HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY
Can I just tell you how blessed we are to live in the US? My mission,
like everyone else's has totally had its ups and downs, and yeah I'm
not foreign but I love the south and my life just doesn't get any
better.
Highlights this week.. The Lord has definitely opened my eyes to the
little things, and just like what really matters. Like a majority of
the excitement this week was the food, but looking back there are
always such tender mercies. I've had these little blessings where the
Lord was just really able to testify and touch hearts through me and
it's so neat to be apart of.
Like this sweet kid named Chris. We had this super stellar lesson of
the plan of salvation. He is really busy though so he asked us to come
meet him at his gym. We get there and he is hard core like just
working out haha idk how to explain it but he's an MMA/cage fighter so
he knows what he's doing.. But he like just stops mid workout to
listen to us. And he is dripping, like intense workout plus the south
is quite the puddle. But it was just so real to help him remember his
purpose, and to testify of the beautiful truths of God plan of
happiness for us. Like I know without a doubt we will return to live
with God, and nothing sounds sweeter to the soul.
Mean while, the temp in the gym is a solid 99 degrees and Sister
Heaton and I start looking like we just ran a stinking marathon, but I
didn't even notice because Christ's focus and purpose for me was to
help Chris feel the Spirit and recognize these important truths. We
after decided that if we could make it through an hour like that we
could do anything right? But it's just so amazing how when we focus on
what's important, those little negative things go unnoticed.
I think it's pretty cool that we are constantly shown the things we
need to change. I never knew how imperfect I was until I served a
mission haha but I love it and I'm just so happy, and those little
things do not define us. So yeah that was pretty neat.
ALSO so super funny but this kid in our branch( can I just tell you
how much I love them all) but yeah this kid like goes way out of his
way to invite a friend over to make us this bomb like real chef food,
and it's always the best. Anyways he bought this really good I don't
even know what kind of cake, and gave us like these huge slices. ( it
was literally an 8th of the cake). Then they had to leave to run to
work so we decided to be sneaky and stay to clean up for them.. Well I
was just looking at the box to check calories( yeah idk why) but I
read "1/8 is 320 calories" so I'm telling sister Heaton that we are
totally fine, like that's nothing.. Turns out it was "1/18" of a cake.
What.
Hahaha gross, but it was so so funny.
Like our bodies changing on our missions is inevitable, which is okay
because it kinda doesn't matter. It honestly was something I initially
struggled with, but I realized that I am here(on mission and life) to
grow spiritually. I am not here to get to the great and spacious
building, but to the tree of eternal life. And I am here to help
others a long the way. I'm grateful that God loves us enough to teach
and humble us.
I used to think serving in the south is so hard because it's the Bible
Belt and there is literally a different church on every corner.. The
humidity and summers are long and your hair or skin will never be
tamed..Everyone would say " prepare to gain weight because they love
to eat in the south" ( which yeah I've never eaten more calories in my
life). And I used to think yeah wow my mission is rough
BUT IN REALITY. I'm thankful to be surrounded by people who believe in
Jesus Christ, and love Him, and what a neat opportunity I have to help
Him to show them more and all the blessings He has to offer, sure it's
tough but the Lord somehow blesses us along the way to strengthen our
testimonies. I have never known the church was truer. And I'm thankful
for this foundation for which the Lord has built me on. Humidity...
Well I guess I don't have to wear lotion as much and I'm thankful for
all the bugs(totally typed that with a straight face) and I am so
thankful to have food in my belly at every meal. What a blessing. The
Lord constantly reminds me that I am not my own, I'm thankful He
allows us to go through trials of all shapes and sizes, to show us who
we really are and most importantly who He really is. We just simply
follow His example, and take it day by day. Try a little harder to be
a little better. Literally just LOVE HIM, come unto Him, and He will
guide and comfort us along the way.
I'm grateful this life is forever changing, and that my God is my constant.
And yes this totally came to me as I was eating this 1,000 calorie
piece of cake and decided that there are far more things that are
important in this life :)
Like my sweet cousin Sage was baptized this weekend and it makes my heart swell
