Good noon my family!!
And HELLO MY EXTENDED
FAMILY!!!
I love you!
This week was a
jumbled thing so I have no idea where to start.
Ah! Melanie sent me
some candy for my birthday. 'Twas good. Probably wasn't supposed to open it
yet....oh well.
I'm turning 20 this
week! 20! That is old! Mom! I survived teen pregnancy! Hahaha! Anyway, but
seriously, two whole decades I've been alive. So weird!
We had dinner with the
Br children and Sister G. Yeah, the woman I used to live with in my first
area! Her nieces and nephew are the Br children and she was babysitting
them. It was so great to see her and catch up. Probably the most fun dinner
appointment I've ever been to. She filled me in on the sisters that are living
with her now. All I can say is that I hope to not be companions with a few of
them, because I will break them. Two of the trio are very disobedient. If I had
them as companions...oh man, they would get their butts worked off. Seriously,
stop it or go home. But, anyway, it was so awesome to see Sister G
We met this guy on the
street and talked to him for a while about the gospel. He wasn't interested in
meeting with us again, but expressed that we were the only 'preachers' he had
ever met/ talked to that didn't talk down to him and he didn't feel bigotry
around us. That's because we actually care about you, man.
Oh....Wednesday. So,
I'm pretty sure my Wednesday's have been cursed. Last week was the hives and
this week was my bike.
So, my back tire
accidentally slipped into a broken part of the street and they tire popped. My
tires are balding super bad so I figured it would happen eventually. So, it
wouldn't have been such a big deal if we weren't at the halfway point of our
area and our phone died at the same time. 'Twas a joy. Especially when this
truck of creepy guys started watching us try to get the tire off the bike.
Don't worry, they left. Long story short, we eventually got a ride to a bike
shop, I paid for a new tube and tire, and we reattached the wheel and our bikes
weren't stolen in the meantime. Fun times.
Man, this week went by
really fast...what else can I talk about....
Hm, nothing is coming
to mind, but I will share this amazing song with y'all.
It's called 'The
Loneliest Walk of Our Lives' and I don't know who it's by, but it's quickly
turned into one of my favorite songs.
She pushes 'L' on that
old elevator door
Her heart is broken,
arms are bare
The door is closing
and she's staring at the floor.
There's still a piece
of her up there.
It's seems like
yesterday she saw him on a screen, painted a room and picked out names.
But now she has to
leave him under big machines to keep alive his tiny frame.
She's on the way the
way to her car.
But it's never felt
this far.
With each step she
takes there's another to follow
And one more ache, one
more tear to swallow
She's gotta keep
moving, forget about the bruising inside,
Through the loneliest
walk of her life.
He pushes up his
glasses, staring at her name
One last time before
he leaves
He saw this coming,
but to see it now engraved is still so hard to believe.
It seems like
yesterday they kissed and made their vows
Her favorite flowers
in her hair.
He's staying later
than they normally allow, clutching those flowers in his hands
On the way to their
front door
No hand to hold there
anymore.
With each step he
takes there's another to follow
And one more ache, one
more tear to swallow
He's gotta keep
moving, forget about bruising inside
Through the loneliest
walk of his life
He pushes up the board
they've tied onto his shoulders.
Bears with dignity
disgrace.
He hears the jeering
and the wind is getting colder
Tasting the blood upon
His face.
His body bashed and
bruised, still open from the scourges;
The consequence of
wicked men.
He knows no man on
earth has ever deserved this,
But still he bears it
all for them.
And He keeps moving up
the hill to do His Father's will.
With each step He
takes there's another to follow
And one more ache, one
more tear to swallow
We all stand by him
and watch as the price is paid
Through the loneliest
walk of His life,
So we don't feel alone
in the night
We can have His hand
hold in the light
Through the loneliest
walks of our lives.
Keep pushing through
this lonely walk your going through, 'cuz someone has walked this way before.
So, this week I have
been studying trials a lot. As you can probably tell, missionary work is the
hardest thing to do. At least in this point in my life it's the hardest thing
I've ever done.
I've learned that
whenever people say, "God never gives you more than you can handle"
does not know what they're talking about because that's a bunch of bull. Of
course God gives us more than we can handle!
I thought about
suicides. Those people who couldn't handle it. Were they just weak? God gave
them as much as they could handle right? Wrong! They just don't understand
grace.
Those people that give
up don't understand grace. Those that think they're just supposed to grin and
bear it don't understand grace.
Nephi said, "I
will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the
Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall PREPARE a
way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth
them."
So, yes, God, in His
loving kindness, gives us more than we can handle. And I say 'loving kindness'
because we would never be who were supposed to be without our trials.
The thing is is that
we cannot handle everything by ourselves. If we could we wouldn't need a
Savior. That is how we can handle every trial we are given. God provides a way
for us.
Without the Savior,
without Christ, we can literally do nothing. But with Him we can accomplish
everything.
So, that is what I
learned this week. Second thing!
So, when I had gotten
my hives, the ward mission leader and the Elders came to the apartment to give
me a blessing. I thought it was going to be a quick blessing, but as soon as
Brother Nickell finished blessing me with health and healing it turned into a
blessing of counsel. A long blessing of counsel. Most of what I remember was
that I would find the reason why this was happening to me. But, I was given
instruction to love the people I serve.
These few weeks have
been hard, slow, and it felt sometimes like we were hitting a brick wall over
and over again. We've been working on hope and talking with everyone we see.
Most of them were quite painfully rude.
Last night Sister
Griffiths had me read D&C 31 while I was recording in my journal. After I
finished reading she asked me, "Are we living in a way that we are worthy
of these blessings?"
Of course, we could
always do better...but it really bugged me. Are we? We are trying to be exactly
obedient, but nothing is happening.
Most of my study this
morning was dedicated to a talk titled 'The Fourth Missionary'. If you haven't
read it I strongly invite you to do so. But, as I studied I realized I am the
third missionary, because I lack love. I am not loving these people. It is so
freaking hard and not loving them makes the work more difficult.
So, I'll be praying
for charity this week and possibly for the rest of my mission. Reason for the
leprosy? So, I could be given counsel to be better.
1 Though I speak with
the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding
brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have
the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not
charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow
all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have
not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (1Corinthians 13)
Anyway, I love you
all! Can't wait to hear from ya tomorrow!
Brainy Bookiacs: My
favorite book this year is the Book of Mormon. :)
The church is still
true!
I LOVE YOU!
Raye
Freaking
miracle story!
So, Sister Griffiths for some reason really wanted to print off some
pictures. So, we went to the Walmart photo kiosk. As she was adjusting
one of the pictures a man came up from behind us and asked about it.
The picture just so happened to be part of a scripture from the Book
of Mormon. Alma 42:15. So we happily told him where it came from and
read him the whole verse. He asked us why we need to earn our way into
heaven and we explained our whole view of grace and he really liked
that. Basically, all of the questions he asked were ones we have
gotten before, but he actually liked all of our answers. We talked to
him for a while about prophets and how we have the authority from God
to act in His name. The man, Jerry, said that he had seen many
'prophets' on TV and they all turned out bad. We told him that it is
by fruits that you will know them and told him the Book of Mormon was
our evidence.
"Where can I get that book?" He asks. I hand him the copy I have in my
hand and he asks how much it is. Free. He takes it and a card and
promises to contact missionaries.
"What a coincidence," says Jerry.
"I don't believe in coincidences," I reply back. He nods his head and
walks off. He then comes back and says, "Coincidences are when God
wants to remain anonymous."
So, Sister Griffiths for some reason really wanted to print off some
pictures. So, we went to the Walmart photo kiosk. As she was adjusting
one of the pictures a man came up from behind us and asked about it.
The picture just so happened to be part of a scripture from the Book
of Mormon. Alma 42:15. So we happily told him where it came from and
read him the whole verse. He asked us why we need to earn our way into
heaven and we explained our whole view of grace and he really liked
that. Basically, all of the questions he asked were ones we have
gotten before, but he actually liked all of our answers. We talked to
him for a while about prophets and how we have the authority from God
to act in His name. The man, Jerry, said that he had seen many
'prophets' on TV and they all turned out bad. We told him that it is
by fruits that you will know them and told him the Book of Mormon was
our evidence.
"Where can I get that book?" He asks. I hand him the copy I have in my
hand and he asks how much it is. Free. He takes it and a card and
promises to contact missionaries.
"What a coincidence," says Jerry.
"I don't believe in coincidences," I reply back. He nods his head and
walks off. He then comes back and says, "Coincidences are when God
wants to remain anonymous."
Raye
1- 2The bike incident and
sister Griffiths in her natural habitat.
3-4 me
and my amazing companion
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