MY MISSION IS PRACTICALLY OVER.

01/28/13

Are you guys aware that I have barely over six months left?

ARE YOU AWARE THAT IS NOTHING? It’s fine.

Yeah, school decided to make my life complicated and start in the middle of my last transfer, so I have to come home six weeks earlier than my original release date. I'm really sad about it. This transfer right now is only five weeks instead of six for some reason that I don’t completely understand.

But anyway, How are you guys? I’m doing great! Not freaking out at all! No but really, the work is still going and what not. This past week was all kinds of a roller coaster. I’m really grateful that our mission president has us studying the talk by Tad R. Callister, "A Consecrated Missionary" because I’m learning a lot about the little changes I can make to really give my whole self to the Lord and to the work. There is a part in the talk that tells the story of a companionship that had pretty much the worst day you can imagine as missionaries. At the end of the day they still had smiles on their faces when they spoke to mission president. When he asked why, they responded that they simply knew the Church was true, that the work would keep going, and they were happy to be in the service of the Lord.

That is a brief summary of our entire week. Our progressing investigators dropped us, we went to a lesson with a woman who was supposed to be baptized next week and she was drunk, all the members have flaked on our appointments, my boots broke and it was pouring so I spent the whole day walking with puddles in my shoes, and little things kept going wrong all day every day. But, by the grace of God, somehow we ALWAYS ended every day laughing and smiling because even though things were a crap storm, we were having fun and we knew that we were putting in our best effort and that we were still being guided by the spirit. Irma Olson and I have talked about it a few times and been like, yeah, this week was awful but we had a great time and we are still happy with what we accomplished.

I'm not sure if you guys even remember me, but I know myself pretty well and I guarantee the only way I still have this attitude is because Heavenly Father has helped me grow up a lot and appreciate the little things. I have learned to realize that you just have to stay happy when things turn to poo. Like in President Uchtdorf's talk this past General Conference!

But yeah that’s pretty much the only thing I have to say about this past week ha-ha, sorry this emails not so exciting or long. But I really do love my mission. I love every second of it. I love all the good times and I think I almost love the bad times more. I'm really grateful to be learning so much and to have this chance to grow the freak up and become an adult and remember what is actually important in life. The gospel, the people around you, and a smile.

Having a pick-me-up at Starbucks after a bad day doesn’t hurt either. love love love Irma Dean