Dear
Mom and _______,
I can't believe we're
coming to the end of another transfer! It seems like it just barely started and
here we are on the last week. My companion is going home in a week and
everything just seems crazy around here. We have been working hard and trying
to find people to teach through church members, former investigators, walking
and talking to everyone, and just about everything else you can think of, and
still nothing has happened. The only thing left we have is knocking on
everyone's door, and that's about all we are going to do next week.
Yesterday we did
service for the community and helped out at the Kinetic Carnival put on by the
county museum in the park across the street from our apartment. It is where we
exercise every morning, so whenever we see the fences go up and they start
blocking off the park we go over and see what we can help out with. We even got
little name badges from it and we could walk in and out and go wherever we
wanted. At first I didn't know what to think about it and what others would
think if they saw missionaries at the Carnival and didn't realize that we were
volunteering and helping out at the stations, but some miracles actually came
from it. We met a lot of people in the community and I had a wonderful
conversation with some of the soccer moms (their kids play soccer with the
other little boys in the ward) and they have had some experience with what they
called the "Mormon Posse." They were the sweetest ladies and we had
some great conversations about what we really believe and that we are human
beings just like everyone else. We were also able to get in touch with someone
who we had been trying to track down for the past three months but could never
get a hold of because she was never at home. She was volunteering at the booth
next to ours and we recognized her name, and we are meeting with her tonight. Overall it was great to volunteer and be
part of the community, and we were definitely blessed from it.
Last week on Monday we went and saw some huge Redwoods finally!
(Today we are going to the beach.) The stories are true folks, they really are
huge. The ones we saw aren't even the biggest ones, and they were still
gigantic! One thing I love about the Redwoods is that they grow together in
groups and clusters and support each other with their roots, and that is how
they are able to grow so tall and be so strong! What an example, right? God
gave us families so we can support each other and help each other out so we can
grow spiritually taller and stronger than we ever could on our own! Biological
families, adopted families, friend families, ward families, community families,
you name it. And most importantly, a Heavenly Family! We were never meant to do
this on our own. Stick together.
Well, here's to the
last week of the transfer! I'll probably be staying in Willits, but one never
knows. Have a wonderful week!
Almost like your picture.
Found a lake!
Seriously huge (me and the tree, but don't tell
anyone!)
For those who are following Hermana Libbie
Poirier: I'm going home and honorably released (Monday, August 24, 2015)
Friends, family,
people of the jury!
Welcome to one of the
hardest weeks of my life.
Being sent home for
things out of my control, and being told I can't come back out into the mission
field. I'm being sent home for medical reasons, honorably released, meaning I
served the Lord well.
The Lord wanted to
know that I was willing to serve for 18 months, but then he only needed me for
7.
It really doesn't
surprise me, as impatient and fast paced I am, of course the Lord would have me
do all that needed done in 7 months.
I found out Wednesday and was so crushed. I didn't sleep for a few
nights. Just watched the clock and waited to wake up and start a new day and
get ready to go home!
I was reading in
"Like a Broken Vessel" in October 2013 conference talk by Jeffrey R.
Holland he states:
"In striving for
some peace and understanding in these difficult matters, it is crucial to
remember that we are living--and chose to live--in a fallen world where for
divine purposes our pursuit of godliness will be tested and tried again and
again. Of greatest assurance in God’s plan is that a Savior was promised, a
Redeemer, who through our faith in Him would lift us triumphantly over those
tests and trials, even though the cost to do so would be unfathomable for both
the Father who sent Him and the Son who came. It is only an appreciation of
this divine love that will make our own lesser suffering first bearable, then
understandable, and finally redemptive."
And it brings me soooo
much peace. Because it's been a hard journey for me. After realizing the church
was true I had to make a ton of changes. I had to leave my old life and follow
the Lord. I left all that I had, joined the church at 17 years old, lived on my
own, then again did what the Lord asked me to do by going to a church school
for a few months then saving money doing all that I could and preparing myself
for a mission.
And a mission
has been extremely hard. Coming from no background of this church and having to
teach people about things I barely just learned and in a language that I didn't
even know. It was hard, and IS hard.
But I've realized that
the Lord doesn't call the qualified, but he qualifies the called! And he sure
has qualified me! I've been able to teach with power and authority of the Lord.
I received a blessing
from the Lord this past week in Spanish! And it said that the Lord is satisfied
and happy with the work I have given and explained I have a new work ahead of
me.
So although I will no
longer be a full time missionary, I will be a missionary in all the places that
I will serve.
I remember when talked
to Sister and President Toone, basically my second parents, the ones in charge
of all the missionaries. Anyways I talked to them at the beginning of my
mission 7 months ago. I told them that I would try my very hardest and sprint
to the finish.
And that's what I've
done.
Friday I
invited a great guy with dreads (just like I had when I was younger) I invited
him to be baptized, gave him a church tour and shared my testimony! He wants to
be baptized, and start changing his life towards Christ!
I was also able to talk
with a recent convert and share my conversion story and give her hope for her
future. That no matter what trials she is going through, that the Lord will
always be there and that she can do it.
And I received very
important counsel in church on Sunday:
our stake President said that now more than ever the Lord is ever merciful for
those that want to come unto him and repent, and that now is the time, more
than ever before and ever to come, that the Lord will forgive us of all and let
us come unto him!
The Savior's work is
hastening on and Now is the time to come unto him:)
And lastly, Helaman 5:12 in the scriptures States:
"And now, my
sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is
Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil
shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when
all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power
over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the
rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon
if men build they cannot fall."
And I really
understand now. The reason it has been so hard for me and that I've felt less
support than I have desired throughout my time here, hasn't been because God
doesn't love me, or that my parents don't love me, or that my friends don't
love me, or anything like that.
The reason was, is
that The Lord wanted me to understand where I get my support. And it is only
through the Rock of My Redeemer, Jesus Christ, that I find all my support. And
therefore when the hard times come, I know where to turn, I know exactly where
I can look for a remission of my sins, for an answer to my prayers, and for the
strength to go on each and every day, even when it's hard.
I know it's Jesus
Christ whom is my foundation and always will be. Therefore I will prove him
herewith, wherever the Lord God doth command me, there will I go, and I will go
valiantly and lovingly and faithfully all the days of my life.
On to my next
adventure! :)
With love,
Sister Libbie Rose
Poirier
And some last photos
Eating at Joe's our favorite ice cream place
where missionaries eat for free!
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