Seriously, I leave on Wednesday! This whole experience has flown by, all at the same time feeling like i've been here for over a month...but thats what you get when youre constantly on the go or in class. Thankfully, this time I actually brought my journal so I can remember everything (: Sunday was crazy, for most missionaries its the day to kind of take a breather. For me, however, it was probably the busiest day yet. I had FIVE meetings to go to due to being the Sister Training Leader, but regardless of all the meetings, sunday is the best day because theres church! I love church, is that weird? Anyways, after church my whole district went to choir to practice to be in the choir for the tuesday devotional...For everyone who knows me well, knows that I do not like singing, and I dont have the greatest voice. It was pretty funny because they had the chapel marked off in sections, for altos and sopranos and then again for the elders. Too bad I had no clue what I was, so at first I sat with my companion in the soprano section...yeah, not a chance, I cant sing that high, are you nuts?! so I sat in the alto section and felt at least better about it, haha. Afterwards we watched The Character of Christ, which is absolutely incredible, i really wish everyone could see it. It will change your life! and I know it will change my mission. (: Tuesday was great, we started teaching a new investigator named Carlos who is from Lima, Peru. It was a really great experience, We have been teaching him every day since and have committed him to baptism and hes really excited about it. When we first met with him he had a ton of questions, so much that it kind of got us side tracked from our purpose, to bring others unto Christ and to give them an experience that will bring them closer to God. Our lessons after that have been much better, he has knelt down and prayed with us and he has definitely felt the spirit and the hand of God in his life. Other than that, Keith; our other investigator has been progressing really well and its been a great learning experience for sister pead and I (Keith, is also our teacher...just so everyone knows..but they really get into their role so its been good) but Keith relapsed last time we met with him, so it was a good experience to be able to really follow the spirit, rather than the lesson that we had initially planned and to enable him to feel the spirit and teach him about the power of repentance and how great it is to feel all that guilt from sin go away and to be made whole through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. After that, we had our devotional, we got there early to practice for choir, they dont tell you who or which apostle is coming to speak so its always really exciting and everyone gets really anxious...finally Elder Richard G. Scott came in, it was so great. He can be so poetic with his words! He talked to us about prayer, I love the assurance he gave all of us how we receive answers to prayers...whether it be a feeling of peace, comfort or assurance, or if its a no it could come as a stupor of thought or an unsettling feeling that you just cant shake..or everyones least favorite...is nothing. And im starting to learn to kind of like that answer, because He is enabling me to use my agency and I know that He trusts me enough to make the best choice. Also throughout this week, ive been faced with a lot of hard times, and moments where I think, can i really do this? Elder Scott gave me the answer to that with this; " You are called to succeed, not to fail. And that Heavenly Father has inspired each and every one of our mission calls." Its been eye opening to know that He trusts me enough to be a tool in His hands to help His children; all of us..come closer to Him and Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary! Also singing in Choir was awesome, we sang "Jesus Once of Humble Birth", if you havent heard of that hymn before, I recommend you doing so, its beautiful. Im grateful for that experience to be able to sing in the choir at the devotional, im trying to be open to new things! (: It was especially neat because it was live recorded to a lot of MTC's around the world. One of my favorite parts, was as Elder Scott was leaving, he shouted at us to all be good and that he loves us...imagine hundreds of missionaries in unison shouting back "We love you too!" You could tell how happy it made him. Wednesday we (Zone Leaders and I) held our orientation for all the new missionaries in our zone, it was pretty funny because they tell us not to call each other "guys" but sister or elder..and right after we talked about it, the zone leaders kept calling them guys -.- haha, but other than that it went really well and it was fun to break out of our normal schedule! Thursday we had our service assignment, so my district cleaned the cafeteria and then for gym time we ALWAYS play volleyball and it has gotten to be pretty intense. Anyone in the Baxter family or friends of..will know that I am not the best volleyball player. let me just tell you this...check it! because now im pretty dang good. okay, ill just stick to decent, but I now know how to serve 'like a boss' *insert sign language version here* haha. After lunch and studying, we had class..right before we were supposed to go teach Keith..my back started to hurt really bad, im guessing from all the weight of my bag and moving so much. It got to the point where apparently my face just turned chalk white and the elders offered to give me a blessing. These sweet elders had never given a blessing before and regardless of how nervous they were, took the initiative to ask me if i wanted one, They gave me a blessing with shaking hands and it was such a sweet, short and sincere blessing. I love the elders in my district, and their influence, and most of all their desire to do good and to exercise their Priesthood. Right after, Sister Pead and I said a prayer and went in and taught Keith, which went really great! After that, we went to our apartment and gave me pain medication and made me go to bed. funny thing is, I had a hard time sleeping because I felt like I was being disobedient, which i wasnt, so I just prayed until the drugs kicked in and finally knocked me out. haha, im learning that obedience is key. I love being obedient because I know it brings blessings. (: President Oswald (my branch president) had me call him in the morning and I have an appointment to see the doctor on monday. But dont worry, im fine, it doesn't hurt anymore. Yesterday we had in field training so we went to the main mtc campus to learn things that would be applicable to the field, such as using our planners and finding people to teach, etc. It was great because I was able to experience the main MTC campus..which ill let you in on a secret, west campus is much better! and I got to see some friends (: Anyways, I need to go write my president. I LOVE YOU ALL. Thank you so much for your letters, and E-mails. They really do mean the world to me. I love being a missionary and Im so excited to be going to Minnesota on Wednesday. I am sad to be leaving the elders in my district because they will be going to south dakota, and to not be companions or roommates with the other sisters in my district, because they have become like my own little family here. I love them (: Anyways, The Church is true, I love it! I love teaching about Jesus Christ (: ahhhh. cant wait to get out there! BYE (:
Love,
Sister Donohue
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