Why Me to Why That (August 11, 2020)

 Well I knew that the high couldn't last forever. 

"This past week was a rough one". This phrase seems to be very common for most missionaries throughout their mission, so I didn't really want to start this one with it, so instead I'll say that these past seven days have been just enough challenge to keep me on my toes. 

I think the initial excitement of finally being reassigned and figuring out the mission has worn off at this point. Our days consist mostly of waiting, and although we are out of strict quarantine, we rarely spend more than two hours outside of the apartment. Fortunately or perhaps unfortunately this gives me quite a bit of time to think. 

I think about the people we teach, those that reject our message, the place where we live, the irritating things about being alive, and other more imaginative thoughts such as what would it be like if I had never left Peru? Or maybe what if I was assigned to an English mission? I think about how I am almost eight solid months into my mission and how I was told in Peru that the language would take about six to eight months to get the hang of, yet here I am still stuttering through some of the few lessons that we have. 

These thoughts often bring me into a certain mindset, and I think I have defined it as a "Why Me' point of view.

It's a frustrating thing to have in your mind. Thus this particular mindset. 

I have restarted reading the Book of Mormon and El Libro de Mormón side by side in an effort to increase my Spanish capability, and fortunately in the first few pages of the book we see a couple of excellent examples of "Why Me''. Nephi's brothers are very open about their opinions on everything they have to endure and often antogonize their younger brother because of his actions. Truly, a couple of glass half empty people. However, throughout their entire journey we see Nephi go through the exact same trials. What is the difference between the complainers and Nephi? Well, in my time sitting on the porch, I think I have figured out that Nephi had a "Why That" attitude. 

I'll explain these both a little bit.

 A Why Me person complains about all the bad things that have happened to them. When their plans go awry, they yell at God saying "how could you do this to me? "  Do I not deserve the blessings I have been promised? 

A Why That person also focuses on things that have happened to them, but they seek to understand the why. They ask, "how will this trial affect me? How can I grow from this challenge? What can I do to make the most of this opportunity. Because in the long run, every good or bad thing that happens to us is an opportunity. Do we see it? 

Throughout this past week, I have tried my best to change my mindset from why me to Why that, but that doesn't mean it has not been difficult. However, every day is a new one and statistically it's impossible for every day to be hard. 

So yes, "this past week was a rough one" but can we really expect them all to be great? 

Thank you to those that write, I love to hear about other people's lives. How do you take the next stride after a hard day? 

I wish you all the best. 

El Nuevo Missionero, 

Elder Baird