BETTER OFF UNMENTIONED

It smells like fall.

Ugh. I'm gonna have to wear more than short sleeve shirts now.

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I absolutely love the LDS magazine the Liahona.  It is a great magazine with great messages that uplift and help.

I have been reading them a lot here in the mission because we get them for free, and they´re awesome.

Well, I had read quite a few of them and I noticed that they never even mentioned a few serious topics.  I knew that the Liahona was meant to help serious problems, it frequently mentions pornography, depression, etc. in attempt to help those who are struggling.  However, I started to wonder why the Liahona did not mention a few specific topics (that I wont mention here, but that affect people in a negative way).

An ex staff member mentioned that she too had asked this question, and after expressing concern, she learned that the Liahona does not talk about some subjects because there are some subjects that if talked about, they simply gain power, or do more harm than good.  It is better not to talk about certain things, and to focus on good things instead.

My companion and I were talking, and we came up with an example.

If a bully is bothering you, he cannot have power or control over you until the moment you react.  He will do everything to make you react because he knows that's how he gets what he wants.

This says something HUGE about how we let people control us.  The moment we react, we lose that control we have over ourselves and we give it to the bully.

Control is something very important.  Self Control is the key to our freedom.  There are some things that even just talking about them chases the spirit away.  Focus on the good things ♥

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This week was wonderful! We taught about how smoking is bad, and are helping some overcome their habits.  We had our stake president come and he gave a talk in church talking about skunks!  And he told a story about some kids who got sprayed by a skunk and tried everything to get clean, and related it to how we need to stay clean!

This week is a very holy week here in Argentina, La Semana Santa, and it is a time for us to remember Christ.  Jesus Christ is my savior.  His is my light.  His path is the way to happiness in this life, and eternal life in the world to come.  I have gained a very personal relationship with Him during my time here.  I know He lives.  I know He loves, and has felt all that we have.  I know His mission was to redeem us all, not physically, but spiritually.  I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to have his name on my chest every day.  

I LOVE YOU ALL! HAPPY HOLY WEEK! HE DIDN'T JUST DIE... HE LIVES!

ELDER AMANN

Mexican food I miss

Last piece of banana bread

Canadian smarties

WEIRD HANDS AND GIANT HEADS

GIANT HEAD

A little bit ago we had a Stake Conference for Priesthood, and there was a talk that I LOVED and think about very often.

A man stood up in front of everyone and asked the whole audience what things they would put in their emergency backpacks.

Water... Knife... Matches... First aid kit... 

Afterwords he asked the audience what they would put in their SPIRITUAL Emergency backpack.  and what happened was fascinating.

People immediately started by saying 

"Book of Mormon... Copy of my Patriarchal blessing.... Scriptures.... "

And after a few, people started to realize that those things are still material things..  Even the scriptures!  

Then we started to realize what spiritual was, and say, 

Testimony... Prayer... My love of my family...

I know the spiritual things are the most important things. These are the things most sacred to us.

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I wanted to tell you a little bit more about my good friend Joseph Raymant.  He is from Canada and he is a great example to me.  

When he was really young, he was playing around an exercise bike, and stuck his fingers in it while it was moving.  Since then, his fingers have grown a little differently and are not what we usually see.

Nevertheless, they work great.  They just look different. 

It is a special trait of my friend, and I know several people who would "just die" if their hands looked like my companion's.

It makes me so happy that his hands look different and it really made me think about how important such a trivial thing is to so many people.

I love my friend and his weird hand.

Here's to not caring about what people look like 2018!

LOVE YOU ALL AND ALL YOUR WEIRD HANDS,

ELDER AMANN

A picture of my Comp. and his weird hand

A picture of my weird thumb

and my Canadian Comp. ♥ - Elder Rayment

Earth Quake and spiritual experiences

This week I experienced a 4.1 level earthquake! Absolutely nothing happened as it lasted maybe one second, but still!

This week I have been focusing with my companion on having the constant companionship.

Elder Raymant is the best.  It is amazing what happens when 2 people strive towards the same thing.  

This week we had a super spiritual experience.  We were checking up on an investigator, Ramon, to see how he was doing.  He had a few minutes and invited us in, even though he was alone and we usually teach his whole family.

We shared a short video with him called Pide a Dios, Ask of God, and it got very quiet.  We shared our testimonies, and he agreed to pray on his knees with us.

It was a very special experience and he was deeply spiritually moved.  I know he felt it, his voice broke, and all I could do was have a quiet reverence.  Grateful that he would share that with me.

I LOVE YOU ALL

ELDER AMANN

Victor's model of the Salt Lake Temple

Taco night

Tiny cat

I can't take selfies!

JUDGMENTAL

THIS WEEK I BEEN THINKING ABOUT BEING JUDGMENTAL.

Being judgemental is no fun... and its a PROBLEM. 

But we HAVE TO MAKE JUDGMENTS

I like this page from True to the Faith:

Sometimes people feel that it is wrong to judge others in any way. While it is true that you should not condemn others or judge them unrighteously, you will need to make judgments of ideas, situations, and people throughout your life. The Lord has given many commandments that you cannot keep without making judgments. For example, He has said: “Beware of false prophets. … Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15–16) and “Go ye out from among the wicked” (D&C 38:42). You need to make judgments of people in many of your important decisions, such as choosing friends, voting for government leaders, and choosing an eternal companion.

The Lord gave a warning to guide us in our judgment of others: “With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother: Let me pull the mote out of thine eye—and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (3 Nephi 14:2–5).

Alright, so we obviously need to make judgments.. Making judgements is not wrong, its actually a very good thing.  So what is wrong?  I was talking with my companion and we came to the conclusion that FAULT FINDING is wrong... Especially when driven by bad intentions.  This is criticism.

If we have good intentions and want to CONSTRUCT rather than break down, we will never been judgemental.  It all has to do with where our intentions are.

AND DO NOT criticize someone based on their appearance... Get to know them!

CHALLENGE:  Make sure your intentions are righteous and good!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"A wise man has said that we need to be reminded more than we need to be instructed."

TRUE! 

I noticed that I have a tendency to call little girls cute and I have a feeling Im not the only one so.....

Cool things to tell little girls instead of just telling them they're pretty/cute (this helps us and them focus more on more important things!):

You´re smart!

You´re so patient!

You are really fun!

You make me happy!

I want to bear you all my testimony:  I know Jesus Christ lives.  I am so blessed.  I know that His church is guided by Him.  I know we are not perfect... we make mistakes.  But I know He loves us and helps us overcome them.  I know we have the opportunity to change and get better, and that we can do so every day.  I know Jesus Christ is the greatest teacher there ever was.  I know that He knows our pains.  I know that this is the only path.  What I'm doing is not just a way of life... it is life itself.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH,

ELDER AMANN

I WILL MISS ELDER BRIONES!

Bike problems

Sun problems (he just got here from Canada, and didn't bring sunscreen)

We took a fun bus to Mendoza and had a special leader conference, wooo!

Tiny pear