I'll keep the blog short today. I'm a little low on time and there's not a whole lot to say.
The
Pinedas aren't going to be able to get baptized in the upcoming weeks.
They still have a lot to learn and need a little more time to build
their faith, but they are the most lovely people and I am so grateful to
be able to know them and invite them to this wonderful gospel.
This
week... this week was kind of weird. Transfer weeks always are. We were
blessed to have many spur of the moment lessons with people we hadn't
had contact with in a while, but we are back to very few progressing
investigators which generally puts a damper on your spirits. But we have
so so much potential here. The work is incredible and our members are
wonderful.
The Tuckers, our lovely ward
mission leader and wife, will be leaving next week to move to Utah. It
will be a blow to the ward, but it will be a great moment for some of the
native Spanish speakers to step up and fill the roles in the branch.
That's
about all. I just want to leave with a thought about finding joy in
missionary work. In my letters home and to friends I try to have a great
attitude and express the joy of missionary work. One of my friends, also
on a mission, asked me today, "How do you find such joy in
missionary work?" And my honest answer is that sometimes I don't.
Sometimes it is dirty and hard and you meet really really grumpy people
and sometimes you meet really really drunk people.
It's
a rough joy, finding joy. But the way I look at it, Adam fell that men
might be, and men are that they might have joy. This gospel is the
greatest news in the world and with that knowledge we have a
responsibility to be happy. "Be of good cheer" wasn't just a nice
suggestion from Jesus Christ, it is a commandment. If we truly come
to know this Gospel and we still can't find joy, we are doing it wrong.
We are not commanded to be perfect teachers,
perfect companions, perfect saints, o sea... perfect. We are commanded
to try our best. Grace, after all that we can do. Do all that you can
do and at the end of the day you can go to sleep with a smile, because
you are doing what you can do. I'm not really sure how to explain it.
You just have to be happy in the path that you are pursuing and keep on
trying. Saints are sinners who keep on trying. We aren't going to be
perfect, but if we do everything we can do in the mission, God will pick
up the rest. We just have to be humble and be willing to help others.
The
best example of this was my last zone leader. He was from Tonga and
learned English on his mission. He went home just last week, and I'll be
honest, his English still wasn't that good. And it makes me nervous
that after 2 years fully immersed, if he can't speak the language, what
hope do I have? But he was the best missionary I've known. He was
humble, he was loving, and all he wanted to do was share the joy of the
gospel. We can't worry about teaching people exactly. Teach them with
love, and no matter how the Spanish comes out, they will be touched. The
elect are ready to hear, no matter the language because the spirit
doesn't speak to ears, it speaks to hearts.
I hope this makes sense.
Long story short, have joy. Because it is all worth it.
Con Amor,
Hermana Fletcher
P.S. Also, Happy Birthday shout-out to Grandma Fisher today!
Plan of Salvation Sugar Cookies we made, just for fun to thank a member for all their help
Saying good-bye to Hermana Johnson
Saying hello to Hermana Nyre!
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