Family and Friends,
Well I am going to try and keep mine thoughts straight but I can't make any promises. This week has been like a roller coaster. I am learning to laugh more and things that happen during the day. whither it be from awkward situations or encounters or things that my companion says. I am still trying to learn to trust her since I know the Lord is trusting her out her. I still get a little uptight though whenever we go into any houses because I never know what she is going to say. This week we went on exchanges with my old companion Sister Dickey. She came to our area so my companion was in charge of the day. They taught a lesson to one of our investigators and tried to see people. When we exchange back Sister Dickey and I talked for quite some time. She was telling me how she can see how overwhelming it can get, especially in teaching lessons. It is sometimes frustrating because we will spend so much time on role-playing our lessons and what to say or do and then when we get to the lesson everything goes out the door. Her thoughts or random or really confusing so I am always trying to tie in what she says into the lesson somehow or reexplain things differently. It is just tiring and mentally draining each and everyday. I had such a big headache at the end of the day yesterday after our lesson. I feel like I am doing a lot better than week one, I am able to stay positive and patient most of the times. But hey I am not perfect and I have my moments where I break. I am defiantly been focusing on the positives for this transfer. This is a time where I know that will strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father and Savior. I have the callouses on my knees to prove it, which I really don't mind. My prayers are becoming longer and more sincere and I am openly honest with my Father in Heaven. I know that I would never of been able to make it this far in the transfer without all of his help. Each and every night I look for a few things from the day that He has blesses my life and it has made a difference. I would suggest to everyone each and every night to reflect on the day and see how the Lord has played a part in your life. I have seen how the Lord sees the big picture in all things, I was reminded this last week when I realized that Mom you work with kids like this each and everyday. I really do commend you for what you do, I knew that it was hard work, but I just didn't know just how difficult is was mentally. I thought I was pretty mentally tough since doing sports, but apparently I am not as tough as I thought I was. I know this sounds silly but I related this to anatomy how with muscles you actually got to tear the muscle fibers and make them weak so that way you can build them back up to become stronger. I see this each and every night, that the Lord is doing this to me, to make me a better missionary. HE knows what I can handle and I know that it will all be for the better. "But ohhhhhh We're half way there, oh oh living on a prayer". That Journey song has been in my head today because we are half way through transfers!!!! I am determined to make it through. Mom I do keep in close contact with my Mission President and his wife as well as Sister Dickey has been talking to them as well so they are getting that perspective. We have told how it is just hard to explain what we go through and what she does, you just have to be there for it. Okay here is a funny story, and Elise and Jensa might be able to understand how funny this is. So on Saturday it was a little gloomy and a little nippy out but it was only like 64 degrees, which is a little cold but not to bad. So I was in just a knee length skirt and a short sleeve shirt. While my companion is all bundled up, she has this long puffy coat that goes down to her calves, wearing a long skirt, boots, layers of long sleeve shirts and is wearing gloves. All day long she wore this, outside, in the car while I had the heater on and even inside peoples houses. She would not take this coat off and just just looked ridiculous but I didn't care. We were at a Part Member Family house when they made the comment to her what the heck she was wearing and just starting laughing. I know this is bad but I started laughing as well. My companion was saying how it was cold outside and this is the best coat she has. I told her that I don't know how she is going to survive winters up here if she is already wearing that in 65 degree weather. Anyways we got a lot of weird looks when we were walking around the neighborhoods. It is things like this that I laugh about each night to help over look all the bad. I wish I could just sit here and write you a detailed list of everything that happens everyday, but there isn't enough time. I will say one thing, I try not to stay in the car for long periods of time because she likes to sing....loudly and out of key and when she finds a song she likes she listens to it over and over and over again. At one point she replayed the song over for the 5th time in a row and I just change the song and just started laughing i said " I am sorry I love this song, but I just can't take it anymore, 4 is my limit" hahaha I was just laughing at the whole situation. Mom and Dad I can't even imagine how it was to be in a 13 hour car ride with 6 annoying kids hahaha Before I forget, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOMMY AND DADDY!!!! I sent a card on Saturday, I hope it makes it in time by tomorrow. One thing that I learn as I meet with people is how blessed and how appreciative I am towards my family. For the siblings I have and for the parents I have as well. Everyday I am shown just how blessed my life was growing up. Okay now some more positive things. Last night we taught a lesson to our investigator Alex, she is 14, we taught her the plan of salvation. It went as well as it could of with my companion teaching with me of course. Well we extended to her a soft baptismal invitation and she accepted. I am so excited for her, we have a date in mind for her, but she needs to talk to both her parents(since they are divorced) before we can set that in stone. We will probably meet with her dad next week, her mom is LA and doesn't mind at all. It sounds like she is worried about talking to her dad, so I pray that his heart is soften and he is accepting to her decision. I wasn't there for the lesson with Brent(Sister Dickey and Sister Thompson taught it on exchanges) and I heard that it went pretty good as well. Some jumping around on Sister Roberson's part, but Sister Dickey said it didn't hinder it too much. They had a really good discussion on faith. This week we are going to try and focus on getting him to get more out the scriptures and read with him as well as prayer and how important it is. We hope to get him to pray at the end of our lesson because we haven't been able to get him to do it yet. Things are looking good with that. This week on exchanges I went back to my old area and taught part of the Restoration to a nonmember whose wife is a member and his sons went on missions. He goes to church and everything and I had talked to him a couple of times before we left. Let me just say it was one of the most powerful lessons that I have ever taught. I give all the praise to the Spirit. It lead me so much on how to answer his questions that he asked as well as questions to ask him. He told me after how power that was to him and how he thought I was a really good teacher. This was a boast in my confidence that I needed because I have been hard on myself these last few weeks because I feel like I have to teach the lessons on my own and I don't think I know them that well or am as good at them as i would like to see. I have learned how important it is to rely on the Spirit and how important it is. The work is really picking up in this area and it is going to be a crazy month of October for the people here in Boise and Meridian. I heard they are trying this out here but am not sure. Pretty much all the bishoprics and auxiliary leaders and ward mission leaders met with the area seventy this past Wednesday. They got a list of all the part member families in the ward, all the less actives, all the prospective elders, and a list of all the children over the age of 9 that has not been baptized yet. In this next 4 weeks they have to go and make contact to everyone of these people and extend some type of commitment to them, this includes everyone on the Do Not Contact list. They want everyone to divide up the names to the appropriate groups and then for them to find the " amuleks" for these people. I think this is such a great idea. This is something that the First Presidency and apostles are wanting us to do. I think of how important it is for us to reach out to the less actives in the ward. I read a scripture in the other day that made me think of the Less actives, it is in Alma 39:6 talking about people who once knew Christ and deny them. It made me think how much more important it is for us to reach out to those less actives and help them come to know Christ again in this life, because in the next life God will not be so forgiving to these people. Do your V.T. and H.T. Well the time has come. I hope all is well back at home. And yes mom I got to go to the General Relief Society Broadcast and it was really good. I am so excited for general conference this weekend. I love you all oh so much!!!! Spiritual thought this week. Go onto Mormon Messages. There is this 3 part series on daily bread that I watched which was really good. And if you are ever struggling watch Mountains to Climb, I watched that again this week. It makes me cry every time, but I love it so much, it is so powerful!!! I really do love you and hope that all is going well!!! Until next time, as Ron Burgundy would(those of you that would know him) Stay Classy!
Love,
Sister Metcalf
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