Wow, can you believe I've already
been out 4 months? I can't!
Okay, so first of all, 6 weeks ago,
I was talking to an Hermana who is from St. George, Hermana Adams and I was
kinda venting about how I frustrated I was about the lack of quality my
missionary work had and how I really wanted to change but I didn't know how and
I was starting to believe that I couldn't. She told me to pray everyday and ask my
Heavenly Father to help me become better because I couldn't do it without
Him. So that's what I did, this entire transfer, I asked every night for Him to
help me to have a change of heart. To make me into the missionary He knew I
could be and wanted me to be and the missionary I need to be for His children
and His work. This is the experience that followed.
This entire transfer was a bit
rough. On Tuesday, I called Hermana Christensen to tell her that I had been
thinking about what she had said the day before and that I really needed the
help of the President. She handed the phone over to him
because conveniently they were together and I told him that I would like
to talk with him because I was struggling. We set up an appointment and talked
later that day. I told him everything, How I felt I wasn't serving like I
should and how I hated coming home at night knowing that there was so much more
that I could have done, that I was concerned about how I was taking
on some of the disobedient habits of my companion, that I was a little
depressed and had lost motivation to fulfill my purpose here in my mission. The
things he told me opened my eyes and really helped me change my attitude
towards many things.
He first told me that I had stumbled
across one of Life's great principles: "We feel good when we give our all
to the Lord. When we don't, we know it and we feel it." He told me to do
my best everyday and I won't feel like I didn't fulfill my purpose. If I gave
my all, I would be able to return home at night and in my prayer before bed I
could tell the Lord, "I know you have better missionaries than me but
today I gave you the best of me." He told me that if I would give my all,
I would feel better.
The second thing he told me was that
mission presidents categorize their missionaries and he had done the same with
this mission. He said, "I have three types of missionaries here:
10% are just rocks. No matter what
happens, they simply refuse to be moved from where they stand and from doing
what they know is right.
15% are just goof offs. In their
heart of hearts, they don't want to be here and don't care much about anything.
75% are in the middle. They are
easily swayed. If they are with a hard-working companion, they work hard. If
they are with a goof off companion, they goof off.
You, Hermana Parslow, are on the
line between the Rocks and the 75%. You now have a choice of who you want
to be."
Which type of person would you
choose?
I told him that I wanted to be a
Rock. He told me that he believed that I was a Rock and that I had simply
let the situation I was in get away from me and he gave me a scripture, 2 Nephi
2:26
"And
the aMessiah cometh in the
fulness of time, that he may bredeem the children of
men from the fall. And because that they are credeemed from the fall
they have become dfree forever, knowing
good from evil; to act for themselves and
not to be acted upon, save it be by the
punishment of the elaw at the great and
last day, according to the commandments which God hath given."
"Hermana, act for yourself. Never
allow yourself to be acted upon. Own your
life. Be bold in what you believe and know is
right. This will be important as a missionary, as a wife, and as a
mother. When we sit down at the judgment seat, the Lord will not be interested
in our accusations when He asked, "Why did you commit this sin? Why did you
do this?" and our reply is, "Well, my companion did it." or
"My husband this..." or "My friends that..." "This
person" or "That person", placing the blame on another when
truly we gave up our agency and allowed ourselves to be acted upon." This
is important for everyone. Satan does not lead us slowly into the bonds of hell when we are willing to give up our agency and
allow the actions of others to affect ours. When someone else makes a bad
choice that does not mean that we should give up what we know to be right and
what is essential for our salvation to compensate for their mistake, their responsibility, to make them feel better about the bad choice they've made. I'm
sure that Satan is incredibly happy to kill two birds with one stone when
someone gives up their salvation because someone close to them
gave up theirs.
Wednesday, I ended up in the
hospital again because I was getting severly sick after eating lunch and
Hermana Christensen told me to go. They hooked me up to an IV and got me
hydrated while they ran extensive tests. Turns out I don't have any kind of bug
or infection or parasite, just gastritis and colinitis, the most common thing
among missionaries. They gave me some medications to help and sent me on my
way.
Saturday we found out that there
would be a change in our companionship. We expected it but the surprise was
that I'm leaving. I'll be getting a new companion and new area tomorrow. I'm
gettin' transferred! I couldn't sleep that night because my mind was racing.
When Hermana Christensen called yesterday to check on me and see how I was
doing, I told her that I was great just a little nervous about
transfers, she told me, "I shouldn't say anything and I won't say her name
but you're going to love your new companion. You two are just two peas in a pod and
when the President automatically put you with her I said Yes! She's
perfect!" and that my area is perfect for me and the house I'll be in is
her favorite. I guess we'll see. =)
My companion loved the gift that
came in the package, you made her cry mom and she wears the necklace almost
every day. Also, the Hermanas loved their cards. Hermana Mary Carmen cried. Oh
and as for gifts for them, yeah, I think a picture of the temple is a great
idea. They love it here and everyone dreams of going one day.
We went to Cholula today and to the
pyramids. I'm out of time so I'll attach photos next week.
Love you all! Have a wonderful week!
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