summer heat

We arrived in the 120-degree zone this week, reaching 121 degrees in San Luis on Monday. You could say I am coping ... better, but "better" does not mean "well." I get exhausted from the sun and just try to keep going through every day.

And I'm not the only one. An important statistic that we keep in the mission is the OYM (Open Your Mouth) number. Elder Ballard left a challenge to the mission a few years ago that we talk to 10 more people a day, outside of tracting and other proselying. This number became the OYM and has turned into a 70/week rather than 10/day stat. Nobody keeps track of homes tracted into, just the OYM. Many missionaries forego tracting, to achieve their 70 OYMs a week, something I do not feel was ever the intended purpose. Especially here in San Luis with the heat, it is virtually impossible to find people out and about in the street. As we have been told by many people here, every day is an official "heat warning" and we should go inside. We have a great deal more success tracting doors, with many invites to return, but this does not seem to matter to anybody because we don't reach the weekly 70 OYMs. Oh well, God knows our intents, and it is Him I seek to please.

Yuma is so separated from the rest of the mission, and San Luis is so separate from Yuma. At first that frightened me. Now, I can see the blessings of being away. Here, we can focus on being missionaries by teaching, working, and extending commitments, whereas in other places of the mission, it is easy to identify yourself as a missionary because you spend your time with the other missionaries, you go to all the missionary meetings, you go out to eat with the missionaries. The focus becomes more social than work.

I am so grateful for the lessons I have learned so far from being in San Luis, and grateful that we can work in the branch here to build God's kingdom. I believe that the vision of Joseph Smith has far to be fulfilled when he foretold that the church would fill the world. The work is still beginning, and it's destiny is powerful and unimagined. I want to do all I can to do my part, little as it is, to bring to pass the purposes of God.

"Missionaries are going forth to different nations; the Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecusions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble and calumny may defame, but the Truth of God will go forth, boldly, nobly and independent, 'til it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; 'til the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah will say, 'The work is done.'" -Joseph Smith, The Wentworth Letter

I know this is the work of God. I feel so small and so privileged to be here, doing His work. I am not worthy of this honor. But as Christ taught His Apostles, "Ye have not chosen me ... but I have chosen you ...." What powerful calling to be chosen of God, as we all are.

-Elder Sam Bostwick