talents, resourcefulness, and strategic genius would we be victorious against it all.

During some of the days and nights spent sprinting back and forth from cover to cover barefoot in the desert across the street from my house, the odds would be stacked up as high as ever with no sign of relief, and even more of the enemy on the horizon closing in around us. It was at these times when there would come a call from Mom (mine or my friends) telling us it was time to leave. (In these specific instances just one of us) and a decision would be made to throw in one more last ditch effort to break thought by dividing into separate groups and separating to confuse and divide the enemy. The catch was it was all of us in one group and only 1 soldier in the other (The friend that had to leave). This maneuver always worked in that we completed the mission. However after we parted ways with the solo soldier wasn't reunited with us, but he was always remembered and honored for his Bravery.

In the Gospel of John when Christ is teaching his disciples and his atoning sacrifice is on his mind, he teaches in chapter 15 verse 13 that "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Jesus Christ always had in mind that he would "Accomplish the mission". He would do what was necessary for the mission to succeed. For the rest of us to succeed. And I think when we look at the atonement like this we can learn a bit form the character of Christ, and it is Powerful but it is just a statement. The next line changes everything.

The very next line says and "ye are my friends"

We are Christ's friends. He didn't just sacrifice himself for the mission because that is what he was told. He didn't draw the short stick, he offered himself up as a sacrifice because we are his friends and he loves us.

I know that Jesus loves me and you

I have seen it in my life and especially in my missionary service as I get to feel a portion of that for those I teach. And I know that He lives.

What other Analogies can you make out of my quick story?