Valentines Day as a single missionary is actually pretty awesome.
So much love and friendship from everyone! It was the best Valentine's Day ever!
This week was pretty awesome.
As I have said before (I think) our mission presidents focus is on service hours (20 a week, to be exact) and quality conversations to share the gospel in a natural, normal way. We have been able to exceed the numbers each week and the more we get, the more we have a passion to work for! We want to have at least 100 quality conversations a week, which is a lot considering each conversation has to include their name, some background or getting to know them and leaving them with an invitation. It takes a good amount of effort, but it's possible! And we've been able to do it. It feels good to get out and love the people of Bella Vista in a natural and normal way!
I spoke in sacrament meeting just this last Sunday and we invited one of our Baptist friends to come and she came! She sat in the back by her friend who is a member and recorded my whole talk. 😊 She loved it; she said she loved the feeling she got. Wahoo! The spirit is real, y'all! I spoke on the Grace of Jesus Christ and how we can use grace, the enabling power of Jesus Christ's atonement, to help us become better prepared for heaven and the life to come. It was so fun to get up and share a little bit about me and become introduced to the ward... as soon as the transfer is almost over. 😅 oh well! But it was great.
All in all, it was a good week!
I kinda want to change keys this week and talk a little about the realness of the struggles of mission life. I got an email from my wonderful aunt, the one who makes this blog so cute and updated, (thank you a million times, Leah! I love you!) And in the email, she said I could complain a little if I needed to. And it got me thinking that as great as missionary life is, it is seriously one of the single hardest things I've dealt with in my life.
I thought that I could easily conquer a mission. Oh man, I thought I had this in the bag. I was going to be the best of the best; the elite. I know I had the strength and personality and confidence to do it and do it well. I was going to nail it! Soar! Beat expectations! Rise above and beyond!
Then reality hits. Doors get slammed. People avoid eye contact. People decided that they no longer needed the groceries in that aisle the missionaries are in. They bash. They assume. They question our motives.
On top of that, we deal with growing up with an influx of social media with an endless amount of influences and images and concepts and ideas of how to be better, look better, be accepted better, grow better; teaching us subconsciously that we are never good enough the way we are.
We couldn't stop that. It's how the world changed. It's what we were born into with any choice of ours or our parents. It's just how times have changed. We have this constant question of "am I enough?"
There is truth that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace and hope and assurance in an increasingly wicked world, but as being a part of the Army of Helaman, being a missionary, Satan will use everything in his evil power to knock us down and draw us out. And, I'm sad to admit, he's successful. I have spent so many nights in tears, locked in the bathroom on the floor crying out to Him to help me be who I thought I was going to be out here. I have felt so alone, so helpless, so desperate to feel better.
It doesn't come from God. It doesn't come from being out on a mission itself. It comes from Satan. He is working tooth and nail to break down the soldiers of this army of righteousness. It's real and it's hard.
But I can tell you that I have never been stronger than when I stand up and move forward with serving the Lord the next day. With pressing forward with faith and diligence. With the humility and patience to follow by faith rather than by sight.
I know this isn't happening just on missions. This is happening in a world that is growing in evilness and wickedness. No one is exempt. But I want it made known that I know that the more we turn to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ and we take the time to listen and we are willing to do what they ask in their timing, we will rise above the dark mists and we will grow stronger in our faith and our relationships with them.
Missions are hard. I would love to complain, I do my fair share. 😅 but I know that it is worth it. Because my testimony is tenfold what it was before and nothing and no one can take that from me.
And I'm only 4 months in. 😊
I love you all. I'm so grateful for all of you. Grateful for your love and support and kindness to me. Thank you for the prayers and the motivation, the letters, and emails.
Heavenly Father loves you. Jesus Christ loves you. You are loved. You can feel that love when you turn to them.
Reach out to those around you. Share your spirit with others. Try to have a gospel based quality conversation this week! Tell me how it goes. :)
I love love love you all. Be kind to one another!
- Sister Young
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| Brother and Sister Raby got us Valentines! They're the best! |
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| This was my view of the awesome workshop President Strong gave us. 🤘🏻 love that guy. |
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