A Spark of Creation

This email is named after a song from a wonderful musical entitled Children of Eden. Great music, great message. Anyway, I was listening to this song this week while I was studying the Book of Mormon. I was reading in Mosiah, a somewhat irrelevant fact, but this song came on and my mind was kind of whisked away into thinking about our souls. Here on the earth we have been given a sport of Spark within ourselves: a spark to be better, to think bigger, to create things, to be innovative, to be productive, to be good. Over time we, for some reason, lose that spark and instead of turning our spark into a blazing fire we let it simply sputter and go out. Let me quote some of the lyrics of this song:

"I've got a hunger burning inside me that cannot be denied.
I've got a feeling that the Father who made us, when He was kindling the pulse in my veins, He left a tiny spark of a fire smoldering inside, a Spark of Creation.
I see a mountain and I want to climb it, I see a river and I want to leave shore, where there nothing let there be something, something made by me...there things waiting for me to invent them, there worlds waiting for me to explore."

These words are truly inspired, as our beloved Heavenly Father has distilled in us this desire, this hunger. We are here on the earth to learn and to grow, to utilize this spark or smoldering coal to its ultimate potential. We can place lots of kindling, lint, etc. in their place and then use our spark to create something truly extraordinary. The lyrics of this song reflect this need, to make this fire get bigger and to make it all it is. It makes me think about my potential, my ability to kindle this tiny smoldering fire into the blazing bonfire it cam become. I know that we have so much potential with this one little spark that we often do not realize what it is that we can do. If we put all of our mind, might and strength to fulfill a dream or a desire or a wish of ours, we can accomplish whatever it is that we want to accomplish! We are amazing! And we have amazing help, divine help always right behind us, pushing us and helping us become better.

Music is a fantastic inpiration and can help us all to pick ourselves up and get back into the happy swing of life. This particular song helped me to be more positive this week, and as a result, 2 of the families that I have been teaching are got baptized (and we should be baptizing 3 or 4 more this week)! I am really excited. I am also learning more Miskito daily and have been presented an amazing opportunity to study with the University of Kansas Miskito study abroad classes on Wednesday and Friday morning. That is going to be very interesting, especially because the teacher is from San Diego, is liberal, and has already started with the Polygamy jokes. Yay. Strike one for her on the Bolton count. 

So despite all the crazy things that have been happening lately, I am doing well. I am working on communicating better with the people around me, especially the 5 other missionaries that i live with. BYU was a piece of cake compared to this, habitation wise obviously. Somehow my parents were miraculously able to instill in one so free spoken a hesitation to speak his mind. I am grateful for that gift because I have been able to save myself from many situations that many other missionaries cause by opening their mouths. Whenever I want to make a "commentary" or open my mouth and say something that could possibly incur an argument or tense feelings I remember the pearl of wisdom my parents gifted me: it is better to remain a fool, then open your mouth and remove all doubt. Now, that does not explicity say anything about tense situations, but you catch my drift. Hahaha. People who just speak whimsically make me almost sad inside because they have not learned that important lesson my parents taught me so long ago (it did take time to apply).

Well, I love you all. I also love my new edition of the Liahona with all of the General Conference addresses in it...in ENGLISH. Love that miracle. I hope you all can enjoy your lives, recognize the miracles around you and enjoy the wonderful music of the world that surrounds us. Have a great week, stay positive. Keep calm. Carry on.

Love,
Elder B

P.S. Mom, I played some of the sitar music I have on my iPod this week and now everyone I live with won't let me play any music, for they fear that I will put it on again. So now I have to sneak in my weekly doses of Ravi Shankar in private. :)