Monday, November 4, 2013

Week 29 - Last Time I Checked . . . I Wasn't An Elder

Wengapo!!

oh man well where do i even begin? Ok so our new investigator Ziznedth Kelly is just something else. She's a 60..something columbian woman she's about 4'10" and oh heck is she a little spitfire. We went over there one morning to help her in her yard and let's be honest the most i helped out with our front yard is i watched through the window as you guys all slaved away. but anyways we ended making her this cactus themed flower garden haha i literally had no idea what i was doing but i think i'm a professional "fake it til ya make it" type of person so she ended up loving it. During us planting stuff she said can i take some pictures? We say of course! she asks can i send them to you guys? I said oh no our phone doesn't get pictures but you can send it to my mom, she'd love it.  Before i know what's happening, ziznedth is calling mom and saying all sorts of crazy things. After she hangs up she asks me why didn't you want to talk to her? i laughed and told her were just asked not to so that we can stay focused on missionary stuff and then she says well i called her so you didn't break the rules! This lady is crazy, she's crazy! but we love her and i know she has a heart full of gold. 
We had the ward trunk or treat this past week and ah.... it was just super frustrating. We had invited some random people in hopes that our ward would fellowship them and talk to them, yeah that didn't happen. When we got home that night i was raging mad.  How can they expect us to have success in this area when the members and leaders aren't even doing their part?! But, i think i know why i've been sent to Katy. If i'm learning anything . . . it's that i can't control what people around me do or even what they don't do. I can do my part, i can be myself, and i can react in the best way i know how. While that experience was super frustrating, i'm learning to just slowly let things go that i have no control over. It's not worth me getting stressed and upset.  I just need to keep trying no matter what.  I'm starting to learn that it's not where you serve, it's how you serve. I need to step up my game, do more, give more, love more.  I think that's probably the hardest thing for me to understand is to just be happy with what i have at the moment.  I seem to always be wanting more, whether that be more of myself or more from others, I'm just constantly trying to find what the next thing is for me to do. Sometimes we just need to take a chill pill and let things fall into place for us.
On Halloween we had to be back at our apartment around 7 if we didn't have any set appointments. We had dinner with some members and a less active lady named Amy Hansen. She's been through a lot the past year, separated from her husband and her kids chose to stay in Utah with him instead of coming down here with her. As we talked about the Atonement i just really felt the spirit so strongly. The atonement is everything. It's everything and the more we try to understand it and feel it in our lives i know that happier we will be. It doesn't take away our problems but it does enable us to deal with our problems. I'm so grateful for the atonement and what is has come to mean to me while i have been out here. I heard a talk this past week with the question "Have you been saved by grace?" and the man responded "Have you been changed by grace?" and i thought that was right on the money. The atonement is their to help us change. We need to use it or it was all for nothing, it's never too late, you're never too far gone. I"m so grateful for our Savior who is constantly pulling for us:]
Which brings me to Ricardo... so yeah we've still been teaching him. and yes he's accepting things, and yes la la la but i kinda had to bring the hammer down last night. So we were talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ and all of the sudden he made some comment about how he always thought it would be cool to smoke weed with Christ or something like that and i kept my cool to the best of my ability but i just said, "No.  Ricardo, you would never smoke weed with Christ.  And for you to say that really breaks my heart, he gave everything for you, everything.  And when you come to understand that he truly is the Son of God you would never speak of Him like that."  Ricardo just kinda froze for a second and then was trying to back pedal out of what he said but it was too late. I hope that something sunk in with him last night cuz i never wanna hear someone say crap like that again.
Yesterday was a pretty good Sunday.  Haha, once again the members just asked if we were getting fed and if we had bikes.  The ward mission leader has said a total of 5 words to us so yep we're still just kinda floating along.  A family came up and started talking to us about dinner and how they always fed the elders pizza so that's just what we should expect.  Hmm i could care less about the pizza and last time i checked i was not an elder. Haha i'm here to work and i guess i can do that either with the help of the ward or without it, but i'm still gonna work.  As frustrating as it is, I think that the longer we serve the better things will get:]
I love you guys  and miss ya all the days!! Keep hanging in there and know you're in my prayers:]
Love, Sister Bowden
 

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