Happy Monday!
This week has been full of ups and
downs of success, failure, with a splash of miracles here and there! As I read
back on these e-mails, I don't have a desire to hide my weaknesses, struggles,
and hard weeks. I'm not going to pretend to be strong every week when in
reality no missionary is perfect, and I'm far from it.
These past few weeks have been a
struggle, Satan has influenced my thoughts more than I could ever imagine. I
was able to turn to a priesthood blessing last Monday that was quite humbling.
It talked about how our trials are given to us to help us grow, and it
specifically said I was given these trials to become a better Mom, and church
leader. All of us can use the Atonement in our lives when we have weaknesses,
sickness, and disappointments. The blessing told me to study the Plan of
Salvation, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ so I can better apply it to my
life. I've been studying the Atonement in depth for this past week thanks to
the book True to the Faith, Preach my Gospel, the scriptures, and many, many
footnotes. I am so grateful that Easter is coming up so quickly, so I will be
able to express my love and gratitude for the atoning sacrifice that Christ so
willingly performed in our favor so we have the opportunity to live with our
Heavenly Father again.
Like I said, it's been a rough week.
We got rejected a lot on Tuesday. Door after door after door. It was so
humbling, but I know that every effort is a gain, no matter what the outcome
is. It made me realize that success truly is given to each and every
missionary, no matter how obedient one may be. C. was out with us Tuesday
so he was able to lift our spirits with Taco Bell and Krispy Kreme doughnuts-
we were walking all day, I say we deserved it! [=
Zone
Training on Wednesday was pretty awesome. I caught President Harding juggling
with three water bottles with my camera. My mission president is so cool, as
well as his family. We were reminded to ask "Who Do You Know" to
everyone, since if they actually accept the gospel, missionaries know right
away who one of their fellow-shippers should be. President Harding promised us
that if we had enough faith, we would find a family to teach.
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| Our April Zone Conference. Sister Harding urged us to smile while she took our pictures. I listened and obeyed! |
C. also came out with us after zone
training, and took us out to pizza since Sister B. can't have gluten, and
he said he knew a place where they had gluten free pizza. He had promised us
this before he took us out on Tuesday. In the end he didn't look at the prices
beforehand, and he spent a LOT of money on two gourmet pizzas.
Oops! But he chose the place, not us, heh. We went to go see some
investigators, and after our appointment we didn't know where we should go.
Sister B. and I had different ideas so C prayed on what we should
do. Right as he started to pray I knew (along with everyone else) that we
should go tracting near our last appointment. C. said we should start
from the back of the apartment complex. Our first door we chose was
because it had angels in the windowsill. We knocked and it turned out to
be one of the other sisters' former investigators from last June/July!
Her name is N. and she has a problem with high sugar levels. She lost
contact with the missionaries because she's always at the hospital trying to
keep them down and she has a lot of allergic reactions to the medication they
give her. She's read about half the Book of Mormon and wants us to teach
her again. She has about four or five kids, and so we're going to be
teaching her again. It's so awesome because I know the spirit guided us
to knock on her door. To top it off for the night, C. went to work and he
got a tip from a regular customer that was almost twice as much as he paid for
the pizza. Coincidence? I think not! =D
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| Sister B and I after the Zone Conference |
We've been tracting a lot recently,
and can I say that God had such a sense of humor when he decided that he wanted
me to go to Georgia? It has the 2nd highest levels of pollen in the United
States (or something) and you get pollen on your clothes, shoes, and everything
just by walking. My allergies have been killing me, and allergy medication is
my best friend. Since there's pollen everywhere, you have to realize that
there's bumblebees and hornets EVERYWHERE. Occasionally people are sitting
outside and they're literally watching and laughing at us hesitantly
creeping up to the doors trying to avoid flying creatures of death that
want to attack us because of the bright colors that we're wearing. (Sister
Bradford has also been wearing buns a lot recently so we joke that they want to
land into her nest of hair.) It makes me so anxious because I've never been
stung before and I don't know if I'm allergic. But I laugh at it every time I
think about us knocking on a door, waiting a few moments and then running away
because there are so many hornets! Why did God have to create hornets? They
look so evil. Don't even get me started on my curly hair and humidity as
another reason why it's so funny that I got sent to Georgia! =P
W. (one of our newer investigators
who LOVES Family History) worked on Family History with his fellowshipper
Sister E., and he told her that he's been reading the Book of Mormon. I'm so
happy that he's progressing, and that he even stayed for all three hours of
church! Another miracle was that Elder and Sister N. had a stern talk to
the B. family about them not coming to church since it's hindering the progress
of Brother B., and so they were at church, too! They only stayed for sacrament,
but it's a great start! T. (another investigator) dropped us right after we
emailed last week, and I'm going to continue to pray for those that have
stopped wanting to be taught.
I've noticed a lot throughout this
week that when our plans fall through, we're always led to those that need to
hear our message. I've loved being able to just listen to those we're speaking
to, having no idea what I'm going to say but not worry because I know those
thoughts will pop up into my mind on what to say to them through the spirit.
It's such a cool thing to witness because I can be confident that I'm really
speaking through the spirit! Sister B. had a really
cool analogy during companionship study earlier this week. When
you're watching someone play an instrument such as the saxophone, you don't
think to yourself, "That's such an amazing saxophone!" You think to
yourself, "That's such am amazing saxophone player! He's really
talented." I just think to myself that I really am privileged being an
instrument in hastening God's work to all of His children that He loves so very
much. Always remember that you are loved by me, and Him. I hope that all of you
think about Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice this entire week, not just
on Sunday.
-Sister Sudweeks
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