Hello family & friends! How is everyone going?
This week was what I would call a refiner's fire week. Haha,
lots of opportunities for growth which is the best right?
This really was an amazing chance for me to learn and
change. I experienced "hitting a wall". It was the first time since
I've been out that the work really felt like work. Heavenly Father is really
molding me. This is exactly why people tell you not to pray for patience on
your mission haha. But how else are we going to grow if we don't ever have to
struggle and put forth effort to change? It's easy to be loving when the people
are easy to love, and it's easy to be a hard worker when the work is easy. But
it's those moments when you're completely out of your comfort zone, and you put
forth all the effort you can to continue on. That is when the Savior will make
up the rest and start to change your nature.
Something I learned from one of our investigators who is a
boxer (p.s. he is an adorable italian-aussie man and he is such the
stereotypical boxer. He has a wall of Rocky movies. Haha, makes me think of
Naomi.) He talked to us about how when you lift a weight, and do maybe 10 reps,
the only ones that will make a difference are the last two. It's not until
those last few reps, when your muscle starts giving out and you start having to
really push that it makes any difference. He said the first 8 won't do anything
for you.
It's the exact same principle for Christlike attributes:
patience, diligence, obedience, charity. All of those qualities are easy to
have at certain times. It's easy to be obedient if you like the rules, it's
easy to be diligent if someone's watching, it's easy to be charitable if it's
Christmas time, and it's easy to be patient if you're content with waiting. But
what about when we get to those last few reps? What about when we start to pass
the level of fitness that our Christlike attributes have been developed to?
What about when we have to start to really push?
That's when you make a decision. A decision to honor the
covenants you have made to take upon you His name. At baptism, you covenanted
to represent Him. You are His disciple. You are to say and do what He himself
would say and do in every situation that you are in. This covenant does not
have any fine print. It doesn't say: "Represent Him unless it's
really hard and you're really tired and you haven't had anything to eat since
this morning and you the person you're talking to is just being really
annoying." Haha, that would be really nice but it just doesn't work that
way. We have to press on, we have to think of Him. We have to keep trying even
when it gets hard.
But please, Brothers and Sisters, do not get overwhelmed by
this daunting task of lifelong, discipleship. Remember that a covenant is a two
way promise. And that as we keep our promise, Heavenly Father will keep His. He
will bless us with the Spirit and the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus
Christ. That we may be able to press forward and do things we could never do on
our own.
This is when true change happens and true discipleship
begins.
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
I was really slack on taking pics this week so I will send
you more from Zone P-Day ice skating which was hecka fun. Didn't fall AND I
wasn't the worst skater.
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| Awkward mission friends 4ever |
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| Professional Ice Skater Pose |
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| My Zone |
-Interviews with President were this week. President and Sister Checketts are amazing! President just has so much knowledge to share with us. Sister Hosea and I taught them the Restoration lesson if 5 minutes and it went so well! We've been practicing for 3 weeks and this was definitely the best it's been. The spirit was so strong and we were able to state what we know to be true simply and clearly. Also, they are s'cute, they are like this weird little mix up of Idaho and Hawaiian culture. So funny. Also I loved talking to them about all the things they had to adjust to because sometimes I still feel like I just got here.
-Dinner at Barbara's. She is definitely one of my fav
members. She is a very sassy, very hilarious, woman and she fed us crumpets
with ice cream and like 5 different sauces. Quote from Barbara: "I really
do try to be healthy but if I were to fret about every grain of sugar I
consumed, I would loose my mind." Also the Hamanns are another great
family I love. I felt so at home at their house because 1. They fed us American
food because Bro Hamann is from Oregon. and 2. When we asked if we could sing a
hymn to open our message Sister Hamann went "No." and then started
cracking up. I then went on to tell her the many times the missionaries have
asked if they could share a message in my home and my mom has done the same
thing. We had a good laugh and then sang the hymn. Haha, felt like home!
-Me being a dog person has saved our lives a couple times.
-I have never walked so much in my life. This week we walked
soooooo much. So many appointment just out in the middle of no where that no
trains, or buses went to. The only upside is that the more I walk the more Milo
I get to drink.
-We got a new Ward Mission Leader! He is amazing and has so
much energy and excitement for this calling. Ah, we are so blessed to have
Brother Burgess. He and his wife just moved in 3 weeks ago and we love them so
much already.
-In unrelated news, our old Ward Mission Leader said the B
word in Gospel Principles. Sister Hosea and I's eyes got so big and we just
looked at each other. Apparently if you're super Aussie, that is not a bad
word. Haha, it just shocked us so much. I'm used to the H word and D word from
members because that's not bad here, but the B word surprised me a little.
hahaha.
-Sister Hosea got spit on by one of the kids of our
investigator. HAHAHAAH, it was so out of hand. He hit her with a stick and then
just started spitting on her over and over again. The mom freaked out and was
apologizing and we were just laughing and saying "it's not a big deal.
don't worry!" although when we left we were just like "WHAT THE HECK
JUST HAPPENED?!" So funny!
-The slow and steady progression of our investigators. It
may not look like it at first glance, but we can really see the work moving. We
are finding new people each week and working to get them progressing. This area
takes a lot of patience, but I love it so much!
Have a great week everyone!
Love you HEAPS!
SF
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