January 11, 2014

Yesterday after serving in the Saint Francis Catholic Soup Kitchen, which I wrote in my last journal that I go with Michael Angulo to each Friday morning, we were hanging out. The missionaries were serving with us in the soup kitchen, and upon their request we made them a word document, which they can give to members of the church that they may ask for referrals. We were also trying to think of something to do. Jesse Kaupert was not down to hang out because his older brother, Michael, just came home from his mission the day before. His family is big on family, so he is busy for this weekend. After I talked with Jesse, I realized that I can hang out with my new Brazilian sister, the foreign English student that I introduced to you in a past journal entry. She wanted to hang out, so we waited for her.

Michael Angulo join the blog spot as we were figuring out what we are going to do. His faith is amazing. He just popped out of nowhere a few years ago in the church feeling prompted to come. He claimed to be a member, and he come from a less active family. God blessed his life with the good fellowship of the Ocean YSA Branch, and his faith grew; although, he barely knew the gospel. He accepted a mission call to Canada inspired by his patriarchal blessing. I feel honored to have witnessed all of this. He is a great friend.

As we were waiting for Nathalia, I received a call from work, inviting me to work this weekend. I asked if they can work Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I said that I don't work Sunday, asking if I can have that day off. He said that I will have to look for another place to work because they were looking for people to work on the weekend. I explained that I worked there before, and they were usually flexible. I get my usual two days off, but I get Sunday off and another day off in the week, a day where I serve in the temple. He accepted my acquisition, saying that he would call the shift manager to see if it would work out. He called back a few minutes later, saying that I don't have to work on Sunday. I can just come in for Saturday and Monday. I was so excited. I love working. I will have to tell you about my work place.

I am also excited because I finally got the day shift, which starts at 6 and ends at 2:30. I have always wanted this shift because I have been missing Family Home Evening and Institute in my home Ocean YSA Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Michael and I showed Nathalia the Capitola Village. She was grateful that it did not have the hundreds of homeless people like downtown Santa Cruz. I explained that Santa Cruz is an odd place, when it comes to homeless people. I heard that neighboring cities would send their homeless to our town. I further explained that when I visited China I lived in Nantong, a city of eight million people, and I did not see homeless people all over downtown. Although I did see some, they were not all over the place like downtown Santa Cruz. It has way too many crazy people. Nathalia recognized that the Santa Cruz kind of prides itself on how weird that it is.

Nathalia and I were exhausted from the day, and I went to sleep early, since work starts at six. I have a testimony of the scripture verse in Doctrine and Covenants 88:124. "Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated." When I go to sleep early, I always wake up with my body and mind invigorated.

Today I woken up at 2:30 by what I believe is a vision like the Tree of Life somewhat, which is in the Book of Mormon. Some cultures believe that dreams are visions. Some of my dreams don't have significance to my life, but I believe that this has spiritual depth in it. I woke up in my vision in an interesting place. I was in pitch darkness. I felt like I was in a bottom of a pit. I imagine that the surface would be a nightmare to a claustrophobic person, for I felt like I was in a tight cylinder type spot, but the surfaces were like a football long and rounded. I felt like this was a test of mental and spiritual learning, for we are all enlisted until the conflict is over. I pondered when I woke up, if people would freak out in this situation. People may just give up with no purpose or hope of life beyond the present, and let themselves die thinking to themselves. I am in hell. I held on to my knowledge of good though that I obtained by searching the light of Christ. I believed that there was something outside of the position that I was in. I felt like I can barely move in this tight situation, but I believed that I felt around I can find a way out. I did not have to feel too far to find that the ground was in arm lengths distance. I crawled out of the cave type thing. When I got out, I did not see much of great scenery, but I saw a bunch of youth sleeping around the contraption that I was in. It looked like a case of a big musical instrument, but it was opened. I was placed here. I think that I passed the test because all the youth woke up only minutes after I crawled out of the contraption. They did not speak to me. They just continued with their usual routine, heading to a facility to wash up and prepare for the day. In this experience I never had anxiety. I trusted God that there is always a way to the light and out of our dark abyss. There is a faith in God that is the true way of living.

It is through, the Christ, Jesus, and he will only have one teaching that we can hold upon. He gives this way by telling prophets, his mouthpiece, the Gospel. The Gospel has a deep definition. A way that I know it means is that the Gospel is the establishing of the Kingdom of God, and that is through repentance. God the Father and Jesus Christ has appeared to man of Earth, and he has called men to serve him as prophets to restore his Kingdom. The first prophet was Joseph Smith Jr. called in 1823, and we still have a living prophet today named Thomas S Monson. I encourage you to find the way out of your pitch darkness claustrophobic situation, if you understand the situation. There is a way. I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the complete truth, and I would invite you to inquire of yourself of the truthfulness that I know with God. This process is through prayer, and you will feel the love of God, confirming the truth, if you inquire correctly. Information about the church for inquirers can be found at Mormon.org, and you can request the missionaries to visit for guidance in your learning of the way and teaching of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I hope that you are not hopeless in the darkness, thinking that there is no way to a greater life, because there is.