Querida Familia, July, 2, 2014
I asked my companion what my caption should be for this week and she told me without hesitation, "salud, dinero, amor" because I sneeze so much here haha! So that explains the caption. :)
This week has kind of been an emotional roller coaster. I could have written you a novel by the end of Saturday! There has been a lot going on and it's awesome. But, like I said, an emotional roller coaster.
We have a bunch of investigators now but two main ones: Gabby and Iris. Gabby hasn't been progressing and it makes us a little devastated every time she doesn't follow through with commitments because we can't figure out what we're doing wrong! I do feel like we are learning a lot and becoming better teachers but we just can't find a way to communicate to her specifically. So anyways, there is that and then just typical small stressors that have been building up. This week on Friday, Hermana Grenfell and Hermana Riches cried, well that basically set me on edge because I get overly sympathetic sometimes. So on Saturday my emotions were just rising and I was practicing teaching the Plan of Salvation with a teacher, Hermano Stallings. He was the missionary first and the whole time I was just getting so nervous. And then he said it was my turn to be the missionary. All of my emotions just overflowed and I CRIED. I was just like, "I don't know how!" I'm pretty sure I freaked him out. Afterwards we all had a good laugh about it though.
So that started the week, but it all went up from there.The Elders have basically been begging us to let them practice giving us a blessing. So we finally took them up on the offer. Hermana Riches was first and it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen to watch Elder Price give her a blessing. The spirit was so strong and he said things that she specifically needed to hear. Then I got a blessing and it was completely different from Hermana Riches. Mine was all about helping my companions and sisters. Which was really cool, but not what I was expecting.
Well, the next day I got assigned to be the Sister Training Leader of my zone. My voice pretty much squeaked when I accepted the assignment because if there was ever a time in my life I felt inadequate to do something, it was right then. But it was crazy because after that, everything changed. And it wasn't because anything changed it was because my perspective changed. I started noticing all the ways I could help the sisters in my Zone. They are all really great, but now I've realized that there are things they need help with that I can help them with. I just needed a chance to turn outside of myself and focus on others. This will be a great experience! We are getting more sisters in our zone today also so I am super excited!
Sunday is my favorite day. It is a spiritual refill. If there is ever something going wrong, Sunday makes everything better. During sacrament meeting my companeras and I sang "Beautiful Savior" we recorded it and I'll send it next week. It was beautiful and I could really feel the spirit while I sang it. I just love that song. And I love having companions who are willing to do fun things like that! :) I'm so blessed.
So we have a new investigator that will be ours for a while. Her name is Gabrielle and I think she might seriously be a real investigator. I LOVE teaching her. Every time we leave I just feel so good and spiritually energized. She is so easy to have charity for because she is so wonderful. She asks such sincere questions and tries really hard to understand everything. Yesterday she said a prayer and it was one of the most beautiful prayers I have ever heard. My heart just leapt with joy. I was so happy! Missions are the greatest thing. I absolutely love seeing people draw near unto Christ and find the sustained happiness that comes from the gospel. I am the happiest I think I have ever been every time I get to go into her home to teach her.
So yesterday I got to go to SLC to get my Visa. It was really weird to go out of the MTC bubble and into the real world. We got to ride the frontrunner and the train. There were about fifteen of us. It was a really interesting experience because I have been to SLC so many times and I always look like a Mormon while I'm there but I have never stood out SO much. It's kind of weird how both vulnerable but yet empowered a little nametag can make you. And SLC is a peculiar place. Very unique. We boarded the bus and I was standing next to this guy with my companion and two Elders a little bit across the way. He had been looking at us in kind of a disgusted way and I knew it was coming but he turned to us and was like "are you crazy?" when we responded that we didn't think we were he went off on this like seven minute spiel about how God isn't there and he doesn't love us and how we are wasting our lives and on and on. At the end we just all said that we have felt God's love and know He loves him too and then ignored the rest of his underhanded remarks. It was an interesting experience, and not the first or the last of people who didn't approve of our religion. But, it being SLC and all there were the happy people in cars that would wave and be like, "We love missionaries!" "you guys rock!" So it balanced itself out. I loved being waved to, I felt like a celebrity! :) It just made me sad that that man sincerely didn't feel God's love for him in such an antagonistic way... if that even makes sense. But, fun thing that happened (it wasn't by me but I was watching it happen from a distance) two Elders and two Sisters were talking to a man who ended up giving them his contact information and agreeing to meet with the missionaries! It made me really excited to leave the MTC even though I really do love it here. There is just so much work to do!!
Well, now you can see why this week was a bit of a roller coaster. But it was SO AWESOME. I love being here with all my heart and I love everything about the gospel.
Hurrah for Israel! :)
Love always,
Hermana Wood :)
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