The will to choose difficulty #5

December 16, 2023

The will to choose difficulty #5

Hey Everybody!

This week has been a great one! We are 2 weeks into Mongolian language immersion and that has been a lot of fun. 5 weeks down, 6 to go!! Last Sunday I sang in a trio at sacrament meeting, the song "What Child Is This" which was a blast.

Aunt Julie and Uncle Craig sent a package with a bunch of snacks and treats, I've been munching on them all week! Thanks Aunt Julie and Uncle Craig! I also received a Danish Pastry from Grandma Bateman and I got to share with my district and the Korean district. Thank Grandma!! Also I saw cousin Tiffany (Betteridge) Eriksen and Caleb at the temple last week.

Not much else to report... The emails should get better after arriving in Mongolia. (Finished the gospels this week and got 30 pull ups)

Spiritual thought...

Lately I've been thinking about one of my favorite blessings. That is the ability and will power to choose a more difficult path or the road less traveled. If every decision we made in life was a result of our desire for comfort, I imagine we wouldn't get much done.

Before the mission I challenged myself to a few physical challenges of will power to test my limits. One of these was hiking Mt. Adams with Chris Fitzgerld and Tyler Shawcroft. The hike for me was simply a test of will power and a chance to share a rewarding challenge with people I love. Also when we challenge ourselves, it gives us an opportunity to ask God for His help on things we couldn't accomplish alone.

I like to think, everyday we are all faced with decisions between comfort and challenge. And nearly every time the more difficult choice is the right one.

"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard" - President John F. Kennedy

Now I know I'm not going to the Moon... but I know everyday I am faced with 100's of decisions. Decisions to Judge or give mercy, to hold a grudge or forgive, to love or hate, to workout or sleep in, to pray in gratitude or pray in grievance, to get angry or turn the other cheek, to be happy or grumpy, among many many more. Christ did not give us the higher law because it was easy, but it's the higher law because it's difficult. I find comfort in knowing that I have the power to choose the harder path whether in life decisions or small daily tasks.

For me serving a mission wasn't an easy choice. On the one hand I could cruise through college and stay with the class of 26' at KP. Or I could make a deliberate choice of faith, difficulty, and service. I know through faith and prayer, God will help give us the power to make good choices regardless of its difficulty.

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" John 16:33

Love,

Elder Bateman

Also shout out to Jack Getman and Ronan Byrne at KP!