Monday, October 21, 2013

the reality of mission life

Good Monday morning to you!  My Monday posts (for the next seventeen months) will be a little update on Sadie (since this is the day she can email us).   Feel free to skip if you'd rather and stop by again on Tuesday.
      So, I knew eventually Sadie was going to have hard times on her mission.  Reality kind of dictates that. Once again,  I will just share an excerpt from her letter.

" Hello my beautiful family!! Thank you for all of the wonderful emails and stories from this week. Makes me miss home but I know you are all safe and watched over! Ok I'll be straight up honest, this week was extremely hard. I guess I really didn't explain in my last letter, but the area I'm in is really hard to find investigators. We can tract a whole 2 streets and no one will let us even talk to them. Do you know what though? That's ok! Last night my comps and I were talking about how the Lord measures success, and we know he measures it by our obedience, our dedication, and how often we feel the Spirit. It's ok that it's hard! Honestly! I think my expectations were that when I got out here we would be teaching everyday an baptising every month. But that's not the Lord's plan! I think this mission has only had a total of 3 baptisms so far, and I can't remember if I told you but there are 600 people in our ward, only half are active. 600 members, 6 missionaries total! It's a lot of work but we can do it with the Lord's hand. We are working really hard to get the members active with working with us, I really just want them all to help us out more often but they really don't want to half of the time haha. 

Ok end rant now on to the happy things! I try to look for the good things only in our days now, if we focus on the bad we get really sad! And sometimes you just have to cry and let the Lord comfort you. I am learning so much about the Atonement, and how much we need to use it's enabling power in our lives! Also mom and dad, I just want to apologize when I have been such a brat sometimes, I've realized how much you mean to me and how much you've done for me my whole life. There are kids out here who have NOTHING. And on top of that, their parents care little or not at all. I'm so grateful that I was raised in a home where I can feel safe and know that I can always count on you. I hope you can forgive me for being so selfish sometimes! I am really working on turning out when I feel like turning in, because I know this is not my mission, it's the Lords! (Moses 1:39) 

Ok for crazy stories, we almost got in a really bad car accident a couple days ago! It was pouring rain, and we were going down the street (kinda fast) and a car was about to turn left in front of us. Suddenly, like 60 feet before we passed them, they pulled out in the middle of the road, so the car in the other lane stopped, so we were heading full force towards this car in the middle of the road! Sister Tofa slammed on the brakes and, I kid you not, we skidded to a stop, with only 2 inches between us and the other car. BLESSINGS! (We say that all the time) We pulled over and thanked Heavenly Father for protecting us. I know he watches over us all the time. He is so good to us!"

If you know my personality, you know I am kind of prone to anxiety.  But, even after reading Sadie's letter, I still feel calm and peaceful about where she is and what she's doing.  I can only conclude that Sadie is not the only one getting a whole bunch of blessings.  And now, It's time to bake some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and stop by to visit the UPS man.  We are becoming bff's and he just knows when I walk through the door that it's time to print another address label for Houston. 
Happy Monday.




No comments: