munday funday

 Has it really been a week already? nope. Just a surprise preparation day! Because of another surprise - Sister Mckenna is being transferred to Dansville. It's the southern tier of our mission, so she will be full proselyting. I will stay in Pittsford and Sister Gonzales who is in Dansville now is coming up with me. We are both really excited! The only reason I know Sister Gonzales is because they pulled them up to the sites during pageant and we lived with them for a week in Fayette. She is adorable, and a really good missionary. I'm excited to learn a lot from her. She reminds me a lot of Bounce {from Brighton} they talk the same and have a very similar personality. It is so strange to see Sister Mckenna leave though.

The past few days have been good. We taught our two investigators who came to pageant and that went well. {the ones who came to church last week} They asked about our views on gay marriage and we talked about eternal families and temple marriage. Jeniel - that little book you made me worked so well this week. It was really powerful to get to show them our family in front of the temple and I testified that I knew I would be with my family forever and what that has meant to me. It was also really helpful for them to see the other pictures you had put in there to show that this really is Christ's church restored, so thank you. They love Jesus Christ and want to follow them, they just don't understand yet that this is for them.

I had the most heartbreaking experience of my mission this week. We went to visit a family in our ward who has become less-active since I arrived. We knew they had been offended, but we didn't realize to what extent they were until we got there. It was a really hard experience. They were so bitter - so much so that it blinded them to everything that is important, made them paranoid towards everyone in the ward. They had so much hatred that they couldn't remember at all the feelings of the spirit, which meant they couldn't remember their testimony at all. It has resulted in a temple marriage not taking place and 5 members refusing to ever return to church. After we left, Sister McKenna and I just sat in the car and sobbed. It broke our hearts that they are giving up that which is most important. They have no idea what a huge effect it will have on them and their children as they refuse to forgive and give up such important blessings. It was definitely a very low point.

I kept thinking about Dad, as a bishop, and the concern and care he wants to show people. I recognized all that the bishop had done for this family - everything he possibly could about the situation - but yet they were so angry at him even though he had nothing to do with it. Dad, what you are doing is really important. I guess I just realized a portion of what heartache you have probably experienced in being a bishop. It also made us reflect on how much more hurt the savior is when we choose to not forgive, because he loves us and knows us much better than we knew this family. 

Sorry that story was such a downer. It really was a good week, but it hasn't been very long since I last wrote and those are the two main experiences. I am doing well. I feel really at peace with transfers and I'm excited. Thanks for the letters and love! I love you all!

love,

Sister A

You may also enjoy this part of a note sent to me (the Mom):

HI mom :)

 

I liked your "getting to know you" lesson in Relief society. It is important for investigators to have a member take them by the hand and help them feel comfortable. I have realized how much inactivity could be avoided if everyone in the ward picked someone to be a friend to to make sure they knew they were needed and expected to be at church. It's just hard to go to church when you are lonely and feel uninvited.

 

In Relief Society a few weeks ago we had a lesson about RS and what it meant to people. This cute mom in the ward said, 'In Relief Society we can be a sister to someone else's sister who can't be there at the time.' 

It really struck me, because I thought about K so far from home and how I would want someone to treat her because I can't be with her.  So I always want to be someone that can take care of someone else's sister to how I want my sisters and mom to be taken care of. I loved that quote of hers.

 

Oh! So Sister Beckman - this awesome spunky senior couple - went home for her mother's funeral and while she was there her niece said, in a scandalous tone of voice, 'a sister in your mission has a blog! I found it the other day!' and sister Beckman laughed, because all missionaries here can have proselyting blogs, but then when I asked sister Beckman who's it was she said, "it was something like... paisley...printer?" haha! I thought it was so funny that she found it. Thanks for putting my email up. I've had several friends comment and say they like reading my ridiculously long emails. Thanks for taking the time :)