Wow, can't believe how fast time goes. Officially been out for 10 months! Over the hill! And all that jazz. But, like everybody says, the mission just starts to feel like life after a while (and a joyful life, at that), so...I should probably stop commenting on how fast time is passing. ;P But anyways!
UPDATE
So...guess what? TRANSFER OVER. And with that, we've gotten our transfer calls ANNNDDD...Sister Kennedy is outta here. Too bad. We have a lot of similarities (read: shared weaknesses), and even though it's hard sometimes to like people that are too similar to you (Mom, you know what I'm saying), I've been blessed to really overcome that and come to love her. The Lord can help you love anyone, it's true. One of the great lessons of the mission I would guess. AND, with her leaving...I've been called to train! Again! So I'll be picking up my baby missionary tomorrow from the mission office. I'm excited. :) Both times I've trained before it felt a little panicked and was rather unsystematic (I whitewash-trained, 2 transfers in a row. It was a crazy time). But! Now that I've had more time to get comfortable in the area, I think I'll be a little better able to focus on the needs and skills of my baby missionary, and raise her up in the way that I should go. I'm looking forward to it. :)
PROFILE
Name: Noah
Accessory of Choice: Bulky jacket that he can stuff his cardboard signs into (and sweet set of raybans)
How we met him: He was holding a pretty entertaining sign on the side of the road, and when an appointment fell through, we decided to pull over and talked to this guy.
Why he moved to Washington from California: He says because his friend had a really sweet house for him to move in to, his Mom says that it's because pot is legal here. :P
Why he can't move back: No $. Hence the holding the sign. He's sleeping in a tent in his neighbor's back yard, AND, because he was so hipster looking, I totally thought he was making a Youtube video or something (instead of being a certified homeless guy)
What we gave him: 2 clementines, a granola bar, and a Restoration pamphlet
What he gave us: Permission to take a picture with him and his sign
Why he may not be ready for the gospel yet, but MAYBE ONE DAY: He thinks that living without caffine would be impossible (so do some members apparently), and who knows how he would respond to the Word of Wisdom in its fullness? :)
THOUGHT
I'm reading in Christ's visit to the Nephites right now, and it's excellent. One part I read in particular about not excluding people from the church stood out to me specifically. Christ says (and I'm going to be mish-mashing a lot of verses together, but it's all in 3 Nephi 18:22-25) :
"And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not..and ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be lead into temptation."
So! What is this saying? It's saying (to me at least) that Christ doesn't exclude anyone; that he wants everyone to come to him, and that we should desire that and work towards that end also. Also any thought of exclusion ('oh, they really don't belong here' or 'they don't really need the gospel') is not of God, but from Satan, and it's the gate way to being lead into temptation (in this case, temptation to self-righteousness and pride, all bad stuff). No exclusion; all inclusion. That's missionary work, and it's pretty awesome.
PICTURE
And! because I can't give you a rockin profile like that without some kind of PROOF...here's the picture itself :)
And the sign has got an awesome flip side as well, but you'll just have to hope you get lucky and I send the other picture to you in the mail or something. ;)
I love you all! Hope you have a fantastic week!
Love,
Sister Hale
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