August 2, 2010

WHAAAAAAAAAT?! Week four already????

The only "shout out" I need today is to Vanhin Gamblin--I sent you a letter the other day with polygamy stuff, though I'm absolutely positive your parents covered any questions you had, but that's okay. Work hard--it's so cool to get your emails weekly about the missionary work in Finland!!!


Anywho, on to the juicy stuff. So this past week I moved for the 4th time in 3 transfers, which I think is probably a lot since I've been in the same area for these 3 transfers. We were MAYBE moving again on August 10th, but we don't really know yet. It's up in the air. But that's the life of a missionary, I guess. I think it's kind of fun--keeps us on our toes and tests my packing abilities. The last time we moved we had oh, a 24 hour notice because our ward mission leader (Brother Glenn) told us just 24 hours prior to. But that's okay.

Everything is rolling AMAZINGLY with Felicia and her boys. We have had some very productive and awesome lessons as of late. And every time we talk to them I am so thankful that I decided to serve a mission. I'm here for them. I know it. And it's so humbling that the Lord chose to use ME of all people to help teach this amazing family. It was also Felicia's birthday recently, so Sister Johnson and I purchased a volleyball for her (our other ward mission leader gave me money back for it--Brother Fish) and everyone from our volleyball night signed it. Did I ever mention that? We started volleyball Thursday nights for less-actives and investigators and recent converts. We sincerely believe that volleyball has a HUGE part in gaining the trust from Felicia and her boys. MAN!!! IT's been so great. And people have been so supportive of it. The games have actually started getting good--RIGHT when our zone leaders tell us we're not allowed to play anymore in case we get hurt. Pfffffft. That's okay, because although it's one of the hardest things to sit and watch and cheer, I know I'll be blessed for my obedience. Oh, Mom or Dad, will you forward this email and any others to Dana? She sent me a letter a little bit ago asking if I do a big email, and I forgot to write back (oops, but perhaps I will today). Thank you very much.

And Kenny. We are SO excited for him to be baptized. We are also SO incredibly sad that he's leaving us. BUT he promised that he'll go to the temple in a year in Vegas OR Reno--depending on where my area is. And Sister Johnson (my comp) said that she'd road trip down for that. It'd be so much fun. MAN this church is so amazing. I also received one of the nicest compliments ever yesterday at church. I sang "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" in church a couple weeks ago, and then last Sunday this professional woman sang a song and it was beautiful--very VERY operatic, but it hit the spot for my musical craving. And Brother Teeples, a man in our ward that is absolutely hilarious, came up to me yesterday at church because he wanted me to know that although the other woman had a better trained voice than mine, had some CDs recorded, and was in Mama Mia! when it was on the strip, he found my performance more meaningful and overall better because I performed and sang it to each person in the congregation. I was very flattered, especially because her voice was amazing, but he was totally right about her not performing it. I think that's how it is with sharing the gospel, too. We can have beautiful words coming out of our mouth, our knowledge and vocabulary impressive, but if we don't share it and allow others to see how much it means to us--if we just recite the words, the lessons, the scriptures and they don't see how much it means to US--or how much THEY mean to us--then it's just pretty words. There's nothing to it. But I know that if you let people know you--know the girl behind the nametag, the person who is here for a short amount of time to try to help them--it won't mean anything to them. So Brother Teeples taught me AND flattered me. Except when he said my voice wasn't that well trained....rude. Jk. Man. But he is so funny. A little snippet about him--we used to have "practice hymns" after sacrament and before Sunday school. He would sing loud into the mike, stomp his feet, clap, tell the organist to play louder, wipe his sweat dripping from his face...man. It's hilarious. He will always be remembered in my mind from my first area.

Weather here hasn't been bad lately. Only 95-100 daily. Not bad at all. It was "humid" the other day and some folks were like, "holy cow it's so humid" and complaining about how awful it was. I could SORTA tell that it was humid. But even now I remember the humidity from back home--especially when you fly in from Utah or something. The SECOND you step off the plane it is a SLAP in the face. Yuck. I do NOT miss it and don't know how I'll deal with it once I get back home. Good thing I still have 14 months here until that moment :o)
Ah, so yesterday at church I had a great “ah HA!” moment. So the scripture in Alma 37: 6-7 (scripture mastery Jordan) talks about how great things are brought to pass by small and simple things. Before my mission I was like, sweet, I have a small and simple testimony, but here in Alma I’m told that great things will be brought to pass. So I likened it to me. But yesterday in Relief Society someone said something like, “It’s the simple primary answers, ‘read your scriptures, say your prayers, go to church…’”. And it hit me how ESSENTIAL those seemingly simple things are in our everyday life. Reading your scriptures and saying your prayers and going to church seem like small and simple commandments to obey. But it’s those same small and simple commandments that bring to pass great and marvelous things. I see it in my own life daily as I read the scriptures and pray. My relationship with my Savior is strengthened. My knowledge is broadened (if that’s a word). I have an unshakable testimony of the truthfulness of this church. I think of adversity and oppositions that I faced prior to my mission, prior to me even wanting to serve a mission. And I know that if I had been more diligent in keeping those small and simple commandments I would have been able to face those trials with a completely different view. Great things, marvelous things, are brought to pass by following and obeying the small and simple things our Heavenly Father asks us to do.
Another scripture that is SO amazing is 1 Nephi 17:13. “And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.” This is the Lord talking to Nephi after he’s commanded to build a boat to take him and his family to the promised land. Now I’m not Nephi, nor am I going to build a boat to carry me to a promised land. BUT I am a child of God who has a purpose and a destination. My “promised land” may be completing my mission honorably, or finding a husband (post mission), or being a good mom. It could also be things that are promised to me in my patriarchal blessing. And in that scripture we are told that Christ will be our light in our wilderness—in the times in our life where we feel lost or scared or concerned. Christ will be our guiding light, and as long as we keep the commandments, we will be led to where we’re supposed to be. If we do what we’re supposed to be doing in our lives, we will be led to our “promised land.” AND we will know that is by CHRIST we are led.
I love this church so much. My love for it has grown insurmountably. I am thankful for the love and support of my friends and family and fellow missionaries.

Y’all behave until next email. Justin was talking about how it’s weird how people work all day and their happiest moment is when they get a piece of paper with a bunch of numbers on it. Well, I work all day and ONE of the happiest moments (outside getting a golden investigator, teaching a lesson, or anything spiritual really) is when I get that piece of paper in the mail. Ha. Funn….

Love you all very much,
Sister Mack