Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Heyo!!
I discovered something really incredible and I can't believe how long it took me to realize. I can be myself! Hurray! OK, I know that sounds dumb, but it’s REALLY hard for me to be myself and a missionary at the same time. I've been feeling so much pressure about being a spiritual teacher, and how other people looked at me and being a good representative of the Lord that I've been like a shell of myself. But I realized that if I'm not myself on my mission then all the progress I've made personally will be for nothing because then I'll just go home, not be a missionary... and be myself.... BUT! I'm starting to be able to be myself AND a missionary and the work has become so much more fun. =) Life is good.
The past few days have been wonderful. We had an amazing lesson with Christine and the Spirit was really strong. We talked about the Atonement and about the Book of Mormon and about our personal relationships with Christ. She talked more during this lesson then she has during any other lesson, and it was just so much fun. She was sick so we didn't get to hug her goodbye and she said "I'll have you know I miss my hugs!" So cute. I also asked her a question that Sister Burden was ABOUT to ask her. That was cool to realize in hindsight. =)
We also got to go to Adel's daughter Alanna's graduation party and pick up some new potential investigators and eat really good Filipino food. Rock on San Diego. I love Adel and his family. They are so nice and kind, and they love us. I can imagine them all getting baptized but they don't have a baptismal date or anything. It’s fun being a missionary. The potentials we picked up were a woman named Debbie and her daughter Kendall. They are going to a Christian church but she's open to learning more. They are super nice.
Have you been able to go to the Temple grounds recently? I heard a story about a boy who jumped back and forth from Temple grounds because he could feel the difference of the dedicated grounds.
I got to be a Temple missionary on a Saturday again. Hey. Nine people got married and there were TONS of people to talk to. We were busy all day. =) We saw the Elders later and Sister Burden was FRIED - like she had blisters on her ears even though she put sunscreen on, and they asked where we were, we told them the Temple and they asked if all we did was sit around and study all day. *rolls eyes* Missionaries don't just sit, we work!
Church was incredible. The talks were on trials and adversity and how small choices bring along great change. Like a hinge on the door. The talk on trials was about how we are like a huge boulder rolling down a hill, and how trials are the times when we hit the ground really hard or hit other rocks, and that even though they hurt, and they're hard, they help to refine us and make us more like our Father in Heaven. I loved that talk. They brought up Job and how even though he was faithful he lost everything but he still remained faithful and so he was able to be rewarded 10X what he had before. You gotta love the scriptures. =)
The Vaughan's came to church! They hadn't been to church in a long time and it was really joyful to see them together in Sacrament meeting as a family (David is back from the ship now.) Sister Vaughan really wants to be sealed in the Temple.
Also I've started reading the Book of Mormon more and that's made a huge difference... in my life in general. Yippee! =)
President Donaldson is gone tomorrow. CRAZY! I'm addressing my president’s letter to President Clayton now.... It'll be good!
We had 2 full days last week of proselyting! That was awesome. I love having more time in my area. I can really see the Lord blessing the Battalion missionaries though because even though we had more time on Monday and Tuesday we got more work done in the days we had Battalion. It’s an interesting phenomenon and I feel really blessed to have the Battalion in my life.
The Battalion was kind of crazy this week. On Sunday night we had 3 sisters out of the 8 usual that were out of rotation... so we RAN that place (imagine that with like a ghetto accent) with five sisters. We definitely had a sense of accomplishment afterwards - and also the knowledge that God's hand is in our lives always. Because it just worked out every time that when a sister finished a tour (and all the tours take a different amount of time) that the next tour was ready to start. Pretty cool. I also met some of Ephraim Hank’s descendants and someone who helped engineer the lighting. =) That was sweet.
Life is just moseying on forward. It is fun and joyful and I feel like a big rock rolling down the mountain, but the more refinement I get the happier I am. =)
I hope you're all having a fantastic week!
LOVE YOU!!!!!! (Like loads and loads and loads!)
~ Sister Tardiff
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