Hello! Time is just flying! I hope everyone had a great week and is doing well! I am just dandy and I am getting better at this whole missionary thing! Let me tell you about this week!
So, WE MOVED!!!!!! Hooray!!! No more pig slaughter, ghetto apartment! Haha. We went to the mission home on Wednesday for something, and as soon as we walked in, one of the senior couples says, "Pack your bags! You're moving today!" We were like what??? I was kinda mad because we JUST unpacked 3 weeks ago and that took forever to get settled. So we went home and packed. But then we called them to say that we were ready to leave, and they said, "Oh didn't we tell you, you are moving in on Saturday?" So we were completely packed and ready to go, and then we had to wait till Saturday, so we just lived out of our suitcases. But hey, I am not complaining, because the apartment that we moved into is so nice!!! It is brand-spanking-new. It is so nice and really big, and my bed isn't rock hard anymore! There are definitely perks to being a Sister.;) The Senior Office couples just love us and they spoil us all the time, I am so grateful! So we love our new apartment. We haven't had the time yet to unpack so we are still living out of suitcases, but I am sure one of these days we will get to it. But the thing is that transfers are in two weeks. The odds of us getting transferred are not that high, but it would stink to unpack and then pack it all up in 2 weeks. Haha. So anyways, I am really happy about our new place. We are really blessed here in Idaho.
This week was more slow than usual as well. We had lots and lots of meetings. It was fun to see other missionaries and stuff, but it feels like we hardly worked this week! So on Wednesday, we had what they call the New Missionary Meeting. It was for all of us newbies to come back together and talk about how it's going, challenges, and successes. It was so great to see my people! It felt good to actually know other missionaries! I saw my old companion Sister Kesler, and she is doing well in Burley. It was a great meeting and it was good to know that I am not alone in my challenges, struggles, and hard times. I loved seeing all my MTC buddies. It felt like old times, and the meeting was exactly what I needed to keep going.:) We also had a Zone meeting! I had to give a training, which was scary because I am the only new one and totally not as experienced as everyone else. But just like everything else in the mission, you just get over it and you do it because it only makes you stronger. Zone meeting was all about effective study and I learned so much! I have learned to love study time in the mornings. The scriptures are so awesome guys!!! I mean I knew that before I came on my mission, but I have never read so much from them or truly treasured them up. It is true what our leaders have said that "Scripture study is essential to spiritual protection." The scriptures can bring the Spirit instantly and they have helped me so much. I know that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God. There's no doubt, no doubt in my mind.:) It really hit me this week as well while we were teaching someone about prophets that our latter-day prophets are incredible and they are truly inspired! Think about something like The Proclamation to the Family and how it came out way before all this crazy messed up family stuff started happening. It is amazing! I love reading the Ensigns and old conference talks because those are literal words from our Heavenly Father through his servants. It makes me so excited for conference coming up in just a month!!! It also makes me so grateful to be one of the Lords chosen servants. When we teach, we aren't the ones converting, it is the Spirit and I feel so honored to be speaking in behalf of our Heavenly Father and Savior. How amazing is that?
We had a really cool experience this week! So we had Stake baptisms for the 8 year olds this week. We went because we meet with a few of the kids families often. So when the other wards were doing baptisms and we were waiting in the Chapel for our ward turn, the Bishop called Sister Ramsey and I up to the pulpit with the 3 little girls that were getting baptized from our ward. He had us stand behind them and he had everyone imagine the beautiful little girls as us one day. It was really sweet and really cool. Then he had us bear our testimonies to these sweet girls. I was an emotional wreck! I was overwhelmed with the Spirit. As I reflected on my own baptism day, it just reminded me of how truly lucky I am to have grown up with the Gospel in my life. I have come so far since that day. I made it to the temple where I made more Covenants with my Father in Heaven and it was a really amazing feeling. I just felt so peaceful and it was confirmed to me again that this is the true church and that I am supposed to be here. Because I have this amazing gift I know that it is the least I can do to share it with people! I really needed that confirmation. Because this is hard work and it helps when I think about the reasons that I am here and the reasons that the Lord needs me here. I am reminded of that everyday through the tender mercies that I see. I am so blessed to be here. I wouldn't have it any other way. 18 months almost seems like not enough time! I love being here and I love serving everyday. I have already seen the blessings that are coming from it. During a companionship study this week, Sister Ramsey and I were just talking about how awesome this Gospel is. We talked about how this is preparing us to be strong mothers in the last days. I need as much spiritual ammo as I can get for my kiddos when that time comes:) We talked about the blessings that come from the Temple and eternal families and how important it is to stay faithful and become converted. Again, Heavenly Father keeps confirming it to me and I am so grateful that he does! I felt the Spirit so strongly and I just know this is the right place for me. Even though it is easy to miss home and my family and all the comforts that come with it, I want to be here. This is an experience of a lifetime and I would not be learning or growing as much if I wasn't here.
Anyways, there is nothing really new with our investigators. Everyone is progressing slowly, but they are getting there. We are prepping Kellie for her baptism in two weeks! We can't wait! But other than that, we have just taught lots of lessons this week. We have some solid investigators, they just need time and that's okay! I love our investigators. I learn so much from each of them and it is a privilege to be working with them. I am still working on my teaching skills. I know that comes with time and experience, but I just want to be an awesome missionary! I feel like I can get there, I just need more experience and I need to learn how to rely on the Spirit more. I love that at this time in my life, my only job is just to talk to people everyday! It is so awesome! I love meeting new people and talking to people even if they aren't interested in what we have to say. I find it so interesting the different beliefs that people have. I love to hear peoples stories and hear about what inspires them. It just fascinates me. As long as you have a relationship with God, I don't care what religion you are! I am not here to convert everyone or sell anyone anything. I have definitely learned that. Just talking to people about their beliefs and sharing a scripture with them is awesome. I love being a missionary! It is seriously the best calling in the world! I am so happy that I decided to do this. I knew it would be hard, but the blessings far outweigh the challenges.:)
So that was my week! Sister Ramsey and I are still having so much fun as always. We better not get transferred in a few weeks! There is just too much good happening here and we are working hard and loving it! We decided to get haircuts this week! We both got straight-across bangs! Ahhh!! We were just getting so bored with our hair and it was so nice to get pampered for a minute. We love our twinner hairstyles. We also have a lot of the same clothes so we match a lot and people laugh at us, but we love it:) The members are still great and I definitely have already gained weight from the BOMB food that they feed us. Plus they always send leftovers. Also something cool is that the huge Chobani yogurt plant is located here in Twin. So all the members work there and we get free yogurt all the time. Yes! Healthy food! We try to say no to dessert but people are such great cooks and I can't refuse! Haha. Anyways, I hope y'all have a great week. Remember that your Heavenly Father loves you and he is there for you. That has never felt so true in my life. I appreciate all the support and prayers! You guys are the best. I love and miss you all so much. Sending my love.
Love, Sister Bigelow
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