1-16-23
Ok. Well that's it. The transfer is over. I've been ASL for a whole transfer.
Imma be honest- this week kinda sucked. On Tuesday we had our zone and district council, I had to give a training on testifying about the Book of Mormon- which is literally one of my favorite orite things to do. It actually went really well, I just really don't like giving trainings lol.
There's a document called "the fourth missionary" and we've been studying g it together in companionship study for a while, we finished it this week. It talks about the best way to serve a mission and all the things that set missionaries apart. Why some missionaries have awful missions and others have a life-changing incredible mission. The 4th missionary is the missionary who gives his will to God. I want to be that missionary and I've been thinking alot about what that all would look like. What areas I'm already 4th in and other areas that need some work. It's been brutally eye- opening.
I'll throw a link on the email if you want to look at it.
Anyways. I hit my 6-month mark on January 11th. That was kinda cool.
I'm not sure what's been going on, buy I've just been in a bad mood for the most part of every day this week. I know a few things contributing to it is that I am discouraged about learning ASL, it's really frustrating sometimes, also sometimes my companions treat me like I'm a brand new missionary. I can't stand condescending stuff like that. Also, Elder White is being transferred and that's always tough. Everything kinda crashed and crumbled on Saturday. We were in the middle of personal study time and I was already having a bad morning. We got a VP (video call) and all put our black sleeved jackets on and went to answer it. It was a member of the ASL branch I'd never met before- which means she'd also never met me.so she started asking me a bunch of questions and I was doing alright until suddenly she asked a question and I had no clue what it was. I looked to my comps for help and they ignored me. I asked her to sign it again. She did and I still was clueless. So I asked my comps if what I was thinking she asked was right. They're just like ok then a sign back to her.
She asked more questions and I still had no clue. The call ended and I got up and went straight back to my desk before my comps could even get up from their chairs. Luckily I'm In a corner, so I faced into the corner and put my head down a bit and for the first time in a while I just cried. Like, alot. I got tears all over the papers I was reading which made me even more upset.
So that's the kind of week it's been. Then guess what.
We had stake conference this weekend. Which means we had to Interpret. Stake conference really was wonderful. They only made me do the prayers. Which was really hard. The good thing about prayers is that your eyes are closed so you can't see all the people looking at you like "what the heck is he trying to say?"
We also went to a funeral and it was cool to get to know somebody so well without ever getting to really meet her.
It's been raining like absolute crazy here.
Ok, at stake conference I was sitting near this guy and his wife. (I was trying to focus on the ASL interpretations of the talks, but didn't do very good at that) at first I saw them kinda holding each other and I was like- dang, in a few years that's gonna be me and my wife. Turns out I was mega wrong.
I looked over again and saw them focusing all their attention in a hymn book. That was really confusing. Hymns are cool and all but not THAT cool. I look over again and of course there's a phone hidden in the hymnbook with a soccer game playing.
I was pretty upset. This guy was causing himself and his wife to miss out on the incredible blessings that come from paying attention to stake conference talks. We got to hear from all 3 members of the stake presidency, and a member of the temple presidency and his wife! That does not happen often! It was a really special opportunity and he said "no thanks, soccer is good"
It got me thinking, what soccer games do I have playing in the background of my life that are taking my attention away from special gifts and experiences Heavenly Father is trying to give me? One really significant thing about this is that the couple had dressed up in their nice Sunday clothes, they drove to the stake center and they WERE THERE! They were in the meeting!
How many missionaries go to their missionary and serve the full two years but are just "watching soccer" the whole time?
How often do we go to church and partake of the sacrament with "soccer games" still playing in our minds?
Sometimes from the outside it looks like we're doing exactly what we're supposed to be doing when really- we're not.
Idk if that makes any sense.
Anyways.
Love you all. Have an incredible week. I will try to do the same, lol.
Photos:
The fourth missionary:
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