The valley of the shadow of death

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/DYM8hzqfMfgxUFWZ7

Srihari Is back In town! He was baptized just under a year ago and recently traveled to India to go get a wife! So he is back preparing a house and everything for her and in a few months she'll have her visa and everything and will come here! 

He took us out to eat twice this week! First chick fil a and then a स्वादिष्ट biryani place. Biriyani is like Indian fried rice and it's absolutely amazing. 

I was able to go on exchange with my brother, Elder Vest. We stayed up till about 2:00 am watching the Josiah movie in gospel library, talking about college, working out, jumping off the bunk bed, and then having a spontaneous companionship study about how God works in the light while Satan works in darkness. Found some incredible scriptures about it! ( 2 Samuel 12:12 and 2 Nephi 25:23)

Then that morning we had to go start filling a baptismal font up at 7:00 so I ate a carrot (turns out carrots have like 5 calories- so not a very good breakfast) and we got over there quickly. We found out we didn't have the right keys so we had to go to the Chinese elders and wake them up and steal their keys. Then we got there and found out we didn't even need keys in the first place  so now we're filling the font as fast as possible and we took recycling bins full of boiling water from the janitorial closet and wheeled them over and dumped them in. What an adventure! 

By the time everybody arrived, the font was full. Baptisms are so cool. Once everything was over we noticed the font was still full! They forgot to pull the plug. So we made a plan. 

After everybody left Elder Vest basically had to make a make-shift swimming suit out of paper towels. He got in there and yanked the plug. Then I gave him a towel and turned around lol. We went back to the apartment and got him some dry clothes. It was the most hilarious thing I've ever been a part of. 

We were visiting some members and I instantly recognized the home- basically- over a year ago I had visited this family with Elder Rigby and Elder White and we sang “we wish you a merry Christmas” to them! So I asked her if she remembered that and then all these other girls ran out like “that was you?!” Apparently, it was a big deal to them and they talk about it all the time. One of her(non-member) friends living with her ... .was an Indian! So she saw my tag and then freaked out again. We talked in some urdu/Hindi. 

It's so crazy because the night we sang to them was kind of a tough night for me and I barely even remember singing to them. But little did I know, it was exactly what they needed and now over a year later they still remember and treasure that. So crazy.

I figured another cool thing about the 23rd Psalm. 

This might be hard to convey through email, nevertheless, imma try.

“Though i walk through the VALLEY of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art WITH me”

What is a valley?

It's the land between 2 mountains(  valley  )

I was thinking about this a ton- mountains sometimes represent God's presence, those were the temples in old testament times. 

So the “valley of the shadow of death” is in between 2 peaks of God's presence. Ready?

The first mountain is the premortal life, where we lived with God. After that we come to earth  or in other words, the valley of the shadow of death. 

The second we are born our fate is sealed and one day we will die. That truth follows us everywhere we go, like a shadow. Earth life is full of darkness and temptation and trials thus it is called “the valley of the shadow of death” then the next mountain-

It is returning to God's presence again after this life. It's being an eternal being and living with God forever! 

There's more. “Thy rod and they staff, they comfort me” remember the other part “ I will fear no evil for thou art with me” 

God and Jesus Christ are not literally with us. They are with us through “they rod and they staff” 

Rod. Rod. Iron rod. The iron rod is the word of God! You guys, it's the gospel!

Staff. I just see it as either like a shepherd's cane or a wooden stick. The shepherd's cane/staff is used to pull the sheep and lead them; it creates a connection between the shepherd and the sheep. It's covenants. I see Jesus holding one end of the staff and i'm doing everything I can to hold on to the other side. 

So- I don't need to be scared or worried about anything in this life why? Because “you(god) are with me! How? Through thy gospel and my covenants- these things comfort me!”

Boom. So that's what it means. 

Sad news time

Elder Holladay will officially be traveling home. He has served an incredible mission and has been one of the most incredible men I have ever met. He's truly going to be great. I love him so much. 

So, I will receive a new companion this week at transfers and we're gonna attack Hindi as hard as we can. 

Good news time

Pugal's video will be up soon. Please go check it out. And then send the video to every single person you know because it's incredible.

Love you all very much!