And it came to pass

May 29, 2012

A funny/touching story: We met a family this week whose mom is Tongan and the dad is Hawaiian.  They have five girls and one boy.  The oldest girl is 15.  One day, the dad was driving his car around town and saw me and Sister Davis on our bikes.  He started thinking about how his daughters would soon be old enough to go on missions and then they would be the ones riding bikes.  Well, that thought made him so emotional he started crying.  When he got home, his wife just had to laugh that he had started crying when he saw the sister missionaries riding bikes.  I never would have guessed that by riding a bike around town, I would make someone cry.  :) 

Picture of Elder Toone, Elder Holladay, Elder Richardson, Sister Despain, me, and Sister Johnson.  It was at transfers.  (Typically, we meet at the office if we are getting transferred, and often other missionaries come, even if they aren't getting transferred.)  This was the first time we had all been together since we first came into the mission.  It was fun to see them and to be able to hear how they are doing.

So, this week has been good, but kind of crazy.

Wednesday was transfers.  My friend Liz Stuart picked Sister Davis and I up and took us to the office. (Liz lives in Bountiful and we met on our study abroad.)  Most of the day I was at the office, talking to different missionaries and saying goodbye and what not.  (My ride back to Woods Cross wasn't until the afternoon.)  I also got to more officially meet my new companion, Sister Loketi.

Me and my new companion, Sister Loketi.  She is awesome. Sister Loketi is from Tonga.  She has been on her mission for a little over a year.  She is super excited to be down in Woods Cross and going to the Salt Lake Mission.  She has a lot of family in the area who are not members of the church.  It is also neat that I get to see a little bit of the Tongan/Poly culture as she talks with her family in the area.  (I just stand there thinking about whatever, since they are usually speaking in Tongan.)

On Saturday, we had a baptism!!!  Kristi is 17, and she got baptized.  She is awesome.  Even though there are a lot of things that could stop her from joining the church, she really, really wanted to get baptized.  She didn't care how many people were there or even if all of her friends could be there.  She was just sick of waiting and wanted to be baptized.  It is amazing to see how much the Spirit can change someone and their desires.  Some of the sister missionaries that used to serve in Woods Cross came down for the baptism, because they had taught her as well.

This isn't a very long email, but those are the highlights from the week.  Every day I am learning more about trusting in the Lord.  He truly is directing our paths and strengthening us to accomplish His plan.

So, I realize I didn't include anything about "It came to pass" in my email.  I guess I just have to say that this week I have learned that even missionaries have bad days.  But they will pass and we can be strengthened and helped by the Gospel.  There truly is a reason missionaries emphasize the importance of church attendance, reading the scriptures, and prayer.  Those simple actions are the way we receive personal revelation, gain spiritual guidance, and develop the energy and strength to overcome and endure gracefully whatever we are facing.  Even if we are in the midst of a trial, through the Lord's help, we can learn from the experience, not just endure it.