Wow, I can't believe my life right now. It is nuts! Sister Stephens and I are running around the area trying to see all the people she wants to say goodbye too, packed, and ready to go for her flight home tomorrow. She is the best trainer I could have asked for. I am so grateful that she has been my companion for my first 2 transfers here. I feel really grateful for her in my life. We didn't see any baptisms this last weekend which is something I really wanted for her yet I just tell myself we have to have a little bit more patience. Its funny because she still thinks and says this area has the most potential and the most people she has ever worked with in her mission yet the only area she hasn't baptized anyone in. Although we are here to baptize, it definitely doesn't show how much work or effort your putting into the mission. She has taught me a lot, she is a great example, and has influenced the lives of many people here in New York. I hope to follow in her footsteps. Yet if she is going back to Kansas, you know what that means! New Companion! Whoot woot! Haha mom, I'm so grateful for your inspiring letters you wrote me this week. They really do bring such comfort to my heart. We have some really great people right now that we are teaching and they are all at critical moments in their lives. I was worried about the strength of my companion and her ability to help me in the work. As much as I'm trying, my Spanish is still inadequate from where I would like it to be in order to teach. There is nothing like the mission experience I decided. As soon as you get comfortable with one dynamic of the mission God decides to have a sense of humor and throw a new variable into the equation. Mom, you letter of advice on telling me I was ready to handle my area with my new companion was much needed. I finally came to terms and I really did feel ready and I knew that I had the time I needed to do those things required of me. I was set to go but no, we get to throw in that new variable. President called me into his office Thursday night to talk to me for an unexpected interview. He called me into his office and talked to me for a while. He and the A.P's have been talking a lot about upcoming transfer calls and have decided to make me a trainer for the next batch of greenies coming into the mission. Mom! I"m going to be a mom tomorrow with my own little kid in the mission! I believe we have 3 sisters coming in with this batch of missionaries at transfers tomorrow and I have no idea which missionary I will receive but all I can say is I"M EXCITED! yet petrified at the same time. There is quite a bit of talk among the missionaries that know I'm training just because I think it will be interesting to see how it all works out. Yet, I trust President with his decisions and I believe him to be inspired. I feel honored that he has put so much trust in me and that I have his trust to do a good job with our wonderful missionaries coming in. I asked him in my interview, "President, do you really feel good about me training at this point in my mission?" He almost got emotional as he answered me and said absolutely. He said, you know sister lewis there are many sister missionaries but we choose trainers who we believe will best build up the work here. We trust you." It's a good feeling yet it's also a lot to live up to and fulfill.
When I've been praying I sometimes catch myself trying to ask God to change his mind or thank him for an answer to my prayers in some form other than what I wanted.... lol. If it changes last minute, it will be the Lords will, if I really get a fresh missionary tomorrow, it will be the Lords will and I'm going to do with my whole heart, might, mind, and strength. I don't know I have a lot of emotions about the situation yet I know that if it is of God and he really does want this to be then it will work out. Besides, even though I'm not the most "seasoned" sister in the field all things are possible con Dios no? :) It was really cool because I understood the blessing and it was exactly what I needed. I do know that through God all things are possible and if this is really what God wants me to do for this next transfer it will be through him I accomplish it. It doesn't matter as long as you have the spirit. Which I am learning day by day but I know once I get better at it. My life is going to get so much better. 3/4 of my patriarchal blessing is about following the spirit. 99.9% of my setting apart was about blessing from following the spirit, and every blessing I've received in the mission promises me really cool things "as I follow the spirit". I received a blessing from my zone leader this morning. He's from Brazil and he speaks Portuguese and Spanish best so he gave me the blessing in Spanish. Elder Anand blessed me will the abilities I need to succeed for this transfer. Told me to love in order to instill the gospel in the hearts of the people. In the blessing it stated several times that I have been and am prepared to train and I'll fulfill my purpose as a missionary. Half of me wants President to change his mind yet the other half is anxious and eager to work. Training really is the perfect way to accomplish the work though because there is no set stereotypes and new missionaries just have the vibe to work and getter done! Yeah baby. Which is exactly what I have been wanting. They also want to learn the language and the older missionaries sometimes have a negative outlook about speaking Spanish all the time which I know I need in order to progress at a pace that want. There isn't going to be anyone saying " that's not possible " etc etc etc. So all in all I think God has just been very mindful of my prayers and he's answering them in a way that I wasn't expecting . Moral of the story: Prayers work in accordance to God's love and will. What you want isn't exactly what you need in life. Yet family please continue to pray for me. For me I don't think I will receive a greater opportunity than when I get these to train in the field. They are amazing. Shaping and molding a missionary to succeed the rest of their mission. What a privledge and great responsibility. I"m stoked! YEah baby!
So this week was good. We had another HUGE snowstorm but New York was a little bit more equipped and ready this time. Not so confined although the airport was closed down for a few hours. For a variety of complications some missionaries headed out to the Canada mission got stuck in the New York airport and since it was closed down from the storm they came and worked with us missionaries located in queens. We had 2 sisters come and stay in our pad for a couple of days. Sister Hanson and Sister Glenn are going to Canada English Speaking mission and they were just swimming in all the newness around them but I thought it was cool. I told them they should enjoy it while it lasts. You only get to be in the best mission in the whole wide world for who knows how much longer. lol. They just nodded and laughed but the office elders that drove them to the airport a couple of days later said the sisters said they loved new york and were wishing that they had been called to NY, NY South because they thought it was so cool! So it must have worked lol. Sister Stephens and I took sister Glean out with us to some appointments. Sister Gleann didn't speak a lick of Spanish but she was loving it! We got her contacting on the trains and talking to people all over the place. We also found a Spanish family that we got to teach and they preferred that we taught them in English because they spoke both and then that way sister Glenn could help us. Sister Gleann's very first lesson /night in the mission and she gave a beautiful account of the first vision. I haven't been able to do it more perfect myself. She brought that spirit right into the room with full power. Made the mom of the family cry and the whole family was just very open to the idea. I was touched and just thought to myself wow, this is rockin! We have a return appointment with that family tonight. They want to change and start coming to church more. Even the father has expressed desires to Change and come to church and such more. So Javier is the father, Kathi is the mother and they have a 10 year old son named Austin. I'll keep you updated on them. Yeah so it was fun to have Sister Gleann along for the ride while the storm cleared out.
g2g love ya!
Sister Lewis
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