Wow. This week...was amazing. So many great things to talk about, and not enough time or space! This week has changed me as a missionary, and probably as a person as well.
Let me explain. So last transfer I was kind of struggling a lot, and then at the beginning of the transfer I was starting to feel better. But then I got sick, and I was starting to struggle again. On Tuesday we had interviews with our mission president and we had a really good meeting with our zone. Then I had my interview which was fine, and I asked my mission president to give me a blessing. I love blessings! It gives Heavenly Father a chance to really just help you out and tell you how much He love you. It was exactly what I needed. We went home and the rest of the day was ok, but still I wasn't quite where I wanted to be. The next morning I was studying and I was listening to the talk "Adversity" by Henry B. Eyring. Something he said really stuck out to me. He said:
"My purpose today is to assure you that our Heavenly Father and the Savior live and that They love all humanity. The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction is part of the evidence of Their infinite love. God gave us the gift of living in mortality so that we could be prepared to receive the greatest of all the gifts of God, which is eternal life. Then our spirits will be changed. We will become able to want what God wants, to think as He thinks, and thus be prepared for the trust of an endless posterity to teach and to lead through tests to be raised up to qualify to live forever in eternal life. It is clear that for us to have that gift and to be given that trust, we must be transformed through making righteous choices where that is hard to do. We are prepared for so great a trust by passing through trying and testing experiences in mortality. That education can come only as we are subject to trials while serving God and others for Him."
I loved that because for some reason some things just clicked for me when I heard that. We don't have to perfect at every single thing right now, the only way we are going to get that way is through adversity! And the only way we really learn is when even though we are still facing those hard things we just press forward and continue to have faith and serve. That is where it comes. That is where you really start to get it. So I heard that and started thinking about it, and I asked myself why I was even struggling. Did I even remember? Did I know God loves me? Yes. Did I know Jesus Christ is my Savior and He can help me? Yes. Did I know I was a part of the Lord's work and I was trying? Yes. Then what was the problem? I don't know, I just kind of stopped being stupid at that point. One thing my companion has really helped me to learn this transfer is that we are in control of our attitudes. We can't control others or what they do or say, but we can influence it. And if we are going to be a stinker and downer all the time, how can we expect others around us to be amazing and wonderful? We can't. But when we have faith and a good attitude and do everything the Lord asks, not only does it affect those around us, that is where and when we see miracles.
Kind of an important life lesson I learned.
Anyway, life is good! That morning we were driving down to an appointment, and we passed some fields burning down. My companion had told me about how in the beginning of her mission it was this time of year and she saw the same thing. She asked her companion why there were fires everywhere, and she told her that the farmers burn the fields because it gets rid of all the dead stuff. And then it makes the soil so it is ready for the new crop to be planted, and it actually helps and gives the soil nutrients. I loved that! I thought it was very fitting that the same thing happened to me. I really feel like I have gone through a kind of emotional refiner's fire. I know there will be LOTS more in my life, but Heavenly Father wanted to teach me that it is good to go through this stuff. Life is meant to be hard! Because then your soil has more nutrients for the future, and better crops will grow. I just love Kansas.
Besides that, you are probably wondering about the baptism! I will tell you about that in a minute. But yes, it did happen! We took TJ to the Independence Visitors' Center this week and it was awesome. We had another investigator there as well and it was really good for her to see the Joseph Smith movie and clear up some of her concerns about him. I also got to see Sister Adamson and see how she is doing! She is learning Spanish and struggling a little bit, but she is going to be great. It was great to be back to where there were a lot of sisters and senior couples and stuff, but unlike last transfer I realized that being a full proselyting sister has really grown on me. I love to just be able to spend my whole day working instead of only having a half day. But I would also love to serve at the jail again at some point! We will see what the Lord has in store for me.
Saturday was the baptism! So exciting. Sister Adamson got to come down for it, and Aubrey (one of our investigators that is trying to quit smoking) was able to make it as well. That was big for her because she is agoraphobic aka afraid of lots of new people or crowds but she is determined to get baptized and wanted to see what it would be like. TJ is such a good kid. Once he gained a testimony and knew this was true and accepted baptism, he hasn't hesitated since. He is such a good example to me. He just wants to do what the Lord would have him do.
-Measuring TJ for his new church clothes (he is short and they had to be altered)
-Saving a turtle from its imminent death on the road and taking it to a nearby pond
-Finding out how clouds are made in the Midwest, or at least La Cygne, KS (I'm sending a picture for that one)
-Playing with kittens at a members house
-Watching Spring really start to happen!
-When that guy I told you about last week that asked me out asked got into a car accident, got amnesia, asked me out again, and we had to drop teaching him
-When our Zone Leaders made a dry ice bomb during our meeting to demonstrate how this area is going to have an explosion of miracles. Oh elders. Life is never dull as a missionary.
Well, I love being a missionary! Heavenly Father really takes care of us. I can't express how much this experience has changed my life for the better. It is the best thing I have ever done.
I love you all! Have a great week.
-Sister Hafen
No comments:
Post a Comment