Anyways, I'll start with the big news. The transfer text just came, and...BOTH SISTER AH-CHONG AND I ARE STAYING HERE THIS TRANSFER! BAH!! So not only is she the first companion I've had for more than 1 transfer, she'll be the companion I've had the longest EVER. And this will be the longest I've ever been in an area. Woo! At this rate, I think I'll probably be here for 6 months, cause I don't think they're going to white-wash the area again. And...THAT MEANS President is going to make us desperate enough that SOMEONE is going to get baptized while we're here. It's gonna happen. So crazy, but it's for real! Alright, sorry, you're the first people I've told, so you're getting the missionary fallout. Crazy crazy though, did not think that would happen. Alright. MOVING ON.
And, just to letcha know, I'm sorry for not writing for the last 3 weeks. Nothing wrong, just Christmas and everything getting in the way.
AN UPDATE:
Things are good! It was a little bit of a crazy week with Christmas and all. Delivered cookies and skyped the fam (very good, but more emotional than I expected/would've liked :P) Not super eventful week though, besides the great presents and well-wishes I received from all around.
A PROFILE:
Name: Lorelei
Accessory of choice: Cloth beret, with bird embroidered on the back; work boots and work clothes, which she wears most of the time, readying herself for the odd jobs she does all over the neighborhood.
Foremost Personality Trait: Sharp Logic, reticence to trust anything that comes from her feelings
Unexpected skill: Calligraphy (she wrote out our favorite scripture as a Christmas present to Sister Ah-Chong and I)
Reason she first started meeting with the missionaries: They were willing to help with the yard work
Reason she's not in the church: She believes the Priesthood remained in the Catholic church, and thus she has no need to be baptized again. Still willing to read and pray about the Book of Mormon though, so we're working with her. :)
A SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:
My parents sent me a great book for Christmas called 'Following Christ.' It's pretty short, and I've pretty much consumed it by now, but there's this one portion I really like. It talks about how Satan lies and that God tells the truth. It goes like this:
"In Satan's world, any philosophy can be true, any sin can be a virtue, any opinion can be right. The universe can be whatever we want it to be. Because Satan offers us a way of getting what we want, we mortals are vulnerable to his imitation worlds and plausible realities. Of course, the cost is truth, for truth is knowledge of things as they really are, not of things as we want them to be. Satan will create a universe to fit any desire, but only God can show us how to fit our desires to the universe--the real universe, the one that won't change to accommodate us. Satan offers a false "truth" to legitimize, or so it seems, our every desire; God would change our desires to fit a single legitimate truth."
I love this. I love the Gospel, because it presents things as they really are, and encourages us to change to conform to those truths. It invites us to question our assumptions, and conform them with real truth, like the fact that there is a right and a wrong, that there are consequences to that which we do, and that we can hope for an existence after this. I'm still looking for the way to best communicate this to people, but knowledge of it brings me great joy and peace. Without God, there are many answers, but those answers are ultimately colored by our assumptions and desires. With God, there is one answer that we are required to conform to, but in doing so we will bring to ourselves great peace, understanding and purpose.
A PICTURE:
And because we're sticking together, there's a cute picture of me and sister Ah-Chong. ;)
Love you guys! Have a great week!
Sister Hale
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