So you know what I've decided? When I go home I am never going to email or text. Seriously though I think it's become the death of me! I hate it, so sorry my emails have been awful lately, but it takes every ounce of focus I have to offer to even get that much. That being said I will try and do better, starting with today...now that it has taken me an hour to write this much it seems like an impossible task, but I'm stilling going to try.
OK, so I really do have alot I can talk about this week, the teaching has been going phenomenal and this week we were able to set two new baptismal dates!!!!!!! Both for the month of December #wintermiracles Tuesday we met this 8 year at activity days, shes not a member of the church and never before have I met a more uninterested child in my life, let me replay the conversation for
Us: So Abigail do you like activity days?
Abigail: Kind of
Us: why do you like it?
Abigail: Because no one tries to convert me
Us: Do you not want to be converted?
Abigail: No, I have a church and dont want another
Us: But what if you learned this church is true?
Abigail: I wont.
Us: Well could we maybe come over and meet the rest of your family and teach and then you could decide?
Abigail: No.
(now some random member piped in) Member: Lets try this again Abigail your address is...
Abigail: ### Collins
Member: That's better, now the sister will come over sometime and teach you.
I was blown away this came from an eight year old, but hey agency is real at any age right? We probably wont ever go over, but it was an interesting conversation for sure! Then that night as we were driving home we get a phone call, and our phone connects to our car so we see whos calling and it's the mission office. To say our hearts dropped was an understatement, because why else does the mission office call that late except for and emergency transfer. Sister Wooten was pushed everywhere last transfer, she ended up sending 2 companions home early and had a total of 4 companions and 3 areas in just 7 weeks, so the thought of another emergency transfer after she finally got a companion she likes and isn't crazy almost had her in tears (why she likes me and thinks I am normal is beside me, but hey I'll take it!! Haha just kidding). Thankfully though it was just Elder Rush who's one of the Assistants, we had a big mission tour with some directors over missionary work and we were invited to a special conference with them. But more on that later, thankfully there was no Emergency Transfer though. Phew, dodged that bullet.
So then Wednesday rolls around and this week because our dinner schedule went crazy we didn't have any dinner appointments, which to be honest I wasn't to sad about...I love meeting the members, but my skirts and waist don't love their food...Anyway since we now had a conference to go to in Idaho Falls all Thursday we decided for our dinner hour we would do our weekly planning, so we sat down to do so and not scarcely 5 minutes afterward we get a text from some of our sisters. Thankfully it wasn't an S.O.S text which seems to be the norm lately, but it was a referral, and they said "The family is waiting for you get there now." Nobody waits for us...So count our blessings we didn't have a dinner appointment and we were able to leave that moment and meet the most amazing person ever! Let me put it this way he is Stud. He had only been in the state of Idaho for 1 hour, he moved in with a member family and requested we come over as soon as possible. So we did. YES!!! Seriously this guy is amazing!!! We sat down with him and he said he is sick of running from God in his life and he is ready to let him back in. It was a bit of a crazy first lesson because there was crazy children EVERYWHERE, but something so amazing happened. As I sat there trying to focus and really trying to listen to the spirit as to what to say and what to do all of a sudden everything went quite and then I saw him, and it wasn't the same man I saw before, I saw him out of his ragged clothes and dressed in a suit wearing a tag that looked exactly like mine, and he was cradling so tenderly the scriptures in his arms, for whatever reason the Lord chose to show me the great potential and plan he had prepared for this young man, I saw the worth of his soul to the Lord that probably sounds ridiculous, but from that small glimpse I was able to see exactly who he is to Lord and it was amazing. No words could put into perspective how I felt at that moment. We've been able to see him almost everyday this week, and yesterday after coming to church for the first time we were able to set a baptism date with him!!!!! He is preparing to be baptized on December 26th, and I have no doubt that at about this same time next year he will be preparing to go to the temple and to go on his mission. It truly was one of the greatest experiences of my mission and I am so grateful to have been trusted with such an experience.
Thursday we had our big conference in Idaho Falls, and basically I got told I have been being a missionary wrong for the last 14 months...awkward. Ok it wasn't that bad, but they taught alot of great ways I never thought of before so I am super stoked to put them into action. I was super sick for the whole thing so of course that's when I was sitting in the front row, and was trying not to puke the whole time. Thankfully I kept my cookies, but it was close a couple times. One time I left and came back in and they were talking about nightly follow up with the district/zone/sister training leaders and I quote "where in preach my gospel does it say to do that? It doesn't, so stop" uhhhhhhh......just rebuke the whole mission!!!!! It was a strange yet uplifting day to say the least!!!
Friday we met this legit blind lady who plays the piano like a stud!!!! Seriously she is so amazing and she does it all by ear!!!! She plays church music like a boss, and so she asked us to sing along with her, and at that point I felt bad she wasn't deaf...Sister Wooten and I may not be the best singers, but it was such a cool night!!!!!
Saturday we set a baptism date with another amazing investigator!!!! She is so great! Then we drove to Timbuktu and back (aka the Indian reservation) to get a key and it didn't even work!!!!! We were all over the place, but we taught like mad people!!! It was awesome!!!!!!
Sunday was Stake Conference and we had a visiting authority and it was legit!!! I love this stake presidency they are so bold it's amazing!!!!! It was a really great meeting, super uplifting!!! We got to eat lunch with them and they are boss!!!! And super hilarious, although I tend to be the punch line...thanks! We also got to go see an investigator who hasn't had the most fortunate life so far and today being her 18th birthday means she is getting kicked out of the system and moving to a homeless shelter :( We went to have a Birthday party with her and it was one of her first ever. It is so sad, but I know that the Lord has a plan for her, she will find her way and things will only get better from here, after all if this life was meant to be easy everyone would have come. We met a legit investigator the Elders were teaching and he is awesome!!!He wants to be baptized, but his kids don't approve, he will do anything to make them happy, even if it makes him sad. He is just such a good man, he is praying that his kids will let baptism be his Christmas gift, but only time will tell. Then we came home and played battleship until it was bedtime, and lets put it this way I stomped on Sister Wooten, battleship is not her game.
Anyway this week was amazing, I cant begin to explain what I learned, but the best I can put it is with a verse from Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 "Remember The worth of Souls is great in the sight of God". The worth of a soul is greater than we can ever imagine, and it's not just one soul, but every. Many will say that God doesn't care, but in fact it is just the opposite, no one cares more. He is there and he has given us a Savior, scriptures, and a gospel as evidence. It has been such a great experience to teach people this. I got my papers asking about my travel plans to go home today and my heart is crushed to say the least. These last 14 months have flown by, and now as it draws nearer to an end my heart cant help but ache as I think I taking my tag off and setting aside my time as a full time missionary. Thankfully I still have time though and I will help as many people as I possibly can recognize and understand their true worth in the sight of God.
Well Sister Wooten just made me depressed and said I better make my emails good because I only have like 15 left or something...ugh that one hurt. Well now I am sad and hungry...so I am going to get off, sorry no pictures this week, i hope you have a great Thanksgiving! Thanks for all the support!!!!
Love,
Sister Kaycie Sondrup
No comments:
Post a Comment