Attitude is the difference between a trial and an opportunity

                                                                                        01/06/2014      

        Well I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Years!  Ours was pretty fun. We couldn’t get any appointments with anyone that we teach and everyone we tried by wasn’t home or was really sick so the work was pretty slow last week, but we still had lots of fun!  We got snow New Year’s day and went and did service for all the older people in the ward.  The snow here was like saw dust so we used big brooms and pretty much swept it off their driveways, haha, kind of weird to be honest!  But a few hours later it was all melted anyways, but hey it’s the thought that counts right!?  Lol!  

        Friday we had our first zone training of the year  Most of it was about attitude and our mission president had this like 10 keys to a positive attitude but I totally forgot to bring it with me to share with you all so hopefully I remember to next week.  But it was a great zone training that’s for sure.  Pretty much.  It reminded me of my buddy Blake and what he always says which is so true except if you know Blake he mainly says it to annoy you or to be funny, haha, but he always says, 'Depends on how ya look at it."  So true though!  Our mission president also said something like attitude is the difference between a trial and an opportunity.  That really hit home for me.  If we can look at our trials as opportunities then how much easier and happier will we be as we endure that trial.  It kind of helps knowing that if we do endure the trials and sometimes even if we don’t that they will be for our good and for our benefit but how much more can you benefit from it if you look at it as an opportunity?  I think a good attitude is what has been helping me the most on my mission.  It’s been interesting because in all honesty my mission has not been THAT hard.  I’ve had people tell me it’s okay to tell them that I’m having a hard time on my mission and I can vent to them but I really haven’t had much to complain about. It’s hard to complain about things when you have a good attitude not because normally you have fun when you have a good attitude and how can you complain about having fun?  Not saying my mission has not been hard but it has been fun at the same time :)  Not saying I’m perfect or even close to being the best at having a positive attitude but it truly has helped me on my mission.  So I can just imagine how it helps for anything else with a normal life. :)

        Well things are still going great here!  It’s getting pretty crazy seeing all my good mission friends going home and knowing that I’m next.  I think I do pretty good about not thinking about it!  Haha!  Well I hope that everyone does alright adjusting to the new year and that it was a great one :)

Love you all!

Love Elder Espinoza

 Got some snow new years day! we went that morning for a few hours and shoveled sidewalks and driveways and then later on that day it was all gone anyway... i guess its the though that counts! haha
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