October 1, 2012:
The glory is God’s; it was His all along
Hi again!
I just got done reading everyone's emails. Thank you for them. They were all just what I needed. These library people probably don't understand why we are always crying every time we come to the computers... haha.
This week we had specialized training with our zone in Zilina, a nearby city. I love trainings. You get inspired, you get to see President, you get to travel, you get to meet more missionaries, you get to bask in the Spirit with others around you who also like the gospel, and you get mail. It's the best. I realized General Conference is coming up in like two weeks for us or something; what in the world?! Time sure does fly. Haha, so cliché, but the days are weeks and the weeks are days. Love it.
Yesterday I was writing in my journal thinking about my whole Mission and how many different things have happened. I tend to think about such things now that I am serving with Sister Brimhall again, almost exactly a year later. I love that we have many of the same memories, and sometimes at night while I am doing the dishes, and she is playing with our candle (we love candles; it bonds us when we have candle time) we laugh so hard just talking about the beautiful people we've met. And it helps me up and move forward. I feel like I've come a long way. I don’t really see it but feel it at times.
We had companionship inventory on Friday, and there’s a section where you ask your companion what you can improve on, and Sister Brimhall told me some things, and I was so grateful for her input, and I started writing my goals down on how to improve those things in myself, and she told me that I'd changed, that I was more open to advice and input, and that it was really pleasant to have weekly planning with me this time. I smiled, because I didn’t even think to be good or nice or whatever. I guess it was a moment where I realized that my nature has changed to being more Christlike. And that is something I am so happy about! And another night we were having candle time and writing in our journals, and Sister Brimhall told me that serving with me now is a totally different experience. And I jokingly said, "Well, I hope in a better way!" And she said yes! Ah so good. I am so glad. She came on her Mission perfect, so... I've just always adored being with her, hahaha, but anyway I'm glad that the Mission is getting inside of me.
Oh, so back to the Mission thing I was thinking about . I was writing in my journal, and I realized that I kind of have this view on my Mission of it all just being some massive play, haha. Everyone has a part, and I just love them all so much. And how at the end of it all I just want everyone to come together and take a final bow, and once the curtain drops, to have that time after a performance where you all just smile and hug and are so happy to all be on stage at the same time together. And then afterwards your family comes up with flowers and hugs and tells you you were beautiful and danced so well, and they get to meet all your friends and teachers, and everyone is so happy. I want that here, haha, but it's not a play. It's real life. I realized that for those people that didn’t make it into the Church, that had something hold them back, we as missionaries were just some Mormons they met with a year ago. But for us, they are magical people whose memories hold pots of gold in our hearts. And for those that did, although our Missions end, the Church doesn’t end for them. They've moved on! And that is a beautiful concept. They have continued. They have made friends, gone to the temple, received callings, continued on with life. The difference I guess is that in a play, it's about you. The audience is there to see you. On a mission, it's about God. We are just tools, and I think we are the most successful when Christ is at the front. The investigators and members don’t see us. They see Christ. So that when we leave it's not the end of the world, or the end of some play. It's just... continuation. We fade. But their lives have become better because of the gospel, as have ours, but the glory is God's. It was His all along.
Sister Brimhall and I had some hard days, but I kept her smiling. She told me that is something I am good at, that I can sense when others are having a hard time, and I can then up the happiness level, and that helps. I'm glad. We [talked to people] pretty much all day one day and got one number. Who didn’t have interest after calling. But that's alright. Someone will. Our one investigator was supposed to be baptized on Saturday but went to the mountains instead and didn’t come to Church, and just now we got a text from him telling us he cancelled his meeting because he got sick from something up in the mountains. (Keep the Sabbath Day holy and go to Church instead of the mountains people! Blessing equals you don’t eat anything weirdy and get sick!) Haha anyway, so that's unfortunate. But Sister Brimhall and I got some finding approaches on plan. And so we shall press on. Plus the sun is finally shining today, which always helps me get up and go. I love the sun. The celestial kingdom is going to be fantastic. Perfect bodies and sunshine.
Welp, time's up. Oh real quick, we had our first Zvolen Church meeting, yay! One member came to both Banska and Zvolen, and another one came to just Zvolen. And the poor Elders had handed out 600 fliers. Aaaah, pray for these people! Well anyway, until next week, I love you all. Work is good, it goes forward. God is in charge.
S laskou,
Sestra Izatt
The glory is God’s; it was His all along
Hi again!
I just got done reading everyone's emails. Thank you for them. They were all just what I needed. These library people probably don't understand why we are always crying every time we come to the computers... haha.
This week we had specialized training with our zone in Zilina, a nearby city. I love trainings. You get inspired, you get to see President, you get to travel, you get to meet more missionaries, you get to bask in the Spirit with others around you who also like the gospel, and you get mail. It's the best. I realized General Conference is coming up in like two weeks for us or something; what in the world?! Time sure does fly. Haha, so cliché, but the days are weeks and the weeks are days. Love it.
Yesterday I was writing in my journal thinking about my whole Mission and how many different things have happened. I tend to think about such things now that I am serving with Sister Brimhall again, almost exactly a year later. I love that we have many of the same memories, and sometimes at night while I am doing the dishes, and she is playing with our candle (we love candles; it bonds us when we have candle time) we laugh so hard just talking about the beautiful people we've met. And it helps me up and move forward. I feel like I've come a long way. I don’t really see it but feel it at times.
We had companionship inventory on Friday, and there’s a section where you ask your companion what you can improve on, and Sister Brimhall told me some things, and I was so grateful for her input, and I started writing my goals down on how to improve those things in myself, and she told me that I'd changed, that I was more open to advice and input, and that it was really pleasant to have weekly planning with me this time. I smiled, because I didn’t even think to be good or nice or whatever. I guess it was a moment where I realized that my nature has changed to being more Christlike. And that is something I am so happy about! And another night we were having candle time and writing in our journals, and Sister Brimhall told me that serving with me now is a totally different experience. And I jokingly said, "Well, I hope in a better way!" And she said yes! Ah so good. I am so glad. She came on her Mission perfect, so... I've just always adored being with her, hahaha, but anyway I'm glad that the Mission is getting inside of me.
Oh, so back to the Mission thing I was thinking about . I was writing in my journal, and I realized that I kind of have this view on my Mission of it all just being some massive play, haha. Everyone has a part, and I just love them all so much. And how at the end of it all I just want everyone to come together and take a final bow, and once the curtain drops, to have that time after a performance where you all just smile and hug and are so happy to all be on stage at the same time together. And then afterwards your family comes up with flowers and hugs and tells you you were beautiful and danced so well, and they get to meet all your friends and teachers, and everyone is so happy. I want that here, haha, but it's not a play. It's real life. I realized that for those people that didn’t make it into the Church, that had something hold them back, we as missionaries were just some Mormons they met with a year ago. But for us, they are magical people whose memories hold pots of gold in our hearts. And for those that did, although our Missions end, the Church doesn’t end for them. They've moved on! And that is a beautiful concept. They have continued. They have made friends, gone to the temple, received callings, continued on with life. The difference I guess is that in a play, it's about you. The audience is there to see you. On a mission, it's about God. We are just tools, and I think we are the most successful when Christ is at the front. The investigators and members don’t see us. They see Christ. So that when we leave it's not the end of the world, or the end of some play. It's just... continuation. We fade. But their lives have become better because of the gospel, as have ours, but the glory is God's. It was His all along.
Sister Brimhall and I had some hard days, but I kept her smiling. She told me that is something I am good at, that I can sense when others are having a hard time, and I can then up the happiness level, and that helps. I'm glad. We [talked to people] pretty much all day one day and got one number. Who didn’t have interest after calling. But that's alright. Someone will. Our one investigator was supposed to be baptized on Saturday but went to the mountains instead and didn’t come to Church, and just now we got a text from him telling us he cancelled his meeting because he got sick from something up in the mountains. (Keep the Sabbath Day holy and go to Church instead of the mountains people! Blessing equals you don’t eat anything weirdy and get sick!) Haha anyway, so that's unfortunate. But Sister Brimhall and I got some finding approaches on plan. And so we shall press on. Plus the sun is finally shining today, which always helps me get up and go. I love the sun. The celestial kingdom is going to be fantastic. Perfect bodies and sunshine.
Welp, time's up. Oh real quick, we had our first Zvolen Church meeting, yay! One member came to both Banska and Zvolen, and another one came to just Zvolen. And the poor Elders had handed out 600 fliers. Aaaah, pray for these people! Well anyway, until next week, I love you all. Work is good, it goes forward. God is in charge.
S laskou,
Sestra Izatt