I LOVE MY MISSION!

heeeeeeey yoouuuuuuu guuuuyyyysssss

Ten points if you know that movie!

This week was AWESOME. Soooo good!

The first day and a half of this week were like awful, really awful. But, on Tuesday we had a zone meeting which helped a ton! Our zone leaders did interviews for some of us and mine was with Elder Ca. He asked how things were going.  We talked for a while, and he said that he had been praying about how he could help me with the things he already knew I was struggling with. He said that he felt like he needed to share his favorite scripture, Alma 17:10-11. We read it together and he said that he felt like the Lord is testing my patience right now.  He said that if I handle the circumstances of this transfer well, I can be an example to other missionaries as well as to investigators.  That is the way the Lord wants to make me an instrument in His hands. It was a really good conversation, and patience is definitely something I'm trying to have more of. That and humility. I'm learning a lot about the fact that I'm a really prideful person. Like, I kind of knew that before because I'm stubborn and mean and competitive.  But, I didn't realize how extreme it was or how badly I needed to change it. Everyone go read the talk "Beware of Pride" by Ezra Taft Benson. It's a great one. Well, it also cuts kinda deep, but its REALLY good!

The next day we did a division for 24 hours! It was awesome. Our new president called a coordinating sister for the mission and so she and her companion are doing divisions with like all of the sisters in the mission! The coordinatin sister, Irma Boshard, is hilarious. Like, I want to be her. She's amazing. She's seriously a  great missionary. She came over here to Mem Martins with Irma Quebbeman and I went to her area with her companion, Irma Baer. Irma Baer and I were in Odivelas. It's a really pretty area, closer to Lisbon. It's the area where the temple is going to be built! Crazy! We had such a great time during the division. It was EXACTLY what I needed. Irma Baer is pretty new on the mission too, she got here the same time as Irma Quebbeman.  So two transfers before me. She had pretty much exactly the same feelings about her first three transfers that I've been having. We had a really great talk and the whole day was awesome. We quoted movies together and laughed hysterically and taught some awesome lessons!

She gave me some advice that has helped me a TON.  She especially talked to me about when she finally changed her attitude about the mission. She said that for the first three months, whenever things got frustrating, she would say to herself  "It's only 18 months. It's only 18 months." But she then realized she was going to reach the end of her mission and have hated the whole thing.  So, she changed her frustration mantra to "I LOVE MY MISSION!" and after a little while she wasn't convincing herself of it anymore, it became true. She is such an excited missionary!

I didn't really believe her when she said she didn't like the first few months. So, I'm doing the same thing. I've just started repeating in my head, " I love my mission".  It's helping a lot.  I already feel ten times happier and excited to be here doing the Lords work. She also reread her call letter with me and we had a long talk about how we made the decision to serve and what the process was like.  It reminded me of how amazing it is that I'm on a mission! The call letter says, "you have been recommended as one worthy to represent Christ" How incredible is that?! Christ is the Savior of the world! Every one of us in the world that's walking around wearing this tag has been given the right to be his representative!

I remembered that really no one, myself included, expected me to serve a mission or wanted me to do this.  The fact that I'm doing it is so crazy, but in the best way possible. I love it! I feel like a completely different person now that I remembered that I'm lucky to be here and that this is going to be the thing of the most worth in my life! The Lord said so himself.

If you're getting ready for a mission,  or thinking you maybe don't want to go, read D&C15:6. The Lord will tell you what's right.  Also, tell EVERY SINGLE person, you know who is about to serve a mission to make a copy of their call letter and take it with them! THEY WILL NEED IT! AND IT WILL HELP SO MUCH! So yeah, Mom, if you wanna make me a copy and send it, that would be awesome. Really though, I only have 11 days left until my six month mark. I'M ALMOST A THIRD DONE WITH MY MISSION. That is ludicrous, I'm actually sad that I wasted so much of it being whiny and sad about being here. What an idiot. But, this next year and 11 days will be amazing! HARD, but AMAZING.

I know this church is true and I know there is absolutely nothing else in the entire world that I should be doing or want to be doing. I love it! Sometimes I still have to remind myself of that, but it's still true! I love you guys, have a great week! Read the Book of Mormon!