This week I have had so many priesthood blessings. It's been one of my hardest weeks in the mission.
Sister Andreasen is going home tomorrow. I will say goodbye to her, and some of my other closest friends during the next few hours. Not fun. I have grown so close to her. She has helped me through the hardest time on my mission. This past transfer has been one of the hardest, but one of the very best.
Here are some of the things that I have learned:
I am imperfect.
No one is perfect.
The Lord knows we are imperfect. He loves us. I wish I could express how much he loves us.
You have to be open and honest with the Lord in your prayers, but a questions
I also have some news. I am going to be pulling a six-month in Woodland. I will for sure be here until like December 17th.... they will have a five week transfer so that transfers don't end up being on Christmas Eve. Also.... I am going to be training. Sister Andreasen walked out of her interview with President Alba and President walked up to me and asked if Sister Alba had already called with transfer doctrine (transfer info). I said no. "Well, you are training."
Sister Andreasen said I looked like I was ready to cry. Yup. That's about how I felt, but I was also laughing. I've gotten plenty of anxiety and Sister Andreasen has had anxiety about going home and adjusting. It's been pretty funny... almost every other day, one of us broke down into tears for some reason or another. We have grown so close. It is funny because Heavenly Father knew that we needed each other.
We hit it off right at the beginning, staying up talking the first few nights. We got along really well personality-wise, but disagreed on how to do missionary work. Looking back that has been a blessing for me, because another thing that I have learned this transfer is to appreciate every miracle, and that numbers don't measure our success as missionaries, but they measure the progress of the area and the status of the people we are teaching and their progression. Wow. That's finally clicked. It's taken me 10 months to learn that! How did I not understand that before. Yes, we are trying to teach as much as we can, but when it comes down to it, we should never be disappointed with the amount of lessons we do teach, BECAUSE BEHIND EVERY NUMBER IS A CHILD OF GOD PROGRESSING. Sister Andreasen told of this story of two Spanish Hermanas in a who opened up an area in a small town, and they worked harder than anyone else and only taught one lesson the first week. But they rejoiced in that one lesson, because it was a miracle.
Well, anyways, before I learned that about missionary work, we had this week where we struggled as a companionship. We didn't talk much to each other and Lynn stopped responding to us, and everything just went very downhill. I will never forget that week, because I learned what not to do.
Then we worked it out, and we have been very open with each other and how we feel ever since then, yet it was still hard. We struggled to find new people to teach. No one ever said they would show up to church, despite our invitations, yet we kept inviting.
We learned a lot about supporting eachother because we both also had personal concerns at home that were tugging at our hearts constantly. I have no doubt that we were meant to be companions. The elders serving around us were a constant support. We literally got blessings almost every week, if not multiple times a week.
Well, I wish I could go on and on, but I have learned this transfer that I can do hard things, that I am trying to be like Jesus, that I am a successful missionary, and that Heavenly Father needs us to learn, but He will help us learn.
I learned a lot about being who you were born to be.
A lot about letting it into God's hands.
A lot about prayer.
A lot about love, and about serving others.
A lot about my weaknesses. (insert all my weaknesses here.)
A lot about my strengths (being willing to compromise, humility, determination, faith)
Well,
We gave talks yesterday in Church. I shared my "conversion" story, and also about how we can recieve answers from Heavenly Father to any of our questions, and I based my talk off of President Uchtdorf's talk in general conference "Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth" and Sister Andreasen talked about "Lord, Is It Me" and talked about using the Atonement to overcome our weaknesses.
The elders had 5+ investigators show up.
We had Eugene, the man in the white, our investigator who is 86, who I never thought would come. I teared up when he came into the chapel, and sat down by one of the elder's investigators, Linda.
And Dale also came. He is the man in the hat. We have done service for him, helping him clean his house because he is in a wheelchair and lives alone. He has become our friend. He is not an investigator, but he is opening up to the gospel. Moral of the story... Just Serve.
Just like Jesus Christ would.
The other picture was taken yesterday in front of a members home. The members take good care of us here, and I am happy that I am staying, although I will miss a many missionaries that I have grown so close to.
I know that Heavenly Father has a plan.
I was brave enough to ask for His help. He gives it in the way that He knows will bless us the most. A lot of times, my heart aches, but I would never change my experience this past transfer for anything. Was I perfect? No. But have I done my best? Have I tried everyday? Yes.
Looking back there are so many miracles. I am so happy. I have so many people that love me, and I have the true fulness of the gospel in my life everyday, and Heavenly Father is constantly teaching me and loving me and letting me be an instrument in His hand.
He is shaping me.
Sometimes it hurts, and other times He thinks He is funny, but I trust Him.
I love all of you. Thank you for playing a part in my life. Each of you.
Oh. I almost forgot. Lynn showed up to church yesterday. I'll keep you all posted. :)
#JustTrust
Love,
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller
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