"Until I saw a man who had no feet" (Gordon B. Hinckley)

March 08, 2023

"Until I saw a man who had no feet" (Gordon B. Hinckley) - March 7, 2008

One of the greatest gauges of spiritual character is the ability to show true gratitude for the blessings we enjoy and to recognize the difficult circumstances of those around us. It takes substantial faith to know what we lack or wish we would be blessed with, then offer a prayer on behalf of another who wishes they would be blessed with the situation we feel is a curse. President Gordon B. Hinckley once quoted a sign which hung on a shoe repair shop near his home. It said: "I complained because I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet." Isn't it amazing how wisdom can be found in so many different places, even a shoe repair store window? How many of us truly live by this sentiment? Do we spend our days complaining about the things we wish we had or wish would change or do we stand in awe at everything we have been given? How often do we offer a prayer where we pour out our hearts in gratitude and ask for nothing?

Children often ask the question "why me?" Typically the way we phrase this complaint changes as we mature but we never seem to abandon it altogether. The sad reality, however, is that we rarely or never ask this question when pondering on our blessings. Why have we been blessed with families which, though too often broken and imperfect, are the very thing hosts of lonely individuals are tearfully pleading with our Father in Heaven late into the night to somehow bestow upon them? How could we ever complain that our homes are too small or too plain while the orphan and the widow shiver in the cold outside our door. I have seen those individuals and as they have cast down their eyes in shame my heart has been cast down as I remember my own dissatisfaction with what they would give anything to receive. How is it possible that we could be concerned with something as trivial as how popular we are while the miracle our neighbor is praying for is to be forgotten in order to receive a temporary respite from physical, emotional, mental or any other form of abuse? Most of all, how can we allow ourselves to spend our time listing all of the practices we dislike within the restored church and leaders we disagree with while the lives of people we see every day have become so dark they have convinced themselves that God is dead. Our lives are not fair. But in nearly every circumstance we have won the incomprehensible prize in this imbalance called life.

As we see the plight of others, many of us will become discouraged because we do not possess the capacity to right all of the wrongs of a fallen world. But that victory has already been won. With the words "Father, it is finished" spoken with the final breath of a perfect King, the world shuddered in relief and joy. There will be restitution. There will be comfort and respite. There will be hope, joy, peace and an infinite number of other blessings because of Him, the Lamb of God who through his own generosity chose to descend below all things. He is the Bright and Morning Star who comes to us in whatever situation may be ours and says "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Of this I testify and pray that each of us will more fully come to know.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Weekly Update

Hello everyone,

This week felt like a high speed chase down memory lane. Kind of like that time James Bond drifted his Jaguar around his childhood home while being shot at by a helicopter's door-mounted machine gun. The only difference is I'm driving a pickup like a terrified grandmother as I try to dodge potholes as big as Connecticut and rattletrap buses doing mach 6 around blind corners.

Elder Razafimanantsoa and I were able to visit both of my past areas this week. We started by driving down to Antsirabe on Tuesday. I love Antsirabe. It's hard to choose a favorite area, especially after having two missions which I love for very different reasons, but if you forced me to choose it just might be Antsirabe. It could also be Clearfield though so maybe don't make me choose. On Wednesday we were able to do exchanges. I was with Elder Dominique. It was so much fun to spend a day in my old area and see some people who still remembered me.

The mission is changing several things with the phones and as part of that every companionship is being given a new SIM card. We were planning on going to Fianarantsoa after Antsirabe so we offered to take the new SIM cards for those companionships with us. Problem is we had to wait for Elder Kunkle and Elder Amrine to drive all the way down to Antsirabe from Antananarivo on Thursday before we could leave. This made it so we ended up driving about the last hour and a half in the dark. Let me tell you, driving at all is an adrenaline charged experience but in the pitch black scenes from your life start flashing before your eyes and you can feel the cold fingers of the grim reaper slowly crawling through the window. All is well though! We made it and I can now begin working on my bestselling near-death experience memoir.

In Fianarantsoa I went in a trio with Elder Monja and Elder Elananadrasana. They are the missionaries that replaced me and Elser Rasoloarivony in the Tsianolondroa branch. Since the area is entirely new to them I was able to show them around and introduce the different investigators. I was a little worried that all my work would fall apart when two new missionaries came in but Elder Monja impressed me with the questions he asked and his enthusiasm about working hard this transfer. His companion is starting his second transfer so it will be good for him to be in an area where he can have a lot of success.

I think that about sums up this week! Thanks for reading and feel free to let me know what's going on in your life.

I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Payne

We were able to say hello to the Jacobs while we were in Antsirabe. It's always so good to see them!

Antsirabe.

Apparently all the empty fields I was walking through when I served in Antsirabe are actually corn fields.

With Denise and Vohangy, a family Elder Damy and I started teaching.

With Elder Dominique.

Corn fields and bricks, classic Antsirabe.

One of the apartments below where I used to live is now decorated with all sorts of Chinese things. I have no idea what's going on. Maybe a family of immigrants from Xinjiang just decided to move to Antsirabe one day.