Hello all! I heard that Dad thinks I don't write enough in my
emails and that I should talk more about the town and the food I eat and
things like that. Well...this week I ate at Arby's once. A Latin member
fed us dinner one night. Ate some bagels. Ate a Dove chocolate that
said "You make everything lovely" and it absolutely made my day.
Well, there ya go, that's my email for the week...
Haha, just kidding.
First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Matthew and Bex! Last time I checked, I'm pretty sure I was
the one who was turning 16. Totally crazy! 14 and 16 are both AWESOME
ages, hope you both live it up. And Matthew, if I hear that I have yet
ANOTHER brother who refuses to ask girls on dates...Imma be a
disappointed big sister.
Anyway, this week was one of the hardest weeks thus
far as a missionary. It was just very emotionally challenging...lots of
discouraging things happening. And of COURSE all the bummer things that
happened this week would totally occur in the same week...isn't that
always how it works?! So far on my mission, it's seemed like whenever we
have really rough days, we always experience some sort of miracle or
tender mercy that makes everything okay. But alas, this week that
pattern did not continue. I mean, the week definitely had some good
things too, but it was just very hard to keep going because there were
moments this week when I was seriously discouraged. I was on the verge
of a complete breakdown TWICE this week...and one of them was right
before church yesterday after receiving some very disheartening news. So
I had to bolster myself up and put on a smile even though I totally
just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.
But I also had a bit of an epiphany this week. I was thinking about
all the hard things that happened and about how nothing seemed to be
getting better and just wondering, Why haven't we at least had SOME
little ray of sunshine in this week? I'm a missionary! I'm doing God's
work! Shouldn't we be having some blessings right about now? And I realized a) that was silly, because there were plenty of rays of sunshine, like apple pie ice cream and fluffy puppies, and b)
there were many people who went through a LOT tougher trials than me
with even less to be happy about. I started thinking about Job, who
didn't deserve all the hardships he encountered but who had to endure
them for a long time. At least I came into missionary work knowing it would be hard...Job was just going along his merry way when BAM!, his
life changed. He went through a lot before finally receiving blessings.
I also started thinking about the Savior and remembering a YouTube
video we watched in the MTC called "Missionary Work and the Atonement."
In the video, some of the apostles talked about how when we endure
hardships and trials on our mission in Christ's name, we are able to
experience a small part of what he went through when He atoned for all
of us. As we endure these challenges, we have the opportunity to stand
next to the greatest person who has ever lived. I also realized that his
week of hardship could very well be the Lord's way of bringing me
closer to Him as I learn to better rely on Him for strength and help.
Viewing things in that light definitely helps!
Well,
that was my week. This is the last week of the transfer, which
ABSOLUTELY blows my mind. This transfer flew by. Elder Bjorling goes
home next week...ahhhh crazy! All my friends are dying :( And I very
well might not be in Port St. Lucie next week! (Or I might still be in
Port St. Lucie but on the other side of the area and within a different
ward's boundaries...we're pretty sure they'll be opening up another
sister area in Port St. Lucie either this coming transfer or the
transfer after). I'm really not sure what will happen with transfers,
but I kind of feel like I'll be leaving the area. So I guess we'll see!
Also, one awesome blessing this week...we saw
Brandon on Thursday (he's the 18-yr-old who got baptized on Sunday) and
he is like a TOTALLY different person. He cut his hair, he shaved, and
there's a lot more life in him. We were able to carry on a conversation
with him (kind of a struggle before)! Even one of the other members made
a comment to us about how changed Brandon seems to be. It's so cool to
see the power of ordinances such as baptism in action. This gospel
really does change people...it's a very real and literal power!
Also...Brian, my first baptism on my mission, is getting married on Saturday to a woman in the ward! Yaaay!
lovelovelove,
sis dougal
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