Self Mastery ≠ Perfection (Protect our Girls pt. 2)

Perfection is very often linked with low self-esteem.  Feelings of "I need to be better" and feeling that you aren't good enough.

YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH.  If fact, if you knew what God thought of you, you wouldnt even question this!

There is a very fine line between Self-Masteryl and Perfection, but the difference is crucial to understand because perfection is NOT possible in this life.  If we strive for it, we will fail, and we will feel like we aren't good enough and unable to be in control.  But if we strive for Self- Mastery, God will lift us up.  Self-Mastery can be defined as Spirit Over Body, and this is very important.  We cannot achieve self-mastery by things of this world.  Self- Mastery is not being 1 in all your classes, the best dressed, having time for everyone and every activity, AND being able to live without sin or having bad thoughts.  This is CRAZY! Self-Mastery/Self-Contro is still having an occasional bad thought, but being strong enough not to act on it.  Or it is repenting and being able to do better next time! 

Self-mastery is being humble.  It is being humble enough to compliment someone for doing better than you in class with a smile, and then maybe asking them for help!  Self-Mastery is the ability to change worldly suffering into Godly Change.  Weakness into strength.

To expect only perfection now would mean denying ourselves the opportunity for growth.

 

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2017/02/young-adults/finding-peace-in-imperfection?lang=eng 

There is a difference between humility and feeling of little worth.  Self-Mastery leads to humility, and "perfection" leads to feelings of little worth.  

Remember, my dear one, not an age in life passes without temptation, trial, or torment experienced through your physical body. But as you prayerfully develop self-mastery, desires of the flesh may be subdued. And when that has been achieved, you may have the strength to submit to your Heavenly Father, as did Jesus, who said, "Not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42.) 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1985/10/self-mastery?lang=eng 

Self mastery IS being scared, BUT having the ability to ask a friend for help.  Not ever being scared would be perfection, and thats just never gonna happen.    BUT THATS OK!! 

Perfection will not come in this life, but in the life to come.  We must choose happiness now, because YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH.

It is ok that you deal with sin!  But I promise if you get on your knees and pray for forgiveness and tell yourself and the lord that you can overcome your weaknesses, you will feel a wonderful, clean, powerful feeling that YOU CAN OVERCOME! YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH RIGHT NOW! 

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A Feminist Argument in Favor of Modesty

 

Modesty means humility.  For example, if someone is very wealthy, but modest, they do not show off their wealth, or make fun of the less wealthy.  A well educated person that is modest will not treat uneducated people poorly, but help them instead with the gift they have been given.  They know there are people who are smarter/wealthier than they are.  

Unfortunately, Modesty in today's day, means "Cover Up!!"  Girls are constantly being criticized for what they wear, and this hurts me, because people should be able to wear what they want, just the same as they should be able write what they want. This is the argument that I heard a lot from the girls who would be dress coded in high school, and they're right, girls should be able to wear what they want.  

But when it comes to Modesty, especially in high school, everyone thinks the argument is about sex.  "if I wear this im a prude, if I wear that I'm slutty" "Girls need to cover up because of boys." but heres what one of my friends had to say, and I would believe that the vast majority of women, girls would agree.

I can't speak for all women, but my fashion choices have never really been about trying to appear "sexy" per se, but I've definitely been guilty of trying to look as "skinny" as possible.

I think womens' clothing trends have more to do with women trying not to look "fat" or proving that they're not "fat" and less to do with women trying to dress "slutty"

According to the Nation Eating Disorder Association, 

42% of 1st to 3rd grade girls want to be thinner.  81% of TEN YEAR OLDS are afraid of being fat! 

I know clothing isnt the only problem, but there is an increasing problem of eating disorders in the world, and it is especially important to realize that if you or someone you know is sick, it is not your fault.  It is not someone's fault for wanting to look good, or for being sick.

But there is HOPE.  IT IS POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME! 

My message today is that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!  You ARE enough!  

   

Modern Clothing trends are: tight fitting/revealing clothing, see-through clothes, clothes that highlight bones or skinnier body parts....and I believe these are affecting us, wanting to be skinnier.  Now some of you are saying "why is it so wrong to want to look skinnier" and the reason is because this tricks you into thinking you need to be skinnier, which, if you are healthy and happy, you dont!  We are talking about perfectly healthy girls, wanting to be skinnier.  We are talking about our ten year old children looking up to us as an example.

I have heard perfectly healthy girls talking about not being able to wear something that they want because they are too big....Are you kidding me?? This tears at my heart...

Don't you see? Girls should be able to wear what they want! And if they want to wear something cute, they should be able to!

But here's the deal.  My argument is in favor of modest because the enemy is not boys, the enemy is not girls.  The enemy is a clothing industry that promotes a photoshopped idea of perfect, or worse, using models who are unhealthy.

We need to wear modest clothes NOT because someone told us to cover up.  We need to wear modest clothes because our friends and children, skinny/curvy/thick/thin/small/tall are in pain that they're not something that someone else is.  

Other girls are looking at you and wishing they were skinnier.  Doesnt that sound familiar to what you've felt?

The clothing industry wants us to believe that modesty was something created by the patriarchy to keep women held down, but now the truth is that clothing is making us judge/hurt eachother/ ourselves.

we need to support and love each other.  We need to love the bodies God gave us, and the bodies he gave our friends.

But modesty is a choice. The only way other clothes will feel comfortable is if you choose it.  But I promise that if you choose to change your style, you will have better self confidence, you will love more, and you will see more happiness, more control in your life.  And people will look up to you for being beautiful.

If we choose to wear other modest clothes, they have no power, because we chose.  We chose being comfortable in our skin is more important than being comfortable in their clothes.

I call myself a feminist because the jokes aren't funny.  Our girls need help.  They are so beautiful, each and every human, because we're all created of something devine.  We need to choose.

You are so beautiful.  Ask God what he thinks about you.  I know he'll answer you like he has answered me.

Self-Mastery means Spirit Over Body, and I know clothes dont make you beautiful, your smile does. It shines.

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If you agree, please share this! If someone you know is struggling, please share this!  If someone makes you feel bad for choosing to be modest, please share this! 

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, YOU ARE ENOUGH

LOVE, 

ELDER AMANN

BE SURE TO WATCH GENERAL CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND!! 

www.lds.org

Pray with a question, and watch to have it answered!

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Get Help: If you think you have an eating disorder, please contact http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ for help!

I used these talks writing this, and they're super great! 

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2017/02/young-adults/finding-peace-in-imperfection?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1985/10/self-mastery?lang=eng  

Heres a government building we toured and a sweet Choose the Right cake!

THE GIFT

I am a huge Twilight Zone fan, and I honestly believe television hasnt seen the level of writing greatness that the series had.

Theres one episode in particular that I think about here in the mission.  Its the story of a little Mexican village who receive a crash landed space traveler.  The story is an allegory to the life of Jesus Christ.

The village rejects his presence, though he has a gift for the people and he comes in peace.

The people misinterpret his actions and shoot him, his gift, a potion cure for cancer falls to the ground and is destroyed.

I had my dad send me part of the script that, in my opinion is some of the greatest script writing about Jesus ever written.

Williams = Space Traveler

Pedro = Village Boy who wants to help the stranger.

Williams cannot stay forever, and is telling his little friend, Pedro.

Pedro: "For good, señor? For good and all?"
Williams: "Oh, no, Pedro, there's no such thing as "for good and all." There is only forever. I will come back sometime… or others like me."
Pedro: "Where you're from, is there a God?"
Williams: "The same God, Pedro."
Pedro: "I wonder."
Williams: "What?"
Pedro: "If God were to come to earth, would they find him so strange that they would be afraid, and would they shoot him?"
Williams: "Did not His son come once, Pedro?"
Pedro: "And they nailed Him to a cross."

Williams: "And then spent 2,000 years learning to believe in Him. All things take time, Pedro. Soon, Pedro, soon your people will no longer be afraid of me. They will not be afraid, and then… then I can show them the gift."

 

Today, I want to talk about Jesus Christ and who he was.

Jesus Christ was a stranger to mankind who came in peace.  He came to offer the world a gift, a gift that would save us all.  He came to teach us to love one another.  Thats all there is to him.  I know because Ive studied his teachings.  

As the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST I want to make it loud and clear that what I (we) represent is this love.  If any of you, i̶n̶c̶l̶u̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ESPECIALLY members, think that this church is more or less than this humble love, than I highly suggest reading about Jesus in the New Testament and taking a step back to forget all the mumbled up secondary stuff. And smile big enough so that your neighbors here in Argentina can see.

We have the same God.  There is no such thing as good and for all.  There is only forever.

LOVE YOU ALL,

Elder Amann

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Im trying to love my neighbor, Im learning to serve a friend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIAMDF81w8k

We had an open church this week, and a bunch of people got to learn about us and our gospel! The picture has mostly members who helped out, but Carmen and Freddy are below us in the photo! 

Also bouce house! 

HERMANA CARMEN - MY FIRST BAPTISM

Elder Espinoza, Sister Carmen and me.

I want to first thank you all for all your kind words recently!!!  This means the world to me.  I want to tell you that I am humbled by it all.  I am SO GLAD that I could write something that helps you feel the Spirit. That is such a compliment to me.  I am grateful to what the Holy Ghost has taught me, and I know he is the real teacher here! I know this is the work of God, and I know He guides it, my feelings.

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Missionaries are spoiled.  We get two years, in a situation where we dont have to worry about making a fool of ourselves.  It's like a sandbox to construct who we really want to be, without outside influence.  Yes, I still get nervous before getting up to give a talk (yesterday) but 1) I have grown to love these people so much and 2) I know    I represent Christ  (whoa) , not myself, for the next two years.

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ZONE CONFERENCE:

     We had a Zone Conference this past Wednesday,  which means all the missionaries from 1/3 of the mission meet up in the Offices and receive guidance from our mission president.  This time his focus was on Self Control.

      As missionaries, we are extremely blessed to have two years of our lives, set aside from the outside world, when we can learn to put the cell phone down.  We can learn to resist the internet and learn to resist whatever other temptations the outside world has for us.  I say the outside world, but we really are still living in the midst of it all.  We don't have to follow the rules.  But we get to, and we get to learn some Self Control.  

     Self Control is the ability to smile and do something better for yourself and for the world.  It is the ability to overcome yourself, or the desires of your the world, and it is truly one of the biggest reasons to go on a mission, because of how necessary self control is in 2017.  

Self Control is something lost in 2017.  Believe me, I know that today if your reason for not doing something is "because I don't want to" or "I'd rather do something better" people will not understand.  People do not understand the concept of change.  So what's so wonderful about a mission, is that when people ask why we don't drink, why we wear these clothes, why we don't know anything about parties, etc, we get to use our rules as an excuse and tell them that "we have rules and can't do those things" when in reality, we don't want to do it/ WE WANT TO DO BETTER.  We want to love on the weekends, and spend time helping others instead of just wasting time feeling awful.  

Anyway, President Goates talked a LOT about Self Control, and how blessed both HE and HIS WIFE are because of the missions they both served when they were younger.  He told us about how he learned self control in the mission, and that because of the self control they both learned, they are so strong.  And they really are.  I will be honest, President Goates and his wife are sometimes goofy, but the love in truth they have for one another is incredible and inspiring.  And I know he is right.  Self Control is a huge reason they are so strong.

He went on to tell us three or four stories about his post mission life.  And the power with which he told them is something of warning. He was able to be honest with those who look up to him, because he is honest and true to himself and has overcome.  He told us that just about a week and a half ago, he was going to pay an online bill, got redirected by some online hack to a porn website.  And as soon as he realized what was going on, he was able to stop it.  It would have been easy for him to stay a little longer... Linger a little... But no.  Because of his self control, and the love he has for his wife, he was able to overcome it.  His mind free, not having to dwell on it, being able to openly tell his wife, and she being able to have the confidence that he stopped it as soon as he could.  How wonderful for her, to be able to smile, have 100% confidence that her husband is strong enough.

The other stories he told us involved his old girlfriend calling him up when her marriage was failing and his was just starting; or the story of him hanging up the phone on a phone prostitute while he was out of town. 

His stories were very clear.  The outside world will every now and then have its temptations.  But if we learn self control now, we can stop them before anything happens.  We can tell our future spouses, and they can have 100% confidence and trust and LOVE in us.  And if we have this self control, the outside temptations wont even be temptations any more.  They´ll just be another moment we overcame evil.  This is what President Goates wants for us, love and strength, and he knows that the mission is the best time for us to learn.  

I am so blessed to be a part of something that teaches about how we can have love and strength, directly for us.

For those of you unable to serve a mission, I will promise the blessings you will have by overcoming your temptations will be incredible.  Do not feel bad for having temptations.  Everyone has them, you are not weird or weak.  Your bishop wants to help you, your spouses want to help you, your children want to help you.  And they will love you so much for being stronger than your temptations.  

For those of you scared to serve a mission ... DON'T BE! We get to be in a sandbox of self exploration! I promise ... If nothing else ... the self control that I have learned in the past six months is worth everything.  Nothing can stop me.  Nothing can stop you.  NOTHING CAN STOP US.

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Now ... This week, we had a very special day.  Our investigator Carmen was baptized!! and I performed the ordinance (and correctly--hey!)

She is wonderful, and when someone asked her about her testimony yesterday, she replied and said, "I felt nervous, but I wanted to change my life, and I knew the path of Christ was that change." YES!!

I cannot explain the joy I have for her.  The only thing is that her husband decided he is not ready.  Even despite this, Carmen decided to go forward and be baptized!  And her husband supports her decision!!  It would be really wonderful if her husband could take this step to because then the whole family would be unified and have ALL the blessings! So we will continue to help him feel the spirit. But I know the blessings her two baby boys will already have because of her decision! But I know, by example of our Branch President (Bishop) Alaniz, there is something incredible about a family that has this unity.  He is a HUGE example of a man I look up to.  Seriously so much respect for him, and his strength as a priesthood holder.

We went to a lake, had a very delicious taco night with the kids this week, went to Mendoza city for Conference, ate some grapes, and Baptized a Saint this week!  What a wonderful world we live in.

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I leave you with the favorite scripture I´ve read in a while... and this one truly is a great one.  Short and powerful.

1 John 3:18

 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Let us love in truth, my dear friends.  

LOVE YOU ALL, AND I AM SO EXCITED TO SHOW YOU IN DEED AND IN TRUTH!  

Elder Amann

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Pictures

Me teaching Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law

President Goates and just the missionaries from San Martin 

Argentines playing soccer with a basketball

A few disciples of Christ walking on water (Argentina is doing alright)

Us being an awful fisher of fish instead of a fisher of men with our eyes shut 

And GRAPES!!

Me teaching Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law

President Goates and just the missionaries from San Martin

Argentines playing soccer with a basketball

A few disciples of Christ walking on water (Argentina is doing alright)

Us being an awful fisher of fish instead of a fisher of men with our eyes shut 

 GRAPES!!

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY and ADVENTURES

March 8th, Go celebrate!  Tell your mom thanks!

Yesterday in church, someone got up and talked about how our Branch is like 80% female, and how that's such a great thing, because he wouldn't be standing there without his mom being a Mormon and helping him.  Hey, and I wouldn't be here without my mom being Mormon and helping me, either! Thanks Mom! 

"Asking questions is part of persevering to the end" - Angie Gonzales, a friend from the Rivadavia Rama in her talk she gave 2 weeks ago!! 

Well, she said it in Spanish, but it remains true.  ASKING QUESTIONS IS SO SO IMPORTANT! 

Putting a question in our heart, and then thinking about it, pondering on it, searching for an answer, is one of the best ways to have the constant companinoship of the Holy Ghost!

For example, I have had two questions in my heart for the past little bit. 

Why can some people feel the spirit stronger than others?

How can I help my companion overcome the things he needs to in the month he has left in his mission?

These two questions have been with me while I read the scriptures, and have helped me stay focused when my mind gets distracted.  And after praying and searching for the answer.. Sure enough, it came.  It often comes not in a form of something new, but in the form of something that we´ve already known--a type of confirmation.

These answers are often personal, but I promise you will feel them revealed to you.

To me, some people feel the spirit stronger than others, because some people harden their hearts, or have hard hearts, and do not let things in.  The answer came from Hebrews 2:7, and various others.

 7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

And my other question was answered very strongly.  I had been trying to teach my companion, because I felt like there were some things he could learn (because he only has 30 or so days left in his mission). And that let to some contention between us, in which at the beginning of this week, we didn't get along.  Which is sad because we´re great friends.  But what I learned is that...  It is not my job to teach, it is God´s job to teach.  It is my job to love.  And I know this applies to all of you! It is not your job to teach your neighbors, God did not assign you to teach, he assigned you to love them. We do not know how God will teach them, but we cannot change their hearts.  We can only do our best, and love them, provide an example for them, and let God do the work.  

Some very important things happened this past week, including our top investigators have agreed to get BAPTIZED NEXT SATURDAY!!! 

NEXT SATURDAY. WHAT???

Carmen and Freddy are a married couple who live on the corner of a grape field in the middle of almost nowhere.  Freddy is a tough guy, read the bible as a teenager, and has strong morals.  A long time ago, he found a little blue book with Gold lettering on the cover of it in a trash can--A Book of Mormon.  And more than anything--this gospel isn't anything new to him.  It all makes sense to him, and it fits very naturally with him.  Which I truly believe is true for all of us.  The gospel just makes sense if you let it.  Love one another isn't anything new, after all! Carmen is his wife, and they joke around a lot with their two baby boys, Maxi (4) and Leo (2).  They are always running all over the table, neither of them can talk yet, and are constantly pulling stuff apart when we have lessons, and are absolutely wild in church, but that didn't stop them.  Some sisters are always willing to help during church and its great.  

So we pedal our little hearts out to get to them, and to get home after late night lessons with them.  Awesome sunsets and starry night sky's in the middle of almost nowhere.  And let me tell you, olive fields smell awful at 10:30 at night.

Freddy works really hard and he was falling asleep during our lesson on Tuesday, so we had to end early....But our lesson last night about temples was great!

We been doing service like crazy, this past Saturday, we almost finished the wall we've been building!

 The wall we have been building is out back of this elementary school:

We picked up a youth to come with us, Juan Ignacio, to that activity, and when we stopped the car to wait for someone else, he got out and came back with a bunch of grapes.

Ha! Great kid, and he is fearless to share the gospel...and only 14 years old! I don't think I talked to my friends about my beliefs until last year! There's nothing to be afraid of, really!

We have activities every Wednesday for the kids, and this past week we got out talented kids to play some songs while we recorded them.  We sang a long a little, even though we only know how to sing hymns, ha!

We sang this song and its talks about how Love is more important than Money so YEAH! It's called "Yo Tengo Tu Love" and it is by Sie7e.

In the photos below, Jhonny is in the pink tank top, and boy the kid can sing/play guitarre... If you see his face on the top 20 music charts soon, Know you heard about him here first! I know the kids these days are doing great things! Have no fear! 

YO TENGO TU AMOR

LOVE ELDER AMANN SEE YOU NEXT WEEK! 

IT'S YOUR JOB TO LOVE

Also hahahahah probably the highlight of this week was finding out (Gracias a Elder Fuentes) that if you fold on the eyes of the dudes on the dollar bills here, and then look at them from above, they look sad, but if you look below, they look happy. hahaha!! 

Sad image - from above.

Happy image - from below.

Standard image - from head on.