Symbolic

Hey guys,

We had council of leaders this week in Salta. It was awesome President showed a lot of excitement for the temple that will be built in Salta but also said that we as leaders need to do a lot more to show our appreciation to the Lord for this wonderful blessing. Our mission can do a lot better and we are improving but President and the Lord expects a lot more of us. It was good to see some good friends and the spirit is so strong in those council meetings. We can really feel that President does love us and wants us to be our best.

This weeks been crazy arranging stuff for the conference we have tomorrow and stuff. Franco Cardozo, our recent convert, lost his brother this week. He asked if we could go to the viewing and funeral for his brother. It was my first funeral ever. Never had been to one. There was a lot of saddness in the family. A lot of people that were real distraught. Franco was sad but had peace because he understood the Plan of Salvation that God has for us. Eventhough we lose loved ones, we will see them again after this life. It´s all part of the plan. It was a somber feeling to be there.

This week was difficult in terms of numbers we couldn´t find hardly any new investigators and we couldn´t get anyone to church but there were plenty spiritual experiences to come by.

Sunday night we had a family home evening in the Chapel. We had a little activity planned. The sisters had prepared banana bread and we had everyone sit in a circle. Elder Utai went around the circle one by one to every person and asked if they wanted a piece of banana bread. The first accepted and Elder Utai said ´´Elder Batman, can you do 15 pushups for the piece of banana bread that he took.´´ And I crank out 15 pushups. And Elder Utai goes to the next and the next and I keep doing pushups. People are laughing at me and trying to look for ways to make it harder for me so I´d have to do more pushups. Then one person who saw that I was struggling thought to not take the piece of bread so maybe I wouldn´t have to do more pushups. Elder Utai looks at me on the ground and says: ´´Elder Batman, can you do 15 pushups for the piece of bread she didn´t take?´´ And everyone was confused why I still had to do the pushups. There were people who were still laughing and making fun of me struggling to do pushups. Some people were somber and quiet and started to tear up and started to notice what was going on.

 There were 16 people present in the circle. I had to do 240 pushups. By the 10th person I was struggling a lot to do them. I was shaking and gasping a ton. Some were still laughing when it got to the 15th person. Then Elder Utai decided to read a scripture.

´´As it says in the book of mormon:

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

As Elder Utai closed that scripture. There were few in that room who didn´t have tears in their eyes. This activity was designed to represent a small minute part of the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I, being the one doing the pushups for everyone who had taken the bread, which symbolized Christ paying for our sins for our salvation. And those who chose not to take of the bread, I still had to do the pushups because eventhough some choose not to follow Christ and be saved through him. He STILL PAYED FOR US.

On the last set when I was at 225 pushups. I was struggling a ton. To hear Elder Utai say read that scripture I started to think ´´ Christ had to suffer the most pain and suffering of all for each one of us and I can´t even do 240 measely pushups? I collapsed and I was so emotional. I started balling and thinking of the sacrifice that he did for us. It was a surreal experience and something I´ll never forget.

I know Christ suffered for ALL OF US. The least we can do to repay him is follow his path and obtain salvation through him. 

Thank you,

I love you guys.

Élder Batman

Rama Pizarro

San Ramón de La Nueva Oran, Salta

La Misión Argentina Salta