Hey y'all!
Wow, 11 months tomorrow. Pretty insane! And the weirdest thing is that I'm emailing from the same library I was the first week I came out (thanks to some crazy transfer stuff and my staying in the same general area for the majority of my mission so far ;P). It feels like forever and like no time at all. Pretty insane. So here's the update!
UPDATE:
Doing well! Sister Steinacker and I really hit our stride this week, at least in terms of getting to know each other and growing as companions. We had one of those companionship DTR's that's all like 'LET ME INTO YOUR BRAIN!!' and since then, things have been much better. :) Some talents of hers I especially enjoy: her skill at turning non-mission approved songs (mainly from very appropriate musicals like Les Mis and Fiddler on the roof) into mission approved songs by changing the lyrics! Totally okay, right?! "One Day More" from Les Mis becomes "One Door More" and the like. It's pretty fun. Also she's very flexible and accommodating to my occasional caprices, which is nice! But in other news...
We're also working with 2 investigators who are on date for baptism! One, Carla, has withheld from smoking for the past 4 days! And now she's on day 5! Pretty crazy. Another, Sheila is doing well...except for the fact that she needs to get her little fanny to church. So we're working on that. Otherwise had a wonderful Easter yesterday with several families coming out that we hadn't seen for a while (always a blessing when they have to re-bless the water). Great spirit, and great reminder of what easter is all about. If you haven't had a chance to see the video put out for Easter yet, WATCH THIS:
It's awesome, and we've been using it in contacts all week. GO GO GO!
PROFILE:
Name: Robin Dahle (Pronounced 'Dalley' or something)
Accessory of choice: Several piercings that are not church approved, and a 10 year old son who prefers to be in Relief Society rather than his own class.
Burden she's currently carrying: the weight of balancing her burgeoning testimony with a husband who's not supportive
Why I like her so much: Though she grew up sort of in the church, she still doesn't know too much about the workings of the church and has a lot of questions. In our Gospel Principles class on the Priesthood she lit up the discussion with some of her questions, and it was a lot of fun.
What impresses me so much: She's working through the repentance process with the Bishop about a few things, and she told me in Relief Society about what a change that is making in her life. She said both that it's so hard, but that she loves it, that she feels things at a much deeper level now, that she cries all the time, but that life has taken on new depth and new meaning. So awesome to see someone's life as it's turning around. As I read in D&C 18 this morning "And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!" And we get to share in that joy as missionaries; it's pretty awesome. :)
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:
Here was another D&C verse I found this week that really stood out to me. Here goes!
"Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am."
That's a pretty outstanding promise. What do we have to do in this life to see the face of the Lord and know that he is? 1) leave behind our sins (repent), 2) come to Christ (through ordinances like baptism), 3) Pray, 4) Obey the voice of the Lord (promptings), 5) keep commandments. If you have a question whether or not there is a God out there that loves you, you've got to do some stuff to figure it out. So many people I meet out here who generally reject faith admit that they don't 'know' that God isn't there. They just may not care right now if he is there, and may not want to put in the work to find out. You can find out, but it requires some change. The result is a sense of knowing, faith being strengthened into knowledge, and a lasting sense of peace and purpose. I think it's worth it, but you'll have to try it and see for yourself.
PICTURE:
Yes, that is a giant carved peace symbol, at the home of one Buddhist lady who broke into tears just because we were out doing what we were doing. Huh.
Peeped means that someone looked through their peep-hole and didn't open up. :P
Peeped means that someone looked through their peep-hole and didn't open up. :P
Love you guys!
Sister Hale
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