This week has just been a blur! Saying goodbye to Sister
Woodbury (bestest friend ever) and everyone from Westport was just too sad, i
didn't draw everything out, just left before i started crying like a blubbering
fool. It's just way too hard to say goodbye all the time, I hate it! (all the
time - ha. This is just my 3rd area)
One of our investigators was so sad that i was leaving, and
mad sure we came by right before we left. She said she was really upset that i
was going when she found out the night before, and was praying about it.
She said she opened up her Book of Mormon and came to 3 Nephi 28:18 - "But
this much I know, according to the record which hath been given—they did go
forth upon the face of the land, and did minister unto all the people, uniting
as many to the church as would believe in their preaching; baptizing them, and
as many as were baptized did receive the Holy Ghost." Wow! If i wasn't
about to cry earlier, i was about to cry then. So powerful!!
I'm now companions with Sister Hann - i served around her in
Christchurch! We have been on exchanges heaps of times before. And she is like
the most amazing, charitable, friendly, happy person in the world. Granted,
we've only been together a few days. BUT! I love her.
Here are some great things about our area (Lower Hutt):
- We cover 4 wards and try to go to all of them on Sundays.
One of the little girls at church came up to me and started ripping (literally,
it kind of hurt) the rings off my fingers and putting them on her fingers. Then
she put her hand on my stomach and said, "You look like you have a baby in
there!' So, if anyone is worried about me not eating enough, you may officially
stop worrying because apparently i look like i'm pregnant hahahaha!!!
- This is the area that my trainer, Sister Paongo, opened
for sisters. This is where she came after she left Ashburton!
- I'm finally in a busy city where there are people to talk
to!
- Our only baptism date right now is a woman from Colombia.
She basically only speaks spanish, so i have to either translate for her, or
teach only in spanish. WOOOOO!!!!!! Also, my spanish is sooo rusty and
child-like, i am SOO grateful for the spirit. We had a lesson with her, and it
was totally lead by the spirit because i could kind of actually speak when i
haven't taught in spanish in ages. Also, i can't speak in Spanglish with her
like i could in Ashburton because she doesn't understand any english. A challenge!
I accept!
- Elders give us referrals all the time so we don't have to
solely rely on our own finding.
I am also Sister Training Leader again this transfer! I feel
so silly being called to this calling because I have never served on the North
Island before. And missionary work here is SOO different! People actually know
who we are and respect us! Door-knocking is totally different, so i will have
to figure that out.
I was reading over the area book, trying to learn about our
investigators (can i say it's a lot less stress not to be training and not
opening a new area?). I was reading about the lessons they taught, and it was
obvious that the previous sister training leader was an amaaaazing missionary!
At the drop of the hat she could just whip out scriptures about random
doctrines like 144,000 being saved in revelations, etc. I cannot do that. I
just can't. The end. I felt so stupid, so under qualified, so not the right
person to be in this bumping area as sister training leader. I went to go pray
about it, and a quote that Laura Magallanes sent me popped into my head: "Amplifying what is
great within you will accelerate your life faster than trying to fix what you
"think" limits you." (from Brendon Burchard). So, that Lord will
use our gifts that are individual to us. that is why he gave them to
us. And what's great, is that the Spirit will make up the difference. I am
looking forward to this new area, and am just hoping i can be an instrument in
the Lord's hands here. And my companion is the man.
love you all!
Sister Rose