I've Learned...

Spring... Spring is here. It's also as bipolar here as it is in Logan, but it's here! The tree across the street from our apartment is budding and I can't tell you the joy it brings to my heart to see that! If we get anymore snow that sticks to the ground I may pull my hair out.

This week has kind of had two parts. 

 

Part #1: Exchanges

This week we got to do exchanges with the Farmington Sisters. Their area is actually in Palmyra so it was fun for me to go with Sister Christensen who's on her second transfer and be able to spend some time in Palmyra. I'm super jealous. Those sisters and the PalMac sisters live right up the street from the temple and the smith Farm. What a great place to live!

We had so much fun together! There was a less active member that we were going to see after she was done at work (Palmyra Inn) but as we got there, she still had the Honeymoon sweet to decorate. So we volunteered to help her out! Haha we had a ton of fun learning how to make swans out of towels and putting rose petals on the beds. We're pretty much professional is what I'm saying. haha Most awkward form of service I've ever done...

We went out tracting which is always so interesting in Palmyra. Everyone has met missionaries before. Everyone things they know everything about the church. It's a pretty hard area, but we were determined that we were going to find someone who would talk to us. So we knocked on a door and out comes this cute little old man. He starts talking to us and telling us that his wife isn't home so he can't talk to us and I noticed that he had an accent so I asked him where he was from. He was from Hungary, so I talked to him for a minute about how I have a good friend serving in Hungary and how there are missionaries like us all over the world. We got to talking to him and he was telling us about how when he moved here, he went and saw the pageant and he was so angry with the people who were protesting. He was telling us how mormons are such great people. So we talked to him about the Book of Mormon and he said that the sisters could go back and talk to he and his wife. Tender mercies happen when you're on the Lord's errand. 

 

Part #2: The Apartment

I learned this week that I'm going to have a really hard time coming home if I don't have a job, and school, or ANYTHING to fill my time... Saturday night after we got home, Sister Hall got really sick. I don't know if it was food poisoning or the flu, all I know is that she was REALLY sick, and I didn't get it. Poor thing. I wish there was more that I could've done to help her, but needless to say we stayed in Sunday... and Monday... and most of Tuesday. Sleep has really been helping her but she just hasn't been able to recover until today! She's such a champ! You can tell she's just so ready to get back out to do the work, but her body won't let her. 

I've never looked at the same four walls for so long. As she slept, I would study, get bored, do some pushups and situps and jumping jacks and ANYTHING that could get me moving, then I'd get bored with that so I'd study again, and get bored and go stare out the window and watch as it would turn from blizzarding to sunshine. Haha not the most thrilling few days but if that's what it takes to get Sister Hall's health back, then so be it!

I had a lot of time to sit and think and I thought a lot about my mission and the things that it's taught me and I got a list of things written up in my head of what I've learned:

• I've learned that the Savior's Atonement can help ANYONE who allows it to work in their lives.
• I've learned that I can do hard things.
• I've learned that no matter how different I am from someone, we can still be best friends.
• I've learned that acquiring patience... takes patience.
• I've learned that no matter how much I teach someone, no matter how many times I invite them, no matter how many times they feel the spirit, they still have their agency to accept or reject the gospel.
• I've learned that miracles happen on a daily basis.
• I've learned that the Lord's plan for me isn't anything like what I've planned on, but it's MUCH better than anything I could've planned for myself.
• I've learned that serving people is the best way to get through a hard time.
• I've learned that the Lord trusts us enough to give us hard things so we can learn and grow.
• I've learned that no matter what circumstances someone may be in, our Heavenly Father knows THEM and what THEY need.
• I've learned that God will speak to us in ways that WE understand.
• I've learned that the more we act on spiritual promptings, the more we receive them.
• I've learned that feeling the power of the Spirit can do more for someone's conversion than any miracle.
• I've learned that the little, daily habits make the biggest difference. 
• I've learned that the best way to be happy is to CHOOSE to be happy.
• I've learned that the only way to do things successfully is to do things the Lord's way.
• I've learned that all things are possible with His help.
• I've learned that a single prayer can change the world.

The list could go on and on! I've learned so much from my mission and I now understand why people say this is the best 2 years (18 months) of their lives. I will eternally be grateful that I made the decision to serve the Lord and to bring His gospel to His children.

 

I hope you all have a great week! Jesus Christ loves you!

Love Sister Nield