This week has been pretty good. Some of the days were just down right slow. But you have to have those days so you know when the good ones come along. We work a lot with the less active and part member families in our ward as we have been trying to find new investigators. So that is mostly what we did this last week. There are a few lessons that did stand out that I would like to share though! On Tuesday we ran into a woman named Doreen who is actually Lutheran but her husband is LDS. She chatted with us for a minute on her porch before finally saying, "you know, you always show up here. So persistent you Mormons! I don't mean to sound rude, but we are just NOT interested." She sounded a little flabbergasted and confused. I would have taken this as a cue to leave, but my senior companion who has been doing this for a lot longer than I have, pushed onward and continued to talk! By doing so this woman ended up softening and telling us some of the struggles she has been going through right now involving family. We shared a few scriptures with her and even got to say a prayer with her on her porch. Well, she ended up loving us and inviting us inside to eat her home-made German cookies! I can testify that if you love someone and listen to them, they will be more susceptible to the spirit and that is what you need to be successful. I am learning so much from Sister Jones!
Wednesday we had zone training up in Wilmington so we had to wake up at 5:45 and leave and 6:30 to make it there by 8:15. We had training from our Zone leaders from 9-12, did a few role plays, and said our goodbyes to those who were being transferred. That's always a sad day. Afterwards, it was Sister Jones and my turn to go on exchanges with the Sisters from Hampstead who are currently the Sister Training Leaders for our Zone. (Tomorrow Sister Jones and I will take over as the STL’s). I went with Sister East to her area where a member from her ward took us out to lunch.
We went to Chipotle and I got a burrito- it was so good. The lady and her husband were a little bit quirky so that made for a good time. They told us stories about their 10 cats, and new dog and the many travels they have been on and animal shelters they volunteer at frequently. We walked through the Whole Foods store afterwards and I thoroughly enjoyed perusing through all the isles of healthy food and seeing what 'new' things are popular now if you want to be fit.
That day we just went around and visited the members and less actives in Sister East's ward. the members we visited were amazing. So welcoming, loving and giving! That just instills in me the want to be a great returned missionary and when I am older to be a good member missionary.
Since their church building is being renovated, they are currently meeting in a Catholic church. You can probably imagine my face as we roll up and walk inside this catholic building. It was finally explained to me that the local catholic church reached out and offered to let their ward meet in their building and added trailers to the back where the Young Women, Men and Primary could meet. Sister East and I helped the young women decorate the trailer they would be meeting in so it didn't look so gloomy, and had Costco pizza! We worked on their personal progress afterwards:) I really hope that one day I get a calling in the young womens. They are so fun!
That night we got a voice-mail from our mission president's wife saying that the next day was going to hold freezing temperatures and if your skin was exposed you may get frostbite and get hypothermia! Well this freaked us out! We were counseled to leave one faucet dripping during the night so they wouldn't freeze. The next morning was about 17 degrees, but the 'feel like' was somewhere around 5. Brrr. That is not my kind of weather. That just reminds me of school up in Rexburg! We didn't exchange back to our own areas until around noon when things finally warmed up a bit. It is always nice coming back to your own area and companion:)
Friday I hit my 4 month mark of being a missionary! Yay! Well, that's good, haha. We did our weekly planning that day, so we stayed in for most of it. But dinner that night was amazing. This member made us cajun shrimp, with honey glazed salmon, and risotti with a divine salad. It made me miss Washington and all the seafood! Mmmm:)
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| Go Hawks! |
I have come to the realization that you don't prepare your whole life to go on a mission. Your mission prepares you for the rest of your life. Everything that I am learning out here can be applied for what will come in my future. Being a better friend, daughter, sister, a wife someday (hopefully, ha!) and mother. I have been able to become more converted myself and I know that in turn that will help me in my life once I am off the mission.
I am grateful for all that I have learned. That knowledge has definitely come through hard work, sacrifices, and tears. But on an eternal perspective it is so worth it. I hope to give my mission all I've got. In the garden of Gethsemane Christ asks his disciples why they couldn't wait up with him for but one hour? They had succumbed to the natural man and fallen asleep. I try and apply that to myself and picture the Savior asking me, "could you not stay awake for just 18 months?" I want to try and do just that.
I love you so much and miss you! I pray for you all everyday! Do good things and read your scriptures:)
<3 Mallory
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