Hola mi
familia! (Sometimes I wish I could speak Spanish...)
Well
first off I just want to say that I am like a tad bit jealous of the
reunions... hahaha BUT I am sooo glad that you guys had such a great time! Aww
man! It sounds like both reunions were so great and that they both had really
good turn outs! WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT FAMILY. I mean really people. (: Secondly,
HOLY FLIPPING COW. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
beyond grateful that Mallory and Megan are okay! Holy Moly. That is soooo
scary! Aww man. Definitely a blessing! That made me cry... I am so thankful
that everyone is okay and that the guy is okay as well!! Lastly, I cannot even
believe that Mal and Bryce start school on Thursday! The summer went by SO
quick. I cannot even believe how old Mallory and Bryce are now... Blows my
mind. AND they will be even older when I get home... hahahaha SHOOT. It sounds
like everyone is doing so great though! That makes me so happy!
As for
my week this last week.... IT WAS SO BUSY. haha I know I say that all of the
time, but I really was completely exhausted this last week. For some reason
EVERYONE AND THEIR DOG kept calling us to do service. So this week was full of
different service opportunities and they were actually hard service
opportunities... like people really put us to work! FINALLY. haha I feel like
because we are Sisters, people tell us to organize their pens or something...
But this week members have actually put us to work, moving heavy items and
getting dirty. We were moving these cement bricks for a member because she is pregnant
and can't lift and they were infested with spiders and crickets! There were
like a million crickets and every time you moved a brick they would jump
everywhere! hahahaha I kept screaming and her son kept screaming with me....
hahahahahaha But we got the job done! (: Something that we have decided to do
to help us continue to earn members trust is we made them each gratitude
journals! We got some small composition notebooks and we covered them in cute
paper and wrote their family names on them! Then we printed off the quote by
President Utchdorf from this last General Conference that says, "How much
of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there
is rain?" We have committed each member to write down 1 thing
each day that each family member is grateful for all the way until
Thanksgiving! The members seem to really like the idea and have told us how
much this is going to help them with the things they are going through or how
much they really needed something like this in their lives right now. It has
been a really cool experience so far. As we have been doing this with the
members I have been studying gratitude more and more and how come to learn how
much more thankful I need to be every single day. Especially during this time
that I get to be a missionary. Sister Trias showed me this little poem/quote
thingy and I loved it! It is for missionaries and it has helped me to remember
to ALWAYS ALWAYS be thankful for the things that are going on whether they be good
things or bad things. It says:
"Be
thankful that you can stay on your mission -- for serving the Lord is a
PRIVILEGE!
Be
thankful that this mission is tough-- thus preparing you for life and eternity.
Be
thankful that you were chosen-- for "ye have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you."
Be
thankful that you can bear testimony-- it is recorded in heaven... and your
sins are forgiven you.
Be
thankful for "hard" companions-- for they are thankful for you, too!
Expect accelerated growth!
Be
thankful for talking with everyone-- because you are doing what Christ would
do.
Be
thankful for learning exact obedience-- as it is the first law of everything!
Be
thankful for being homesick at times-- because it means you love and are being
loved.
Be
thankful. for a cultural experience-- because it expands your horizon.
Be
thankful for opportunities to face your fears-- because fear in
gospel settings numbs faith.
Be
thankful to be drenched and freezing at times-- it helps you appreciate the
comforts of life.
Be
thankful for disappointments and frustrations-- for they teach you
patience and faith.
Be
thankful for being pushed out of your comfort zone-- for that is victory over
the natural man.
Be
thankful for daily cardio exercise-- for sweat is weakness leaving the body!
Be
thankful for rejection and ridicule-- for art thou greater than He?
Be
thankful for the mission rules-- for you can't love God without loving His
laws!
I just want each of you to know how truly grateful I am to be a
missionary! There are good days and really hard days, but I am grateful for all
of it! I am grateful to be here in the New Jersey, Morristown Mission serving
in the Hightstown area. I am grateful to be a representative of my Savior,
Jesus Christ. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, but here! I am so grateful
for the gospel and I am so thankful that I have come to know of the
truthfulness of it for myself. I now can say more than I ever could before that
Jesus is the Christ, that the Atonement is REAL and that Christ suffered so
much for each one of us so that we may return to live with him again. I know
that God really is my loving Heavenly Father and that He is very aware of my
needs and desires. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that
because of his sacrifices we now have the Restored Gospel and
the Book of Mormon. I know that the Book of Mormon is truly Another Testament
of Jesus Christ. I know that families can be together forever and I
am SO grateful for that! I know that this church is true and that it really is
our only way to eternal salvation! I love you guys SOOOO much and I am so
grateful every day for all you do for me to love me and to support me while I
am out here! It means absolutely everything to me! I am also soooo grateful
that God is watching out for yous every day! I hope you have the best week
ever! Have a great first day at school Mal and Bryce! (:
LOVE
YOUS TO THE MOON & BACK! WE GOT THIS!!!
Love, Sister Woodland
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