FAMILY!
This week has been literally crazy!!!!!! So many things happened in the beginning of the week that were soo amazing. Then on Friday Sister Hansen and I received the new transfers and all the new assignments and companions for next transfer so that we could make schedules and all the emails and excel sheets before transfer conference! We have been really busy and stuck in our office all day every day and I kind of am just sick of typing and looking at a computer because it makes me want to hit the computer!
Tuesday- This day has been incredible! First of all it is President’s birthday today! Sister Poulsen asked if we would go with her to Costco to pick up cakes and ice cream for President and all the sisters. We of course said yes but first went to TC for a little bit. I contacted 2 more of the referrals that Peter gave us and it was so fun. They are so prepared as always and I wanted to give Peter a chance to talk with them and share with them his testimony and say goodbye to them before he leaves. We called Danisa one of his cousins and they talked for a little bit and it was so sweet. Little African kids were singing in the background and Danisa was so so happy and excited for Peter to serve the Lord. He told Peter that he wants to take the discussions but he would like to not only have us call them but would like to have missionaries come visit him. Man! We were just talking to him and he said, “I didn’t know that I couldn’t hold babies, now I am sad, I hold babies in church every Sunday.” Then we talked a little bit because he did not know that we are ALWAYS on Temple Square and never leave and he said, “That is so cool that you get to serve so close to a temple every single day.” Peter is the most sincere boy I have ever met. It is the day before he goes into the MTC and he is just teaching all of his friends with us on the phone, and teaching a mission prep class tonight. He told us that we could call him that whole day and he would help us whenever we needed him. He said, “Its ok I don’t need to rush I just want to help my Africans.” The cutest African I have ever seen. Then we went to Costco. Sister Poulsen was so cute. I learned a lot about her and President. They are so fun. When we got there the cakes were not finished so we just walked around and waited. We obviously went by the Blend Tec guy and he made us green ice cream, then we walked past these 2 guys who were advertising honey butters. They were delicious. Then we saw Sister Poulsen getting ice cream so we told her hey you need to stop by and try this honey butter….ya we sold her on that! She bought 2 of them! J hahha we got everything and came back to Temple Square and then we had to set up for the party. We cut all the cakes and put all the pieces on plates. It took us forever! We were sweating we were so hot cutting the cakes for like a solid hour. We all surprised President and were all down here singing happy birthday to him! He is the sweetest man. I love him so much. It has been such a blessing to serve so close with him and get to know him on a more personal level. We also had our last district meeting today. NO way I cannot believe that it is already the end of the transfer…eww! But the whole day I was just looking forward to Peter’s setting apart.
We drove to the chapel and they were having mission prep. They invited us in and it was kind of interesting but I really liked it a lot! They had everyone there share with each other how they got to the point they are now in their spiritual journeys. Peter shared such a tender testimony. He talked about how rough it was when he was in refugee camps in Uganda and how he felt so blessed that he ended up in America. He knew when he got here that he needed God more in his life. He said that he was taught by 2 missionaries; 1 from the US and 1 from Fiji and how he knew that he needed to be baptized. He didn’t have a strong testimony yet but knew that in his heart he should. Then he became less active and didn’t go to church but one day got impressions from the Holy Ghost that he needed to go back to church so he did. He continued to go every week and his testimony grew and then his stake president, President Degraph started asking him if he would want to serve a mission and he was only in high school but he knew it was right and so he met with him a lot and he helped him prepare to serve his mission and now it is the time to actually go. Sister Hansen and I both shared our testimonies of how we got to serve a mission and how our mission has blessed us. Sister Burton shared her testimony after us and she told us how her mission that she served in New Zealand has changed her life forever and how she knew that she needed to serve again. The spirit was so strong and already I started to cry. I knew I was doomed for his actual blessing. I was reflecting the whole time on how blessed I have been to serve a mission. How the mission has completely changed my entire life. I will never be the same because of these last 17 months. I feel sooo grateful for what my mission has meant to me. My heart is so full of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to serve Him and for letting this change my life so much.
We talked for a little bit outside before we went into President Degraph’s office. He gave some counsel to Peter first. He read from D&C 4 and how missionary work is that marvelous work that he is about to be a part of. That he will work on those Christ like attributes his entire mission and strive to follow in the footsteps of his Savior. He gave him 3 pieces of advice.
1. Work hard
2. Be obedient
3. Love the Lord
He then asked Peter to bear his testimony before he set him apart. Peter bore the sweetest testimony. He talked more about how hard life was in Uganda in refugee camps for 13 years. How he would go 3 or 4 days without eating sometimes and how he never imagined or believed that he could ever be in America and be where he is right now. His friends all told him he was a “Chicken with his head cut off” and that he was doing the wrong thing, he didn’t have a testimony at that time but he knew in his heart that he needed to be baptized and be in the church. He said he knows how much God loves him, and that he answers his prayers. He said that Heavenly Father has ALWAYS answered his prayers no matter what. “I believe the church is true. I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that the BOM is true.” So sweet…just cried the whole time. Then President DeGraph gave him his blessing.
After the blessing we took some pictures and we all gave advice to Peter. I was crying a lot. I just had so many things that I wanted to share with him. I told him to:
1. Write in his journal EVERY DAY even if it is only 1 line.
2. Start praying for his trainer now (so cute he didn’t even know what that was)
3. Work and serve with all your might mind and strength and you will not have any worries
4. When times are a little bit hard, DON’T GIVE UP and rely on your Savior Jesus Christ
5. Be exactly obedient and THAT is when you will receive the most blessings and see the most miracles
We had to say goodbye and then we went in the car and just cried. We talked about it for the whole car ride home. Peter is the most tender sincere boy. When he speaks or shares his testimony it is so pure and close to his heart you can tell that he does not even know how to express himself. He was raised in such humble circumstances that he TRULY is grateful and so thankful for all the things that he has in his life. The gospel means everything to him. Sister Hansen and I talked about how every African is so sincere and grateful because that is how they were raised…they are taught and brought up to be so humble and grateful for everything. It is incredible to be around them. I just want to be around him all the time.
We came home. I didn’t want to write in my journal I just wanted to cry myself to sleep. I got in bed and said a prayer. A very sincere prayer because Peter is my little brother. He has a very special place in my heart and I want to do anything I can to help him. I want to give him everything. I am so protective of him and I wish I could go with him to the MTC so I could just take care of him. I was BAWLING hysterically. I could not breathe. My nose was sooo stuffy and I was so sad. I have had soooo many friends leave on missions while I have been on mine but this has been so sad for me. I think I just realize that he won’t be getting all the support that most LDS kids get that I just want to be that support for him. I love him so much and I am so proud of my little brother.
This has been such a special experience for me. I have reflected so much on when I was set apart 17 months ago. It was incredible to witness Peter get a mantle of authority and power to serve the Lord. It helped me remember the things that I was blessed with when I was set apart. All I could think of during this time was when President told me, “I now commend you into the Lords’ care”. Just like it said in Peter’s blessing if he is obedient he will be protected and he will always be safe because the Lord is taking care of him. I thought of how my mission has completely changed my life and how much I have grown from being here and how much Peter is going to grow and how his time is just now starting and what a wonderful time this is for him. I could not be more proud of him. This is going to change his life and it will change the lives of his family as well. I love missionary work.
Well the rest of the week we have been in our office. We worked soooo much faster this time then we did last transfer and I am so proud of us. It has been so weird planning for my last transfer. This week I have just been so grateful to be a missionary. President told me really early (in our assigment- in the office we find out everyone's companion way earlier) so he told me last week that I would be training a new sister coming from the MTC my last 6 weeks. I am so excited. I am a little worried because it has been a long time since I have trained a new sister but it is going to be the best. I don't even know which sister it is yet, but I already love her so much. I already just am going to be a mom to her and I just am so excited...I thought about extending just so I could finish the whole 12 weeks of training...but don't worry I will still come home in October... it just crossed my mind thats all, because I don't want to give her to someone else to finish training her I just want to be selfish and have her to myself! :)
Anyway I am just so grateful to be a missionary. There is nothing greater in this world than serving my Savior Jesus Christ. My experiences as a missionary has changed my life completely and I can not express the love I have for the people I have met. Sharing the gospel and helping children of God come closer to Jesus Christ is the best thing. It changes lives and it helps bring so much joy to their lives. I don't want it to ever end. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and that He is there for me in every detail of my life. His gospel has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith and it is a blessing for me. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon. It has every answer I need to every question I have and it brings so much peace to me as I read from it. I have gained a very strong love for the scriptures and I am just so happy to be a missionary!!
I love you all.
The church is true.
Sister Mindy Marsh
PS. My new pday is Wednesday so I will email you in 2 days again :)
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