9.22.14 - Carne de cedro ahumada

Smoked Pig!

If you're going to get a bunch of people together in Texas, you barbecue. We helped the ward plan the 18th annual pig party, and it was a pork-roasting good time. One does not simply ... fry up a 100 pound pig, nor may you claim to barbecue if you're not committed to spend at least 12 consecutive hours doing it.

Bishop Pinto smoked the butterflied 100 pound pig body for 14 hours in preparation for the feast. Brother Marhsall and Brother Duffy watched 12 hours for the 8 slabs of brisket to delishen, and brother Reid managed 8 hours smoking 20 savory chickens. We fed armies with beans and potato salad and a desert table..

I actually think only 200 people came, and we'd prepared for 350. So we fed the whole ward again after church on Sunday. We got nervous when a freak rain shower hit us while we were setting up Saturday morning. We got 4 inches that morning, on all sides of the lake, except for on bishops ranch, haha it stayed completely dry the whole time. Still, a huge number of people assumed it was canceled.

Brother Richard came out to church, the sacrament meeting theme was overcoming temptation, the gospel principles class was on the don'ts of the word of wisdom, and priesthood talked about being in the world, but not of it. Do you think someone wants that guy to stop smoking already?! Hopefully he took a few things away from the services yesterday. Elder Cunningham and I looked at each other petrified  during gospel principles when one guy pipes up, "well if all of our sins smelled as bad as cigarettes no one would want to come to church." *Facepalm* Yes he smells really bad, but have a little more class please!

In other news, Sister Vivas from Reno Nevada is in my District AGAIN! Booyah! I am excited about that. Boo. Yah. She replaced Sister Beaumont who went home.

My personal goal to be a living witness of the Restoration was taken by the spirit and transformed into a personal conviction to be more virtuous. I didn't think i'd ever actually pick that attribute, It didn't seem as appealing as the others, but as i've studied it I've see how powerful of a principle it is. A requirement for missionary work (D&C 4) a means coupled with charity to gain confidence in the presence of God and to learn the doctrine of the priesthood. (D&C 121) It is most easily measured by your thoughts, desires and actions when you believe no one is watching. I love the example of Joseph in Genesis 39.When he was tempted by Pottifer's wife he consistently put her off because of the decision he'd made beforehand to live the commandments. Since that firm desire to live righteously was fixed within him, he ran away without hesitating when she found herself home alone with him and wanted him. We can exercise mental self control as we seek after those things that are "lovely, of good report and praiseworthy" (AoF 13) all the time, and especially when we're tempted. Let it be a decision made, so when the moment to be tried comes, we choose to be virtuous without second thoughts. When Christ walked through the masses and a sick woman reached out to touch his cloak, the moment she touched him she was healed and he indicated that virtue had gone out of him. Virtue is pertinent for spiritual power.

I love you!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell