To start I sent off my dear sweet companion sister McPherson, she is once again Annie, and I miss her like non other!!!!! She truly was such a blessing to have in my life, and though we were only together 6 weeks she was able to touch my life in ways that are unimaginable! I will forever be better because of the time I spent with her! She is truly an example and representative of Jesus Christ, regardless of whether she wears a tag or not. I only hope that I can be half the missionary and person that she is, the light of Christ shines through her, and you know without a doubt that her Father in Heaven is proud of her.
So Monday was a little depressing, but WAIT FOR IT...I didn't even cry! It is mind blowing to me how our Heavenly Father makes our weaknesses become strengths. Knowing me before I came out on my mission you know that my excessively leaky eyes was a real struggle I couldn't control my tears to save my life, like literally couldn't control them! It's crazy for me to report that I have cried all but 5 times on mission, to some that may seem like alot, but to me it is a miracle number! I cannot remember the last time I was able to count the number of times I cried on one hand. Mostly because I would cry everyday, for any reason. I can truly say that my Father in Heaven has turned one of my greatest weaknesses into one of my most powerful strengths. Tears and emotion are never a bad thing, but to much of one thing is never the best thing, and now I dont worry about that. I rely on the spirit and I let it work miracles in my life, while I still cry, there is always a purpose behind those tears, and that is truly amazing!
Anyway enough of that. So this week NUTS. I met Sister Hervoyavich, crazy. Love her. Anyway it's always a super weird transition to getting a new companion, but it's been good, we've been able to do amazing work already! but get this...Are you ready? I'm not sure you are...she has MORE clothing I do, like 10 trillion times more clothing than I do. I didn't think it were possible, but she does. Every time I go into the closest it never ceases to amazing me. Anyway that was random, but super nuts!
So this week we set a goal as a zone to teach 100 member present lessons (lessons taught to a non member with a member there). It equated to 10 lessons a companionship, totally doable. But so rough this week, especially considering we lost out on 3 days of teaching because I wasn't in the foothills Monday or Tuesday (I was temporarily with sister Parker in ammon west) and Wednesday I had to go get Sister Hervoyavich and then we had meetings. So we lost 3 days, but we had faith we could do, how we didn't know (we had 0 appointments this week) but we knew we could, the Lord would provide a way. By miracles and miracles alone, we ended the week with 11. Tender mercies of the Lord are seriously the best, I am so grateful for his help in all that we do. Missionary work is impossible if not guided by the Lord, and I am so grateful that he blesses our companionship continually.
Even more of a miracle our one baptism date became 2 (more on that later) and Austin, got off probation! He now meets all requirements to be baptized and we are good to move forward with him being baptized on February 16th it is truly a miracle, and he is so excited!!!!! From the start of teaching him you could just see how much the darkness consumed him, now he shines bright with the light of Christ and it is so touching to see the true difference that this gospel makes in every life. To watch this lost sheep be once again found by his Savior and Redeemer, Christ the Lord, is one of the greatest most amazing things I have ever been able to see in my life, and I am grateful to be trusted enough to help in this work, and I am so sad to say that everyday I serve is one less day I have to put on my name tag and to go out and to do his will as a full time missionary. It really hit me hard sending Sister McPherson home just how little time I really have to do this full time, time flys but I just wish it would freeze and I could be here forever!
So we set another baptism date this week!!!!!!! #standardofexcellence #februarywontknowwhatscoming #bringingsoulsuntoChrist! His name is Skip, and he'll be getting baptized on February 28th. But here is the kicker that makes things so amazing to me! HE'S 81!!!!!! The cutest old man I have ever met in my life! He has Alzheimer's, so sometimes we go to teach and nothing happens, he just speaks in circles, but the he is so ready to come unto Christ. Lately it's been so hard, and I remember just offering a simple prayer, asking for him to just be able to understand to be clear minded. We pop in on him last night, and he was the best I had ever seen him. It was a true miracle but he actually remembered everything, he knew exactly who we were and the message we brought. He knew we represented Jesus Christ and he knew he wanted what we had. We invited him to be baptized, and he said yes. While it will still be very hard to teach him it just amazes me to think how it is truly never to late to come unto Christ. That we all have our chance, and he is finally getting to take his! It is powerful what difference the Savior can make in a life, whether they are at the beginning or at the end. He loves us, and will do anything to help us. Like I said though it will be an up hill battle to teach him, so any prayers for Skip would be so appreciated! Help him to just remember and understand, he's ready for this step, he just needs to remember that he is!!!
So to end I would like to share my new motto, pretty much my favorite thing ever. All the missionaries have adopted the name of Sister Sundrop for me, and I get the occasional sister Sunbeam. I guess I smile alot...Anyway whenever I talk to any on the Phone they just say "Sister Sundrop I can feel your smile through the phone knocking it off!" That of course makes me smile more...but it's a new running joke we have. Anyway, yesterday in Sacrament they had missionary moms speak about there kids and the changes and experiences they are having while out on their missions. One missionary wrote and told his mom that best solution he found to fight any trial he has in his life. It's a simple phrase, but one of the best I have ever heard, he simply said "Fight trials, with Smiles" Why it is so powerful I dont know, but there is a real power in positivity, and so my new motto is
"Sister Sundrop, fighting trials with smiles, all day everyday"
Maybe it's tacky but hey it works for me! It's crazy how small something may seem but the impact it makes on your life is immense! So keep that in mind the next trial you have in your life, fight back with a big ol' smile! Well that's all I have, I hope all is well, and you are indeed alive...but really. I love you all so much and I am so grateful for the constant support and prayers!
Love,
Sister Kaycie Sondrup
\
\
Snippet from letter to my dad
so this week, yesterday specifically was like the worst!!!!
in church some missionary moms spoke and they talked about just how much their kids had changed in the few short months they'd been out. It really caused me to reflect and to look inward, have I changed? I don't feel as though I have, which sucks. Whats that point of serving a mission and inviting others to change if we ourselves do not allow those changes to take place in our own lives? It really got me down, I want to come back way better than how I left, because I lets face it, when I left I had very unsavory qualities, I want to come back better, but I don't feel like I am changing, Maybe it's just from my perspective, and I really have, but it still sucked, I felt a little rebuked to be honest. But I will strive to do better this week!!! Any advice?
I would absolutely love for you or anyone who wants to help out with missionary work to pray for my investigators, the power of prayer is so real! I have great faith in it!!!! If you would pray specifically for:
Austin Cunningham: and his baptism date of February 16th. pray specifically that he will be able to pass his interview with president nelson (he has to be interviewed by someone in the mission presidency because he's a felon) and that he will continue to desire to come unto Christ!
Skip Olsen: Pray that he will remember the lessons and the commitment he has made to be baptized. Pray that his family (specifically his daughter) will approve of this decision he is ready to make in his life, and that he will come to church!
Taelor Anderson: That she will see that greatness of this Gospel and the power that it already has had in her life, that she will not be fearful of the commitment of baptism, and she will be able to over come her fears.
Carter French: That he will overcome the anti Mormon literature that he has heard from his previous church, and that he will have the courage and confidence to make his own choice and not allow his father's anti Mormon opinion to influence him, that he will be able to be the example to his brothers.
and Nick Russel: That he will see the greatness this Gospel can have in his life, and that he will be able to see the many blessings it will have in his life and in the life of his family, specifically his kids Myles, Ava, and Charlotte.
Thanks dad you are the absolute best!!!!!!
Love you and miss you tons!!!!
Sister Kaycie Sondrup
No comments:
Post a Comment