Like in life, sometime you have to learn to roll with the punches. This was one of those weeks. I started this week last Sunday with a prayer in my heart to better understand what it means to Endure to the End. What does it look like? How can I know that I am enduring well? ... I will let this be my preface and foreshadowing to the rest of my email.
Monday after our P-day was over. We went to Sis. Hudsons home with the Baguleys (The Relief Society Presidents family) We did a service Family Home Evening and helped Sis. Hudson who due to medical problems is restricted in her movement, to clean her house. It was so neat to watch these little kids just get it. That them cleaning an extra house wasn't a "chore" but that it was something they sincerely wanted to do to help her out. I loved watching little Jacob go around dusting everything and then coming to one of us and saying, "Well what next?" Such a cutie.
We also had Zone training this week. Zone training is a lot like Christmas, because I half know what its going to be happening because Sis. P helps in planning, the final production isn't as wow as it is to the other missionaries. Like when you help bring presents to the Christmas tree the night before, the wow isn't quite there come Christmas morning. But that being said, it was still great! We talked about using Family History work, and the second theme was on Member missionary work. Elder Jackson is a rock star and is following up with Zone Training by having the next two District meetings be on Family History work. Before I came out on my mission, I felt the need to start in on my family history work. I had always thought about how it's just another thing that you could do in the church, but it was for the older generations. I took the class from Sis. Wagner in the ward and the fire of Family History just grew in my heart. The thought crossed my mind a few times of why I was feeling such promptings to do Family history work while My life was hectic trying to prepare for a mission. But now that I am in the field I am so glad that God prompted me to catch the spirit of Elijah while I was home because I came prepared with a testimony of the importance of seeking out our ancestors and can now spread that spirit jetzt with those in my district. Elder Jackson called me up like two nights ago to give the next two DDM themas. I am excited, a little nervous that I will be able to pull it off with such little time to pull something together aber nah ja was kann Mann tun?
After Zone Training we had another lesson with Sis. Burns. I love that woman. We decided to walk home from her house instead of taking a bus. I thought it would take like 30 mins. hehe minor miscalculation
and it actually took like and hour and twenty. But sometimes you have got to give yourself time to think and process all that goes on in your life. It was a tender mercy from God.
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| Sis. Prince in our walk home from sis Burns house |
We got 3 new investigators this week! the Lovell family I am super excited about meeting with them. They are prime examples of how the Lord prepares people. and they just don't know where to find the truth.
So on to the Meat of the letter. I am just typing a journal entry because it was just to priceless to keep to myself:
Donnerstag October 24, 2013
I had a nightmare last night. I served my mission and was home and people were asking me what I did on my mission and I had nothing to tell them, I had not changed or learned a thing or changed anything or anyone. They asked me to at least say something in German and I couldn't because i didn't learn German, I didn't know anything. And i just felt this feeling like why did I go on a mission? Wow i wasted my time there. I served 18 months and nothing came from it.
So little did I know that was the foreshadowing to our day of fails. Don't read this wrong I haven't laughed this hard in like forever, and this much.
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| Sis. Prince being ninja in the wheel. |
It started in the morn when i total whacked my head on a mettle protruding pipe in the shower. Then we decided to go study in the park. we took the 101 and totally missed our stop and just kept doing the ride of shame while we sat there on the bus on the return route. We finally get there and do our study. Then we get a little restless and start walking around trying to warm up. we see some toys. One of them being a human sized hamster wheel. I get on and start moving along then I realize I can't stop. I don't even know how to stop. I panic knowing that I can keep walking but it will only get faster and the crash will get even worse. I cry out to sis. Prince who is blank face watching me.
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| me in the hamster wheel of death |
I look up in desperation but I am received with only falling sand into my eye. I quickly weigh my options. tho my yells for help rendered me useless as I cried out to sis. prince who was again simply looking at me waiting for the train to crash, I give one last look of despair before I let myself go back with the wheel, grabbing at my skirt to at least try and keep the modesty dignity with me. but see it fruitless as I am swept in the circling motion breaking away from the side by tumbling on my head like a towel in a dryer with my backpack sealing the deal and falling upon my contorted body in this ridiculous wheel of death.
Sis. Prince laughs ridiculously hard. I laughed along for the sake of my lost pride and the throbbing headache that thankfully lessened due to the Advil I took to fend off the headache I formed that morning in the shower.
Our day continues. We lose all motivation to do planning/anything. We started two rebellions. 1 to go the the Dino park on Monday with the district and 2 to make ice cream in bags during DDm. That was the highlight of the success for our day. Doch! we did get transfer goals done<-which helped me feel better over my lingering nightmare. Then we went to Landstuhl to go to the one appointment we actually had. Only to realize it would take like 45 mins to get to their house. We left k-town late took the next closest train which was delayed. Didn't know what bus to take so we asked around, found it. It was not on time either. Then we got stuck in traffic so we ended up calling the Nance's 3 times that day 1 to confirm our appointment 2 to say that we would be late. 3 to give into the ridiculousness of the situation and saying that we would have to reschedule. we went home where we made dinner. bacon gravy and biscuits. But the gravy I made was a fail and so sis p made a new batch of gravy. I strained the first batch in an attempt to keep the bacon bits. then we went to daily planning an we were both super silly and sis p fell asleep while i finished up the details.
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| a cool sign we found with the millage to home on it. |
Our day continues. We lose all motivation to do planning/anything. We started two rebellions. 1 to go the the Dino park on Monday with the district and 2 to make ice cream in bags during DDm. That was the highlight of the success for our day. Doch! we did get transfer goals done<-which helped me feel better over my lingering nightmare. Then we went to Landstuhl to go to the one appointment we actually had. Only to realize it would take like 45 mins to get to their house. We left k-town late took the next closest train which was delayed. Didn't know what bus to take so we asked around, found it. It was not on time either. Then we got stuck in traffic so we ended up calling the Nance's 3 times that day 1 to confirm our appointment 2 to say that we would be late. 3 to give into the ridiculousness of the situation and saying that we would have to reschedule. we went home where we made dinner. bacon gravy and biscuits. But the gravy I made was a fail and so sis p made a new batch of gravy. I strained the first batch in an attempt to keep the bacon bits. then we went to daily planning an we were both super silly and sis p fell asleep while i finished up the details.
Moral:Life is full of "golden" beginner moments. They humble you and will make you cry out of shame and laughter at the same time. Just roll with it ;)
The week continued in fails. We went to heart attack our Ward Mission leaders door, but was spotted. before so we did the awkward ding, dong ditch with them knowing it was us. We had volleyball like
always on Friday. The ball came just to my left and right in front of Elder Jackson. I go in to hit it to only see in my peripheral vision Elder Jackson mid jump with his knees in course of flight to my noggin. I let our a girly childish scream and let the inevitable collision occur. Upon impact I was hurting about an 8 but for the sake of Elder Jackson's soul I brushed it off. It was the third injury to my head in less than 48 hours. We had two appointments fall through that we were really excited for. We almost got stuck between a bush and a car when we went on a split, in one of those impossible situations drivers tend to get themselves in when they back up.
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| volleyball night |
Haha and here I am studying about how to endure to the end. What it looks like and to know if I am enduring well. My conclusion folks is that life happens. In no way do failures in schedules, timing or hamster wheel funning make you a failure. That's what is so great about the atonement. It is not alone for the "sins and mistakes" its for the little failures in life. To be able to get up know that we are in His hands and that he will let everything work for our good.
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| Us being all sister missionary waiting to be picked up from the train station |
I know that God loves us. That he is watching out for us. He is laughing and rejoicing with us and that He is also there crying and mourning with us. I love the Gospel and the comfort it bring to me.
D&C 122:7
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the bdeep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give theeeexperience, and shall be for thy good.
I love you all and pray for your well-being.
Viele Liebe from your friend, sister and daughter,
Sis. Wadsworth
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