Week #27 - 07/20/2015

So this week has been kinda slow. A lot of finding, but it has paid off. My new area is kinda annoying, though. We don't have assigned areas between us and the English Elders, so we go everywhere, but we have to hand over all the white investigators after the first lesson, and we can only teach Hispanics. They are great guys, though, so we trust them, it is just hard and humbling to hand them off. They are letting us keep a few though, and they give us every Hispanic family they find.  

The Nauvoo Pagent is going on right now, and I get to take a trip down to Nauvoo this Saturday. I am super exited, it will be the second time I am able to go since I got my endowments. We only get to go if we are within 2 hours of the Temple, and this area is one of the only spanish areas close enough, so i am really lucky. A lot of spanish elders never get the chance to go on their missions. 

I had an amazing experience the other night. We were just chilling with the other elder's in their apartment (They live only a block down) during number call ins. My companion wanted a blessing, so we gave him one, and afterwards they asked if I wanted one. I said sure, and Elder Alred (my district leader) gave me a blessing. It was amazing. Elder Alred didn't even know most of anything about my family or situations, but But the Lord, through the blessing, answered almost every one of the questions I have been having, from how to love people more, to comfort and promises for my family, addressing issues Elder Alred had no clue about. Man, the priesthood is so cool, I can't even describe. 

One thing I started doing this week is every time I recognize what God has done for me, I write it down in this little pocket notebook. I thought I would write only a few things a day, but in 15 minutes I had filled two pages. You really only start to see what God has done for you, from the things he brings to your mind, to the blessings you can see before you, once you start counting them. And holy cow, can it make you a happier person. Well, love you guys. Don't have any more time. 

Week #26 - 07/13/15

Walking - a whole lot of walking.....

We are in a car share here (that means we switch the car off every week with the English Elders in town,) and well, we walked about 12 miles Saturday, and it was a lovely 89 degrees and as humid as I could imagine. I have a decent amount of blisters, but it was awesome. I love the feeling of collapsing in my bed at night knowing I gave my all, both physically and mentally. This has been a great week. I spent most of all my free time cleaning the apartment from top to bottom, the last 4 sets of missionaries didn't like cleaning much, but it is starting to actually look livable. My companion just keeps joking about my "military clean" attitude, because I told him Dad was in the military, and I just laugh even more, remembering my room back home. Mom, if you could see me know, you would be flabbergasted at my cleaning skills. 

We had an amazing lesson this week. We found this woman, a single mother, and just started teaching her on her front porch. We started talking about the restoration of the Gospel, and how much God loves us, and that is why he has given us prophets to guide us to that happiness. After sharing Joseph Smith's first vision, I just stopped and asked her what this means to her. She just burst out into tears, and started telling us about her life, her relationship with God, and all the incredible trials she has had, and how hard it had been raising her 3 children on her own. But then she said she just knew that this was God reaching out to her to give her a guide, and that she could feel his love. The spirit was so strong, I may have started crying too. You could feel Heavenly Father's love for her so strong, it was amazing to be able to be a part of his work, helping her. . We keeled down and had a kneeling prayer with her right on her porch, and she bore her soul to God, and thanked him for sending us. All we did was share a message. Days like that are the pay days on the mission, when after a week of everything falling through and going wrong, God lets you be part of a lesson like that. 

I know this church is true with every fiber of my being. Every day only reconfirms that. Wow, I love this work. One of my favorite scriptures is 3rd Nephi 17:

20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

 21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

How great of an experience must that to have been? And Through this work, my own Joy is beginning to be full, because Jesus grants it unto me the same joy. 

Week #25 - 07/06/2015

New area, New Companion, Big City Life

So my worst nightmares were realized, and I was sent away from Hampton to a city about the size of Novato, called Muscatine (or something). The ward here is absolutely amazing, they are super strong and pretty big, and are amazing at befriending investigators. It was actually really strange not having to prepare to teach half the church classes and being involved and having responsibilities in every aspect of the Ward. It is nice, I went to ward council and just nodded my head as they did everything. I still miss Hampton. I loved that little town, it was like being in a little slice of Mexico. And the members had become my family completely, I knew every single one of them and had been their teacher and friend. It was cool, and I miss my young men's class I taught. But they are in good hands, we finally got a young men's president before I left. Muscatine has a lot of potential, and I am really exited to start working here.

I am now a breaker for another missionary. That means I come in right after his trainer and fix all of his bad habits. haha! He doesn't know a lot of Spanish because all the hispanic people here have grown up in Iowa and prefer English. so like always, I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I am still super exited. My companion is a great guy with a good heart. I still miss Hampton a bunch, my old investigators that I had worked so hard with, and being around the actual Mexican culture. The work is going to go so good, I can feel it. There are a lot of good investigators here. 

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Week #24 - 06/29/2015

I still hate change....

after 4 and a half months in Hampton, I am most likely going to be leaving Thursday. I find out tonight. And even after being on a mission for 6 months, I still hate change. I have been working my brains out in Hampton, and it is finally starting to shine, right as I am about to leave! We have 4 people on date for baptism, and I am not going to be able to be there for any of them! I don't care a bit about the numbers, I just have grown to love these people so much, but I won't even be there for the biggest moment of their eternal lives. I have seen such a change in these people, and it feels wrong giving the reins over to someone else. This is my area, and my work, and there is too much to be done. 

But that is just arrogance talking. I will go wherever the Lord wants me in his vineyard. Because in reality, this is has only, and only will ever be his work. I was just lucky enough to be his servant in this part. Most of the work I feel that still needs to be done is with myself. I feel I didn't learn all I could from Hampton that I could have. But then again, if I ever did, that would be bad. Always more things to learn and ways to grow. 

I don't have a lot of time this week, but I still love my mission more every day. And I am learning the importance of turning my whole will over to God. There is an awesome quote by C.S.Lewis.

To be a servant, God asks," Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart."