What Matters Most is What Lasts the Longest
So since my thoughts are usually scattered on my emails I am going to try to go through my week and remember all that happened.
Monday-after preparation day we went out trying to contact some less actives but were unsuccessful. We had Family Home Evening with a family and two of our recent converts that are teens. They both have been struggling coming to church so we have been trying to work with the more and more. We played a game with them called "Catch the Wave Catch Phase" and tied it into opening their mouths more with their friends that are around them and we have found out that we have to play some sort of game with them in order to keep their attention. We talked to them as well about why they aren't coming to church and why it is important to. We have decided that we are going to try and do FHE with them every week so if any one has any good game ideas for teenagers that would be great.
Tuesday- So our zone decided to do a little special training that day and do some exchanges where we went out a tried to find people in different areas. It was pretty good, I went to the other sisters area and we tried to contact a few less actives and knocked on some doors. We didn't see much success but it was good to just go out and try to find people again. We were only able to go for a few hours with them because we had something come up for us in the evening. A member ended up taking us out to eat, which I feel like we did a lot of that this week.
So in the morning we got a phone call from some sisters that are serving in the Summerset ward. They called to tell me that Ursula Wilkenson was getting baptized that night!!!!! I was so excited, such a tender mercy from the Lord. She is one whose story just broke my heart and I had a deep love for her. I knew that one day she would get baptized but it would be when she decided to. Her daughter was the one who got baptized back in April I believe. I guess she wanted it to be a small low key thing and so she only asked a few people to come. I was the only other missionary that she asked to come, I was so surprised and felt honored that she wanted me there. Sister Lomu and I were the ones that found her and started to work with her. It was a tender mercy from the Lord that through out my mission I would run into her from time to time and talk to her about how things are going and how I knew she was going to get baptized. It was so neat to see her all dressed in white and enter into the waters of baptism. I got to talk to her afterwards for a little bit and it was so great to see how much the spirit had been working on her and how much she had changed. She has been one of persons that I have grown close with because I feel like she really challenged me as a missionary. It is funny that those that are the most stubborn that I have worked with are the ones that I have a deep love for. She is someone that I hope to keep in contact with for a long time.
So after leaving the baptism I started to get a pounding headache, but I had a thought of letting my companion drive home but I felt like I would be okay. Well I guess I got what I deserved for not listening to the promptings of the spirit. Eagle is about 20-30 minutes away from where the baptism was at and as we were driving home we hit every single red light. And as time went by my headache got worse and worse. I started to get really sensitive to light and the car headlights going in the other direction were for sure not helping at all. At red lights I just tired to keep breathing deeply and close my eyes while trying to focus on the conversation with my companion. When we were about 5 minutes away I started to get super nauseous I wasn't sure if I was going to make it home or not. I guess I am a pretty stubborn person because I just pushed through until we got home, but then I ran upstairs leaving all the lights off while I ran into the bathroom. This is the first time I have ever experienced a migraine and it was something I did not like experiencing on my mission. I felt horrible I spent the next hour in the bathroom either throwing up or laying on the bathroom floor. I took some Advil and just laid there. I felt bad because my companion ended up having to weekly plan by herself. She knocked on the bathroom door around 10:20 and I just got ready from bed and crashed trying to avoid as much light as I could. I was determined not to allow me being sick effect my missionary work. Luckily the next day I felt total fine, a little weak but I was able to go out a work. Tuesday was a day where I felt the highest of highs and the lowest of lows on my mission in such a short period of time.
Wednesday- we had district meeting, nothing really too special for that day
Thursday-We did exchanges with the other sisters that are serving in Eagle. The zone leaders actually asked us to do weekly planning with them because their area had really been struggling. It was uncomfortable for them I feel like, but i think it was really good. We found a lot of potentials and people that they could work with in their area. I really helped them to organize things, which for some reason is something I have really enjoyed doing on my mission. As heck-it as it can be I love coming into areas and having to organize them, it makes it so much easier for the missionaries that come in after. We also discovered that they were counting numbers wrong which just blew my mind. One of the sisters has been out as long as me and has been doing it all wrong. You could tell they were trying to justify things for their numbers. We explain what counted and what didn't and how they shouldn't focus on the key indicators but people. It is not worth it to lie about something like that. I was really hoping to help the sisters find some new investigators, but we didn't have much luck. But we were able to meet with some less actives they have had a hard time trying to catch. We set up some return appointments for them as well, so I felt like overall it was a pretty successful day with them.
Friday,Saturday- These two days just seem to be blurring together for me. We did some service for some people in our area. Invited tons of non-members to the ward trunk or treat and did lots of tracting. We found lots of potentials as well as lots of people that aren't interested. We try to talk to everyone that is on the street, but not many people are out and about now that it is starting to cool down so we have been knocking on doors. Not spending too much time doing that, but we park our car and then walk the area trying to contact members and knocking on randomly. We thought our dinner was cancelled on Saturday, but apparently we had called a different family so we ended up getting a call and having to rush to dinner. I felt so bad, but that is just how it goes in the missionary world. The ward trunk or treat was pretty good, they did a chili cook off but kept it outside which I was a little disappointed about because it was a little cold so not many people wanted to stay. I wish they would of done games and such inside the church like how they do in the homeward. These two days we ate out as well a lot. I don't know what it was but members just wanted to take us out to eat for lunch and dinner and we ate out when we had our special zone training. I can defiantly see how people gain weight up here in eagle. It is nice and everything to eat out but sometimes it is just too much. I know what the missionaries mean mom when they say they just want simple meals. Just trust them with what they want. Ask them what they want, even offer in-n-out or something to them as well. I bet they would love that.
Sunday- We had church for 6 hours again and it was the other ward's primary program. It was so cute. We saw some tender mercies catching some less actives that we have been trying forever! They were super nice and seem receptive to us. We also had some people who were HBH(home but hiding). Those people just make me laugh. My joke I have been telling people is "that it is Halloween everyday for us because people are always scared of the missionaries". I don't know why some people don't just open the door and tell us they are not interested, other wise we will just come back hahaha There was even one house where the husband use to be in the stake presidency, we walked to the door and saw him in his office. As soon as we knocked on the door the light went off, we waited and then rang the door bell and still no one came. I just laughed as I walked away.
Overall this week was good, we saw a lot of tender mercies and we are really seeing some of the less actives that we are working with progress. Brother Van Dongen is just being prepared by the spirit you can just tell that he knows he needs to change but is becoming resistant and doesn't want to commit too much time. I just know that he is so close to coming back to church. I am loving the work up here and the people that I am working with even though it can be slow at times. Today I read a talk about the atonement and it talked about applying it to our lives individually and one person at a time. It talked about parents and missionaries that every single person counts and matters to the Lord. This week is transfer calls!!!Where has the time gone, at times this transfer has felt slow and at others it has gone by fast. I would say to hold off on sending anything to me. Everything is up in the air when it comes to transfers I feel like. Next time you hear from me we will no if I will be finishing up my mission in Eagle most likely or somewhere else.
Also this Friday is my last Zone conference, they moved it up because Elder Godoy from the seventy is coming. I am gonna have to give my trunk-a-mony(my last testimony in front of the mission). Where is the time going? The holidays are around the corner! I am not ready! If someone could tell me how to slow down time that would be great. I feel like as I have been trying to sprint to the end the time has been going by that much faster!!!
I love you all so much! I am so grateful for all your love and support! I hope that all is well with all of you!
Love
Sister Metcalf
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