MAN OH MAN! I can NOT believe
that January is over. And then at the same time, Christmas seems like it was
forever ago. I'm telling you, time as a missionary is soooo warped. I have this
false thought that time actually stopped when I left back in 2010, that everything
just stopped, and that everything will pick up when I get home again. So not
true! Life has gone on! So weird... I mean, how could life go on without me?
Alls I'm sayin.... :) (slightly kidding)
In all seriousness, time is an interesting thing. There never seems to be quite enough of it, and I think that's why the Brethren counsel us to use it with much care and wisdom. What we do with our time is a huge reflection of our character, I think. So that being said, I'm super excited to spend all of my time Mario Kart and Guitar Hero when I get home. Only kidding... I think that one of the things Heavenly Father really wants us to learn and understand is the principle of time, that we need to really think about the things that are the most important and prioritize our day according to those most important things. Being a missionary has definitely helped me understand priorities and planning around those priorities. I wish I could say that all of my priorities are now just in tip-top-perfect-shape, but they aren't. Just improved. Greatly improved.
Twas a good week.
Ok have a great week! Love you all!
In all seriousness, time is an interesting thing. There never seems to be quite enough of it, and I think that's why the Brethren counsel us to use it with much care and wisdom. What we do with our time is a huge reflection of our character, I think. So that being said, I'm super excited to spend all of my time Mario Kart and Guitar Hero when I get home. Only kidding... I think that one of the things Heavenly Father really wants us to learn and understand is the principle of time, that we need to really think about the things that are the most important and prioritize our day according to those most important things. Being a missionary has definitely helped me understand priorities and planning around those priorities. I wish I could say that all of my priorities are now just in tip-top-perfect-shape, but they aren't. Just improved. Greatly improved.
Twas a good week.
Ok have a great week! Love you all!
PSYCHE. I don't know why I thought that was funny because you can see that I
still wrote more. Whatevs... just go with it. I'm in a weird mood. Taquita (Sis
Orellana) and I have been hard core runners lately. Even waking up early, which
is hard to do. Especially for me because lets be honest, I LOVE SLEEP. Anyways,
we run around and around and up hills and its HARD. Especially because Taquita
is an all star runner. Anyways, we ran 5 miles today! It felt so great! I
haven't done that in a reallyllllylllllyly long time. But I think I'm a little
loopy because of it. But we are gonna do it again tomorrow. Haha. We are nuts,
I know. But it has felt really good to get back running again. I have been
running my whole mission but on a very pathetic and slow 1.5-2 miles a day
around a parking lot level. I really love to run. My body hates it while I'm
doing it. Today we were running up a particularly long hill and it was
gruesome! Seriously so hard! But then we reached the top, and we turned left
and had to go up an even steeper climb for a sec until finally we hit the down
hill. And it was so refreshing and I was so grateful to be able to relax and
run downhill for a while. BUT, we are still running, so it is still work. we
don't just stop working or trying. I think thats how our lives are
sometimes.... we have to really go through some hard things, and then even
harder things at the climax of the hard thing, before we can finally make a
turn and have some refreshment for a while. It's the way God keeps us humble,
but also lets us know that he will never ever ever let it be too hard, or that
he will never ever ever leave us continually going uphill, with no redemption,
never able to feel the release. He will always come and let us run down hill
for a while.
I actually feel like most of my mission has been that way. Very up and down. But the ups, in this case, have been the hard part. The parts where I was just going on pure faith, with hardly any strength. The parts where I was really wondering if I would ever make it to the top or feel that I was able to accomplish anything. The parts where Satan got in my mind and told me I can't do this, that I will never ever change, and that I might as well quit. But the down parts are where you finally get what you needed to learn, and then God is there and he helps you have a break for a second. And it makes all of the climbing worth it. Every single pain and frustration and heartache becomes worth it because of how good the down hill run feels. Because of how good the redeeming power of the Savior Jesus Christ feels in our lives.
I had one of these experiences this week. I was pretty frustrated.... "pretty" is an understatement major. I was on the brink.... and I needed to talk to my President. So I did, and it was really hard. I don't think I have actually ever felt so vulnerable in my life as I did that day. Just that really and completely, I need God every single day and I need to realize how much he loves me. Every single day. And it was definitely a hard climb... I actually feel like that day was the part of the run where the climb got a little steeper and really hard. And then the downhill came and I really feel that the Atonement of Jesus Christ came and helped me. And will continue to help me. I definitely will have another climb and another extra-climb at the climax, but I have hope that the release from the downhill will come. That if I just keep running, it will be an easier path to run. But I still have to keep on keepin on. I think that is what Christ is talking about when he says he will take our yoke upon him and make our burdens light. We still have to experience carrying the yoke, because if we didn't, we wouldn't learn a thing, BUT he will take it when we can't take it anymore. I love my Savior and I am so grateful for His atonement.
That was a really long saga. But I hope it made sense. It did to me, but then again, I'm a little crazy, so....
It really was a great week. We are teaching wonderful people. Abuelo and Polly are both progressing! Greatly! They are both thinking and praying about their baptismal dates which is wonderful. I really love them a whole lot. Polly is a little tender mercy for the end of my mission.... Pray that I will get to see her baptized. Either now, or in the future, doesn't matter. When the time is right. But.... just sayin.... it would be really nice if it was before the end of February... so... maybe keep that in your prayers..... :)
We got to speak in church yesterday. I spoke about the Book of Mormon and it really lit my fire for how important that book is again! Do we really realize what we are claiming? That because this book is true, our church is the only true church in the world. It's a pretty bold claim. BUT IT IS TRUE! Thats the amazing thing. We don't even have to try and prove it, the book is it's own proof (not my words, Ezra taft Bensons words). I really hope that we really understand how important this book is and how important it is that we share it with others! SO SHARE IT! Seriously, I would invite every one of you to really pray for an opportunity to share this book with someone the Lord will place in your path this year. Will you do it?! Good.
Allright, my time is up because I spent a really long time on my running analogy. Oh well.....
You are all the best. I really have the best friends in the world. Thank you all.
COURT- Thank you for the recorder! I all ready listened to it and it made me cry. Thank you. See you across the ocean!
Love you
Sista Brink
I actually feel like most of my mission has been that way. Very up and down. But the ups, in this case, have been the hard part. The parts where I was just going on pure faith, with hardly any strength. The parts where I was really wondering if I would ever make it to the top or feel that I was able to accomplish anything. The parts where Satan got in my mind and told me I can't do this, that I will never ever change, and that I might as well quit. But the down parts are where you finally get what you needed to learn, and then God is there and he helps you have a break for a second. And it makes all of the climbing worth it. Every single pain and frustration and heartache becomes worth it because of how good the down hill run feels. Because of how good the redeeming power of the Savior Jesus Christ feels in our lives.
I had one of these experiences this week. I was pretty frustrated.... "pretty" is an understatement major. I was on the brink.... and I needed to talk to my President. So I did, and it was really hard. I don't think I have actually ever felt so vulnerable in my life as I did that day. Just that really and completely, I need God every single day and I need to realize how much he loves me. Every single day. And it was definitely a hard climb... I actually feel like that day was the part of the run where the climb got a little steeper and really hard. And then the downhill came and I really feel that the Atonement of Jesus Christ came and helped me. And will continue to help me. I definitely will have another climb and another extra-climb at the climax, but I have hope that the release from the downhill will come. That if I just keep running, it will be an easier path to run. But I still have to keep on keepin on. I think that is what Christ is talking about when he says he will take our yoke upon him and make our burdens light. We still have to experience carrying the yoke, because if we didn't, we wouldn't learn a thing, BUT he will take it when we can't take it anymore. I love my Savior and I am so grateful for His atonement.
That was a really long saga. But I hope it made sense. It did to me, but then again, I'm a little crazy, so....
It really was a great week. We are teaching wonderful people. Abuelo and Polly are both progressing! Greatly! They are both thinking and praying about their baptismal dates which is wonderful. I really love them a whole lot. Polly is a little tender mercy for the end of my mission.... Pray that I will get to see her baptized. Either now, or in the future, doesn't matter. When the time is right. But.... just sayin.... it would be really nice if it was before the end of February... so... maybe keep that in your prayers..... :)
We got to speak in church yesterday. I spoke about the Book of Mormon and it really lit my fire for how important that book is again! Do we really realize what we are claiming? That because this book is true, our church is the only true church in the world. It's a pretty bold claim. BUT IT IS TRUE! Thats the amazing thing. We don't even have to try and prove it, the book is it's own proof (not my words, Ezra taft Bensons words). I really hope that we really understand how important this book is and how important it is that we share it with others! SO SHARE IT! Seriously, I would invite every one of you to really pray for an opportunity to share this book with someone the Lord will place in your path this year. Will you do it?! Good.
Allright, my time is up because I spent a really long time on my running analogy. Oh well.....
You are all the best. I really have the best friends in the world. Thank you all.
COURT- Thank you for the recorder! I all ready listened to it and it made me cry. Thank you. See you across the ocean!
Love you
Sista Brink
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