A QUALITY LIFE IS ONE
THAT IS CONSTANTLY EXPANDING ITS HORIZONS
AND CHANGING ITS BORDERS ~ELDER BALLARD
Why are you afraid of change? Change helps us become Greater.
A quality life has change. Constantly.
That’s what I have learned this past transfer!
HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND BLOGGERS :)
And yes...this transfer is coming to an end. May first! So please hold mail from now until the end of this week when I confirm my address with you. Probably on Friday. I can not believe I have been out for FIVE months now. Time flies by it’s unreal. I know I sound like a broken record because you have heard this from EVERY missionary that has ever existed on earth. But WOW. I only have thirteen more months. That’s barely over a year...and there is so much more work for ME TO DO. I haven’t even begun! I’m just barely catching onto the ropes here. It’s crazy. Before you leave on a mission you think eighteen months or two years is like a lifetime but once you get out here it flies right past you. I’m terrified that one day to soon I’m going to be writing you all a letter saying, “Man I’m at seventeen months...only one left to go...and there is still so much work to do!”
I hope you all are taking advantage of EVERY DAY you have. A mission is a little bit like life. It’s going to pass in a BLINK of an eye. Don’t waste another minute. The worst feeling would be at ninety years old looking back on your life thinking THERE IS STILL SO MUCH MORE WORK TO DO! Do It Now! What are you waiting for?
Man I love missionary work. It’s so hard. I probably sound bipolar each day because of my constantly changing opinions on the work. Because it is hard work! But it pays off. So well. F. baptism is this weekend. I can’t wait. (Mom can you send a tie to this apartment? For him?) You can just address it to the Sisters and then if I’m transferred they will open it and take it to him as a gift (: That would be awesome. He is Awesome. (He is from Ghana) Wow! I’m so excited for him.
Quick flash back. Sister Schramm and I found F. sister while shoveling their car out of the snow!
SERVICE MAN. It was a day we were not allowed to drive so we started shoveling them out. We would never have found them otherwise! When we went to go teach his sister she was not home, but he was! We have been teaching him for about four months. Now look at where he is! He has come a long way. Man oh Man. It’s crazy missionary work.
If you’re out and about and see something cute send it my way.
I like opening packages and letters and etc (:
I’m hoping in my next area there will be a cute thrift shop or something for me. Oh yeah also send some space bags! I have more in my room somewhere. I’m space bagging all of my winter clothes so they are just packed up for the summer. That will be handy.
Mother's Day is coming up. Skype time!!!! :) I will probably get to Skype you on my iPad. Fun huh? I will get ya the details next week! That flew by. I feel like I just talked to you all on Christmas! This will be exciting!
Thanks again for running my Blog mom. I’m continually receiving good word referring back to it and how its really helped future sisters, recent converts and people that are simply looking for a good read. I’m happy to have not only been able to help people out here in VA, but people back at home and people all over the world! Some really neat girls have emailed me about my Blog asking for advice and offering words of encouragement. I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate reading these every week! It is wonderful to know we are all in this great work together and even when times are rough we have a million people cheering us on, on both sides of the veil. What a wonderful thought! I love being a Member and a Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Last Monday was once again Preparation day. We mostly just hung out... we have not had a down day in a long time. Plus the sun was out and the weather was amazing so we literally just laid outside for like an
hour just because it was so nice and the sun was shining.J My watch tan line is looking nice. Other than that I’m still as pasty as a ghost. It’s chill. We went grocery shopping and that sort of thing. We went to the B. house to have a lesson with F. afterwards. We taught some commandments such as Word of Wisdom and Tithing.
Afterwards we had an Easter Egg Hunt with him and all the B. kids and MT. It was fantastic. We even got Easter egg baskets from Sister B. (: I haven’t participated in an Easter egg hunt since I was like ten....it twas a fun time! Then we met up with S. W. at E & N. house and had a nice chat with them. Then we went out with Sister G. for a bit but none of our people were home. It was still a pretty sweet day though because we did everything with members involved which makes a huge difference in missionary work.
Tuesday was District Meeting. We set a goal to do lots of Finding and To get SIX NEW investigators. We did tons of finding with no luck. We went to members homes and did member lessons and got a few referrals
which is awesome! Hopefully these next few weeks produce the fruits of new investigators from all our referrals and finding efforts.
Wednesday our potentials fell through. F. is still doing good though and still on date. We met a new less active and had lunch with her at Red Robin which was super fun! She came with her returned missionary cousin who paid for all of us. He was awesome.
Thursday we got one new investigator...Our less active friends fiance! We also had a sweet lesson with F. at Brother D. house. We went over the baptism interview questions and such. He’s doing awesome. I also got to call Sister Schramm!!!!! and invite her to F. baptism because WE found him (: so that was super fun. We went finding again and talked to lots of people. One black lady said she knew the “Mormon church hates black people” I was like wait...WHAT? I LOVE MY BLACK SOUL SISTAS. she laughed and said I was a great "advocate" for my church. What?? hahaha.
We went to Nathans and got ice cream snow cones which was much needed. #khahukugrillstatus
(minus Hawaii, the beach, Kylie, surfboards, sharks, tans, bikinis etc.) Nathans is like the Matsumotos of Virginia.
Friday there was a recall on all 2012 Chevy Cruz models. So we spent half the day at Chevrolet getting our car inspected. Come to find out we need a replacement front axle which is back ordered for the next month. Sweet eh? So we got a rental car...it’s a Hyundai Elantra 2013. Not as nice as I remember test driving though. My Mazda is still number one in my heart <3 It was super awkward because the whole time we were waiting this guy that worked there was hitting on this lady who we were talking to about her car. Then this other guy that worked there kept saying he has seen me somewhere before and gave me his business card and kept talking to me. So I’m starting to believe Chevrolet employees don’t actually sale cars they pick up chicks. Super awkward.
We visited G. house after that. She is taking us to Great Falls! whoohoo. I’m stoked. She’s so sick.(cool) We love her. We helped her clean and decorate her house and taught her the Restoration. She talked about how she really admires us and our Faith because there are so many things we could be doing but we chose to be here. She also talked about how plans, destiny and choices and how we need to ask God for the right things. Like strength to endure His Plan. Not to change it. Because He knows us better. She is so solid it’s awesome. When I come back to visit VA after my mission.....were totally staying at G. She’s a boss. We visited T. after dinner and met his parents which was awesome. We had a great discussion and he really opened up to us. He is one of my favorite investigators now.
I wish I could tell you all the things I learn from people out here and all their stories and the things they go through. But I don’t want it to get put up online or go past me because I know they trust us with their stories. BUT MAN. People really open up and it is crazy. They go through SO much. I could not imagine going through. It makes me realize how seriously blessed I am and I feel bad for being so selfish! Like I have it sooo good. Eighteen months is NOTHING to help these people out. Peoples lives are so messed up in this world it is no WONDER The Lord needs us to go out and share His Gospel with them! Holy Cow!
continuing....
Saturday we stopped by G. again. She made this cute little video of us at the Cherry Blossoms in DC. She put it on YouTube. It’s cute. But it’s blocked so IDK if you can watch it haha. We also found a great new potential family with six kids we are going to visit next week. Hopefully we can start working with them. It was a MIRACLE because right after we shut the door to their home and left. WE ran into some man and started talking to him. It was the husband! Miracle of talking to EVERYONE right there. He told us about things they need as a family and the help they need. So I know the Gospel will bless their lives immensely.
We had to finish up weekly planning because we were not able to do it the day before. Then we went over to C. house and visited. She is not keeping commitments at all. But her son J. has been watching the Mormon Messages on his tablet. He is going to come to church with us tomorrow. A member is going to give him a ride. He is awesome.
Then we went to “Mormon-ville” aka Cafe Rio with F. and then he had his baptismal interview. We watched a Spanish baptism. It was great. We couldn’t understand a word, but it was awesome. Some guy we saw all dressed up at Cafe Rio was there and he basically guided F. through the whole thing and translated and was just way straight up with him. F. really liked him. He is opening up a ton and his baptism is next weekend! Super stoked about it.
It was pretty funny because at the baptism we were at the whole family was there and they were confirming the girl. F. starting freaking out. He was like, “WHAT ARE THEY DOING? WHY ARE THEY TOUCHING HER?” I was like...F...it’s a blessing.. Chill. haha. It was great. He is gonna rock it at his baptism.
Later we went and visited a lady that Sister Mckee knows and turns out they are some of my former investigators! Small world it is.
Sunday we had a lesson with R. who is a college exchange student from Brazil. He speaks Portuguese so the lessons are a bit scrambled. He knows a bit of English. He is a new investigator as well. We also met with T. and her family but she is really into meditating and does not see why we need church. She fed us dinner which was kind. We took F. to the new member fireside where recent converts speak about their conversions along with President Riggs and a Stake President. It was really awesome and SISTER SCHRAMM WAS THERE! It was so exciting I have not seen her since transfers! I was way happy to see her. and F. was too! He is having her speak at his baptism which is awesome so she will definitely be there (:
So interestingly enough, in church today Sister B. talked about The Golden Rule and The Platinum Rule. Which are..
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you..
Do unto others as they would have you do to them...
She talked about how we can better show love to others. Sometimes we think doing what we would want them to do to us will make them in happy when in reality........ they don’t really care! We have to show people we love them by genuinely caring about what they care about.
Some people like service.
Some like nice compliments.
Some like hugs and kisses.
Some like gifts or presents.
Some just like to talk.
Everybody shows and accepts love differently. There are so many different ways to show our love and concern and gratitude towards others.
Our goal is to find out what makes people happy and what they need. Follow the promptings of the Spirit. Don't do the same things all the time and become a broken record. Change up the ways you show love.
She also talked about how some people just are not easy to love. But guess what? That is why God put them in our lives. God gave us a commandment to love our neighbors. Not just the neighbors that are easy to love. He gave us this commandment because when we are with people that are not easy to love. It shapes us. It changes who we are because we have no power to change them. So in order to love them we must change ourselves. Our attitude. Our pride. Our selfishness. Our impatience. Will all change. The people we are surrounded by will help us best. Because they will show us our weaknesses when they try our patience, that is how God molds us into the person we will eventually become.
There was a story told where a Grandmother once asked God why after she had been so good in her life and always tried her best to be the best she could be. Why was she given such a tragedy of a Grandson. Her answer from God was, “I gave him to you because I knew you were strong enough to love him no matter what."
Sometimes in life this is just the case.
God needs us where we are for a reason.
Love everyone.
Treat them like they matter.
Forgive.
Show Charity.
Be guided by the best in you. Not the worst.
Be grateful for every person.
Even those who are hard to love.
Everything comes back to our attitude in a situation.
I have learned that time and time again.
I have learned not to judge, to see everyone as a child of God.
You don’t know where they will end up and miracles happen....
I have learned to listen... not everybody feels the same way.
People have different opinions and ideas and sometimes all they need is someone who will listen.
I have learned to love everyone. Even those that are hard to love.
I have learned to pray for strength.
To rely on God to help me align my path with His.
Not to try and change His will. But to follow it.
I have learned to ask for the strength to endure and he will make me stronger.
I have learned that change happens all around us and we have to learn to
make the best of what we have.
I have definitely learned discipline.
To work hard and do what I don’t want to do because it needs to be done. and it helps you in the long run.
I have learned attitude determines situations all the time.
you may not be able to change the situation you are currently in but you can change your attitude about it and make it a heck of a lot more pleasant.
I have learned that being exciting and happy rubs off on people.
If you have a bad attitude or a monotone voice and actions its boring and nobody wants to listen to what you have to say.
People like to be around happy people!
I have learned that My Trainer was suucchhhhh a boss.
I miss her a lot!
I have learned that because of Him all things are possible.
If it were not for him, nothing would be possible
I have learned to be humble, pride is the biggest stumbling block in the
church and in life!
I have learned to sacrifice what I want right now for something even
greater later.
All great things in life take sacrifice.
God recognizes that.
I have learned to be a friend.
To be myself and connect with people, not a robot.
I have learned to laugh a lot. To laugh instead of groaning.
I have learned that the Atonement is personal and Christ knows us each
individually.
I have learned to be strong! Even when others around me are not and don’t help much..
and on top of all that I have learned that Missions...
are absolutely crazy. (;
I love you all. Thanks for the love and support.
I will talk to you again next week (:
love always sister stucki
(via email April 28, 2014)
Sent from my iPad
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