We had a good week! I want to start off by expressing how much I love my companion, Hermana Webb. She is so loving and patient, I can see myself working really well with her this transfer. At the beginning of the transfer, I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to train, but I realized that I would be much better off doing HIS will than my own. I am so glad that He knows me better than myself. We had a rough week in with some health issues. I almost had to take my comp to the ER in the middle of the night. Let's just say that I am so grateful to be surrounded by worthy priesthood leaders. Everything is fine now, so no worries. Whew!
Monday was an emotional day for me because that was the day that I had to say goodbye to Hermana Hernandez. I can't believe she finished her mission already!!! We met up with her and her family at a restaurant in town. We had so much fun laughing and sharing stories. Before they left, I asked them to take some of my winter clothes home. So they followed us to the house so I could give them my box . Then it as finally time to say goodbye. Oh how I cried my eyes out! I hate saying goodbye to people, that's the worst feeling ever. All the uncertainty about seeing them again is painful. I have truly loved all my companions. I KNOW I will see Hern again, so I guess I was just being extra emotional. After that, we went to our branch President's house to have dinner and FHE. The activity was to go fishing in the creek behind his house but it was so cold outside that we didn't catch anything:( We will probably go again just to show president how good my fishing skills are. Do y'all remember when we went camping and I was the only one who caught a fish? Good times!
Wednesday we had mission leadership council in Caldwell. Haha each time I go back, I have to fight the urge to stay. I really love that place, that is where I grew the most and where all those people that I grew so close to live. Anyway, the meeting was really good. The focus was how to strengthen the missionaries in our perspective zones and how to strengthen those we teach. All the STL's were also asked to participate in a separate meeting to discuss the planning of a mission-wide sister's meeting that will take place later on this transfer. I was really excited for this because when I came into the mission, I had just missed it. So this one is going to be extra good because I get to plan it and it will be my first and last.
Thursday, we had a service activity at the Webster's house. We moved all the chopped wood to a different side of the house and organized it. I am so glad I was involved in so many service activities before my mission! It taught me to work hard and don't quit until the job gets done. Y'all won't believe how many sisters but mostly elders who can't put their shoulder to the wheel and work for more than 15 minutes. It's sad really to see the sisters out-work the elders. But in their defense, I like to work even harder to make sure I get to participate.
Friday we had zone meeting. We were asked to give a training on the role of the Spirit in conversion. For this, we had lots of materials to share, including a poem that Webb has called "He's been there before", it's about a missionary who is having a hard time and at the end of the day he has a vision where he gets to talk with the Lord himself. It is really touching so we made copies for all the members of the zone and had them read a paragraph out loud. Y'all probably won't be able to find it online and I won't be able to write it all out, but the parts that hit home for me were, "My attention towards my Savior need to be total and complete! He says,"Your mission is similar to what happened to me. I understand how you feel, I know what you a re going through; in fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you...like how you felt when no one listened to you. At times I felt not quite sure what else to do...I see you don't like your companion, you would rather have someone else. I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth...Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day... I guess when they pounded nails into mine, they ached in a similar way. It's hard not to hear from home when your family is not there to see. I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father why hast thou forsaken me?" We have a lot in common, but there is a difference between us you see, I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow me and do like me. He embraced me with His arms, His light filled me with his love. With tears in my eyes, I watched as he went back to His Father above... No matter what we go through when we feel we can't take any more, just stop and think about Jesus Christ, He's been there before.
When I read this I immediately felt close to Him and remember how his mission was so much harder than mine. But it gives me great comfort that I can rely on him everyday to reassure me that I am doing the right thing and that even though I am not seeing immediate results, my efforts aren't in vain. This past Sunday was Easter, or in Spanish el Dia de Pascua. I love this holiday because it focuses on his resurrection and his life rather than his death. He has given his life so I can live mine more fully and with more purpose. I will do anything for him because he has done everything for me. That is why I came out on my mission, to teach these people about his perfect love and how they can come closer to him. By the time y'all read this, I hope you have spent your time wisely on Easter and have taken every opportunity to give thanks and remember Him.
Sunday was super awesome! We ended up teaching gospel principles last minute because our ward mission leader had to stay home and take care of his sick wife. Relief Society was the best part because one of the recent converts we see regularly taught her first lesson as a counselor in the RS presidency. She was really nervous because it was her first time teaching and she was scared to be judged by the other hermanas in the branch. We went over the night before and helped her with her lesson outline and do some brain storming. The lesson went really well and she came up with a great object lesson too. She ended up a few minutes short so I had to think on the spot of some things to fill the time. I decided to share some of the lines from the poem that we shared in zone meeting. Everybody felt the Spirit in that hour, I'm sure of it. We also had 3 different dinners that night. We were so full by the time we got home, I had a huge stomach ache haha!
Have a great week familia. Much love,
Hermana Moss :)
