Hello Everyone,
So maybe this was the longest week of my mission to this point. First, no car, which would have been fine except the -20 weather and not being allowed to leave Monday or Tuesday. Then pouring rains on Friday where we were out tracting for 4 hrs. I am talking drenched. I can't explain it. This rain was wet rain. In Washington I don't feel like you get as soaked. Then to top it all off, 8hrs of knocking doors in this one area on Saturday. 8 hours! We were so done by the end of the day. We were there so long that cause we had to get rides. But on the plus side I maybe watched the Seahawks game at the restaurant someone took us to dinner at :) killing it. Oh also on Saturday, we taught a couple drunk people who asked us to forgive their sins....awkward. And when we shook their hand (we were leaving as fast as possible) this one guy caressed my hand. It was disgusting. I have never felt more violated. Seriously. Needless to say. That was fun. Then we visited one of our investigators who pulled dirty cups out of the sink and washed them with her hand and have us water in them....I could have gotten over this except that she lives in a bug infested house with a leaking roof. Honestly you leave and want to wash you whole body inside and out. That being said, she is a wonderful person, and I have high hopes for her. I would just like her to find a new place to live.
Haha this was a disappointing week. No one let us in. And everyone kept canceling. It was really frustrating because you start to feel like there is no point being here if no one wants to hear what you have to say. Plus you get so cold you just wish some old lady would let you in and give you some hot chocolate. Haha long story short, I maybe have had a couple very emotionally nightly prayers with Father in Heaven. First time since I have been here.
But the highs of the week, 4 or 5 of the less actives we have been working with have come to church the last couple weeks! It is awesome!! And this little girl we are teaching was finally able to come to church yesterday. This might not sound like huge successes but they really are. Our biggest struggle is getting people to come to church. The less actives are so stubborn and just have no desire. And our investigators just say, "tengo pena, tengo pena"which loosely translate to I am afraid/nervous/embarrassed/worried about it...so basically I don't want to do it. It's so annoying and frustrations. Haha we just roll our eyes when people say that to us. Anyway, so what I'm saying is it was a giant success. The little girl we have been working with it has been a struggle to get her mom on board. But I think she is going to let her now. (Her whole family is non members).
Some other highlights, we are being fed everyday this week....AND DRUM ROLL PLEASE. One of our favorite members happens to be el salvadorian and she is teaching us to make papusas on Wednesday :) we are generally fed 3 or 4 times a week. But yeah. So that's exciting. Other exciting things, our schedule is jam packed this week, so if things go as planned (hahah who am I kidding, the mission life is a series of changing plans...8 million times) we will have to go on splits with members to get everything done. So this week definitely is looking up. Plus we have a car :) there hasten tons of drama in the past in this ward, but everyone is really starting to get along which is awesome. And it seems like prayers are being answered and they want to help more with missionary work so hopefully that will make things easier. I love this ward though. I can't imagine leaving them and going anywhere different. I am working on trying to be their friend, someone they can trust, and encouraging them in their desire to help, and complimenting them on the things they do that really help us (thanks mom for the idea it was perfect).
So yes, this week was hard. I definitely struggled with not getting a bad attitude, or getting irritated with my companion for no reason except being stressed. I finally got frustrated about the language and not being able to understand anything. Or say what I want to say. I felt like I was just exhausted all week, which also hasn't really been a thing. I mean I don't love waking up at 6:30. But it also isn't something I complain about, or something has really affected me. But this week I was tired the whole time. But I know in whom I trust as Nephi says (2nd Nephi 4). I know who to turn to. I have not lost hope, or been defeated. Things have just started to get hard. Which is okay. I have been anticipating it. Things seemed too easy. Easy things don't stretched you and make you grow. Easy things don't allow The Lord to mold you and make you great. My attitude is still, "Give me this mountain Lord, I will climb it." Our Father has a perfect plan for each one of us. He has tailor made our struggles and our hardships to teach us the things that each of us individually must learn to one day become as He is. And I don't know about you all, but that sounds really nice to me. To become like God, to receive all that He has. So if we suffer a little here, or even a lot, I have faith that it will one day be made right. It will be more than worth it. On fact in the words of Parley P. Pratt, "I have desired, after traveling for twenty-five or twenty-six years, mostly abroad, to stay at home and minister among the people of God, and take care of my family; but God's will be done, and not mine. If it is the will of God that I should spend my days in proclaiming this gospel and bearing testimony of these things, I shall think myself highly privileged and honored. And when the spirit of God is upon me, I think it matters but very little what I suffer, what I sacrificed-whether I secure the honor or dishonor of men, or where I die, if it so be that I can keep the faith, fight the good fight, and finish my course with joy. I have all eternity before me, in which to enjoy myself". Now probably none of us will ever be asked to make the sacrifice he made in leaving His family for so very long. But I think his words can apply to anyone in any struggle. Especially where he says, "I think it matters but very little what I suffer, what I sacrificed...if it so be that I can keep the faith, fight the good fight, and finish my course with joy". So I hope you will think of this during your difficulties. And when it seems too hard, remember this, because our Father in heaven tailor made this for you, He also knows exactly how to help you through, and if you will turn to Him and place your trust in Him implicitly, then He will walk you through the dark times and bless you more than you can understand. He will take you farther, and make you more than you could ever make yourself, if you will just let Him. If you will submit your will to His. That is the ONLY thing that is truly yours.
Everything else is already His. He has just given it to you.
Anyway, your prayers are much appreciated. I love you dearly. I hope to hear from all of you. Fight the good fight as my family likes to say. I will be praying for you.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
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