Well I really have no words for this week...it was amazing...it was one of the hardest weeks so far... and it was memorable, no one word can describe it, and I doubt I can even scratch the surface of it here in this email, I'll try, but nothing can come close to the feelings I felt this week.
First things first though! We went to the Idaho Museum!!! We drive by it like everyday seeing as it's smack dab in the middle of our area, but hey we take the easily accessible things for granted right? Anyway it was pretty fun what I basically learned though is that Idaho Produces WAY more potatoes than we think!!!!
we aslo got to party on Halloween!!! I dressed up as a missionary again this year...and we got to build a giant fort and watch the Cokeville Miracle!!!!!! Finally!!!! That movie is all I ever heard about in Star Valley and it was amazing!!!!
Fall just barely came last week and now this week brings winter!!! Supposedly we are supposed to be getting our first snow this week, either tomorrow or Wednesday, we'll see what comes though!! I'm not ready for the cold yet!!! But hey it's worth it!!!!
Well like I said this week was hard teaching people seemed impossible!!! And we found ourselves wandering just praying for someone to teach more often than not!! It also came with so many missionaries going home early. The mission has been so reduced in the last week it is sad!!!! Today brought another piece of sad news, yet another missionary, our fearless zone leader Elder Tidwell will also be going home, tonight in fact. This is actually his second go around on the mission the first time he went home was for prior things, but this one is for medical. He worked for over 8 months to be able to come back out on his mission, and despite the opinions of others telling him it wouldn't be possible he came, and he was made a Zone Leader almost immediately when he returned to the field, and he has easily been one of my best!!!! Now with only 3 months to go on his mission he has to return home for medical reasons. To say my heart is broken is an understatement, but it's not for just this one friend but for so many other missionaries who have also had to go home early for reasons entirely out of their control. I think of my dear friends from the MTC Sisters Hatch and Brimley, Elders Schuelke, and Bergin, then come all the amazing missionaries I have met here in the field Sister Duncan, Sister Hansen, Sister Kremer, Sister Richins, and many others, the list could go forever, especially after this last week, but it continually makes me wonder, why? Is it not God's will to have us here and serving missions? Is it not His plan to use us as instruments in helping all of His children learn of the Savior and the plan he has prepared for them to live again with him? I had a really hard time understanding that this week why is it these things are happening to some of the most amazing people ever? Now don't worry you wont be getting your daughter home early because she lost her testimony, in fact I really think there is nothing in this world that could persuade me to leave this glorious gospel, but there are some things that take more pondering and prayer before we receive our answers. It's a very simple answers to say "Well this is God's plan to face trials" which is 2000% true. We teach that everyday, in order to truly grow and progress in this life we have to face trials. Though I understand that it still is hard to see others struggle. At MLC this week though President Hancock taught something that really stuck to my soul, not only as a missionary, but as an everyday member,
an everyday disciple of Jesus Christ.
Now let me paint you a picture.
That was easy. Hehehe Sorry I have atrocious hand writing. Anyway this is what president drew on the board. So often in the church, or in life in general puts leaders above the everyday persons, but that is not the case. We are all here to build one another up there is always someone to look up to, and someone to rely upon. We have the greatest support system that there can possibly be and that system is made possible because of the Savior, because he has already descended below all things, and it is only because of that that we can continue to reach higher until we are once again living with him, and all those who matter most to us. Maybe it only makes sense in my head, but for some reason this whole concept gave me all the comfort I needed. I still don't know why it was in all those missionaries plans to go home early, and I do know they are sorely missed, but I know even more than that this is the Lord plans, and he will support them through all of it.
Things get hard and sometimes we fear we cannot reach high enough to overcome our challenges, but that's when we need to realize that there is more than one someone pushing us higher and cheering us on. We do not have to do this life on our own, we have been offered everything we need to overcome all things we face. I am so grateful for that knowledge!! And I am so grateful I get to be here!!! Unexpected things happen and I am grateful that those haven't happened to me, I never realized just how blessed I am to be a missionary day in a day out! I cannot believe how fast the time is flying, and it's scary to think how close the end is coming but I know that this is only a part of my plan, and there is much much more to come! Well I hope you all had a great week!!! And you are staying safe and warm (cant imagine that's hard!!!)!!!
Love,
Sister Kaycie Sondrup
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