Hot Water, Travel Fare, and Neural Networks

My companion is Elder Viloria, who actually entered the field with me! He's Colombian, and likes to joke a lot! He's a really good missionary, and teaches really well. We live in a nicer apartment, because it's a much nicer area, but it still doesn't have a tank water heater, and the shower-head heater was broken, but we finally got it replaced, so I don't have to use the kettle anymore!

This week was pretty hard. We ran out of travel fare, so we had to walk to another area to give a baptismal interview. We had to walk for 2 hours and 15 minutes. We only had fare for one way, and we decided it was better to walk there in the light, than walk back in the dark! And then, we found out that the mission is in deficit right now, so our budget for travel got cut by 30%! So we're struggling with that, but at least I got to baptize the investigator! It was an investigator from the Sister Missionaries, because we are the only Elders in our district, so she didn't have anybody to baptize her, so I got to do it! It was pretty awesome, but I forgot my camera today, so I can't upload the pictures... Next week! We also have some investigators that are trying to get married, but they have to wait for the city, which is only available in July! It's a long time to be an investigator, ready to be baptized!

I have a comparison that came to my mind this week, and it's part computer science, part biology, but just listen. It has do to with neural networks. Neural networks are one way to model intelligence in a computer. They consist of a network of nodes, or neurons, that are all connected together. What's interesting is that adding one node, increases the potential of the network only based on the connections it makes! So, a node that just sits in isolation can't accomplish anything. As members of wards, and the church as a whole, we do absolutely nothing just going to church on Sunday, and going home again. Only as we make connections with as many people as possible, can we really become part of the family of God, and obtain exaltation. That's part of what it means to live in the world. The network can accomplish much much more, than any single node, and even more than the sum of the nodes! In the church, if we don't connect with others, greeting and getting to know new people, and increasing the size of our network, we accomplish nothing. Everything else that you can do, doesn't matter, because without serving your fellow man, you cannot become the person God wants you to be! So if you feel like you already have your group of friends, and there's no reason to extend the network, please think again! Because there are nodes that try to connect, and get rejected, and leave to find another network. Please don't let this happen! Our job as missionaries is to help the nodes become prepared to enter the network, and the job of the members is to find potential nodes, and integrate and connect with every node possible in order to synthesize a network that constantly improves every single node, and can literally accomplish miracles!

Thanks for reading my little analogy :)
I love you all!