Family,
This week has been a good week! We had a wonderful lesson with Frank and the elders on Thursday, but we feel that he is not progressing towards baptism like he should. He goes to church every week and reads the Book of Mormon every day and has been taught everything but is not wanting to get baptized still...so we kind of decided that we are going to ease off a little bit and see if it helps him.
Oh, and this was quite fun; Thursday we were filmed for a commercial!! haha the AP's asked us if we would do it, but we didn't really know what it was going to entail......well, it was way intense and hard core! They took 4 companionships and some elders in the SLC mission and took us down into the recording studio that they have in the Conference Center. Bright lights, HUGE cameras, and equipment everywhere! They are making a commercial for scholarships for the returned missionaries who attend LDS Business College. Anyway, so they recorded all of us (several times) signing “Called to Serve”. Then they did the filming part and afterwards combined the 2 shoots. They took lots of professional pictures.........we all felt like movie stars, hahah! So, it should be playing in about a month and they are going to send a copy home to me! It was really fun and we all felt really really special!
This entire week I have been trying to call Jamah but have not been able to get a hold of him. I know this sounds terrible, but it is just the truth.......I was worried he died of ebola, so I called the Branch President. Thankfully Jamah had just lost his phone so wasn't answering my calls! I did finally get a hold of him Tuesday and he is doing awesome! He is receiving the Melchezidek priesthood this week and I am so happy for him!
We have also received a lot of new investigators this week, which is exciting because I can leave Sister Sonku with lots of people to teach! We have had lots of good experiences this week together, and met several people from South Africa. I love when Sister Sonku sees people from her state or that served in her home mission because then they speak to each other in Xhosa and I love listening to her speak it!
I am going to miss her so much; she is wonderful! She is a great missionary and a wonderful person. She has helped and taught me so much. It will be sad to say good bye to her, but it will be ok. And we have a lot of things happening this week. Sunday at Music and the Spoken Word our entire “departing class” will be recognized and then have a meeting to discuss and give advice to the sisters who will be going outbound. We also have to check out with the mission President Sunday night as well. Then Tuesday we are meeting with the Temple President at 8 and then attending the 10:00 session and then taking a billion pictures after I am sure. Then we’ll have our departing lunch at Tucanos (thanks to me) along with our little testimony meeting there too!! Then I have my departing interview right after lunch with President. I love him so much. Since he’s been the mission president he instituted a planning diagram for our week and for our transfer, that we use now when we have weekly planning. Well, we got a letter this week from President, and he said that he wanted us to make the same chart; but for the 1st year AFTER our missions. I have put a lot of time and prayer into this, and it has been so fun and good to make it. It has made me really think about I want to do when I get back and the goals I have. I do know that I want to continue to progress spiritually. Anyway, we need to them in by Friday; and then he will review them and go over them with us on our departing interview. I am so excited to hear what advice he’ll give me! I truly love him and will miss him so much.
And I love all of you too! I am so grateful for all the support and love my family and friends have given me during my mission. I am so grateful for the opportunity and experience I’ve had to be a full time missionary. It has been such a blessing. And now I will be seeing all of you in 1 week! Don't forget to pick me up at the airport!
I could write what I have learned my entire mission but it would take forever, so here is just a little testimony:
My mission means everything to me. This last 18 months has changed me and helped me understand the plan God has for me and who I am as a daughter of God. I’ve learned to love as the Savior loved, and to see God's children and the potential they have. I love the people I have met on my mission. Doing everything I could to serve them brought me so much joy; but I think the most valuable lesson I learned was that if I follow the will of my Heavenly Father it will bring the most happiness. I learned this early on my mission.......I had set high expectations and goals for myself that I wanted to accomplish each transfer and I was NEVER happy because I was never reaching those expectations. I remember going to one of the Assistants and asking for advice. What she said changed my whole perspective, and I think it will help me for the rest of my life. She said, "Sister Marsh, if you set your expectations lower than God's expectations, you will never be happy or satisfied; but you will also never be happy or satisfied if your expectations are higher that God's. They need to be the SAME as His."
The moment I changed my expectations to His, I was happy. Whether it was the assignment I was given, or the companion.......I knew that it was God's will for me and I accepted it and made the best of it. I have learned I will be happy if I follow God's will and to do His work the way HE wants it done.
I am forever grateful for the experiences I had, and for the opportunity to serve the Lord and preach His gospel. My life will never be the same and I will be forever grateful for the testimony I have gained being here. Like it says in Alma 26:16 ,"I will glory in the Lord. I will rejoice for my joy is full, I will praise my God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Ye, who can say too much of His great power and of His mercy and of His long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."
I love this gospel and it is perfect and blesses my life in so many ways. I know that it has been restored by His servant Joseph Smith and I testify that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and was needed to be brought forth to complete and fulfill the Restoration. I testify that Jesus is the Christ. He died for me and for each of you. He never forgets us and has our lives manifested on His body. (1 Nephi 21:16) I love Him and am grateful for the sacrifice He made for me, that gives me the chance to be perfected in Him. He lives today. He is aware of me and is in the details of my life. He is involved in His work and I have felt His help and the help of His angels, especially Matty, during my time here. His work is the most important thing we could do in our live here on earth. I love this gospel.
The work is bigger than I am, I am blessed to be a part of it. The work isn't better because of me, I am better because of the work. I didn't do anyone a favor by going on a mission, the favors were done to me, by allowing me to go.
The church is true.
For the last time,
Sister Mindy Marsh
No comments:
Post a Comment