Monday, February 29, 2016

Happy February 29th! (Monday, February 29, 2016)

Dear Mom and everyone,

Isn't this a great day to be alive? Think about it. This day only happens once every four years. It's like God's gift to humanity - an extra day to be alive! And for me, it's an extra day as a missionary. As each day passes, I'm reminded that this experience isn't going to last forever and that I need to do all I can to take advantage of every single day. I don't think that applies to just missionaries though. We all should take advantage of every single day and accomplish what God sent us here to accomplish. 

I've been noticing an interesting phenomenon this week, one that quite frankly bothered me quite a bit when I first starting noticing it. My companion and I worked hard this week and truly tried to use our time effectively. We spent hours finding and tracting - even when it was awkward and we were tired and didn't want to - and we did our best to do what we were supposed to be doing.  And at the end of the week... not much had happened. We had hardly any of what most people would call "success" and we taught very few lessons. Most of the members we were working with cancelled on us or didn't answer the door even when they were home, and one of the more active members even texted us to say that she was leaving the church for a little while. It was very discouraging and I didn't understand, because we had been working hard and doing what we were supposed to be doing. I have also always wondered why it seems like the more disobedient missionaries seem to have more "success" and have better experiences on their missions, and that's an answer that I'm still working on, but part of the answer started to come this morning as I was studying Doctrine and Covenants 4:4. Notice that is says that yes, the field is white and ready to harvest, but our personal responsibility is to "thrust in our sickle with our might" (or in other words, to work and do what the Lord ask of us) and that is what brings us the blessings and prepares us for salvation. We are not the harvesters. We are not even the planters. That it Heavenly Father's job and the Holy Ghost's job (because they are Heavenly Father's children and they are being gathered to Him, and the Holy Ghost is the only one who can plant the gospel in the hearts of the people). We are simply the laborers, or the "thrusters." And if we are doing that, then we are having success. So long story short, as long as we are working and doing what's right, we don't need to worry about the rest. God is good at handling details. 

Funny experiences this week: we knocked on a door and discovered a less-active family who lives there and they told us the "Arch Bishop" used to come visit them. And one of the kids was just standing in the background, sweeping the carpet. The one who answered the door had really long hair and a beard and I felt like I was in Willits again for a minute. Oh how I miss the strange folks there. Another Willits-ish experience: a clearly intoxicated and under the influence of marijuana man opened the door (in a different area we were in) and leaned forward and sighed a very breathy and whispery "Hiiiii" and all I could think was, "Yes, you are." In a different situation, we also had a young man trying to flirt with us and offering to take us out for tacos. There were also creepy old men that we had to literally run away from a different day. And let's not forget the other old man who showed us pictures of "sacred Indians" on his phone. Good times. 

Oh, I also sang in a quartet (SATB) yesterday in sacrament meeting at church with my companion and the two English missionaries in Sonoma, and the choir director is already searching for an Easter piece that we can perform. The ward was quite impressed, and I must admit that somehow we managed to pull it off pretty decently. I guess all those years singing in the shower paid off. 

Well, I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful extra day to be alive and don't stress! Just work hard, do what you're supposed to do, and things will work out. Lots of love from NorCal!

~Hermana Burton

Ready to plan out the week!



No comments:

Post a Comment