November 9, 2015
Wowzers what a week. LONGEST WEEK IN THE
HISTORY OF EVER. This one has got a journal entry and all which is saying a
lot. Stay tuned for it.
Monday: Preparation Day- Basically
Packingation Day. I had to pack all day and we had to three-pack(ify) our
apartment. It was a little hectic but we got it all taken care of. Enough of
the boring P-day wait until you hear the rest of the week.
Tuesday: MY BABY IS ALL GROWN UP! Don’t worry
everyone I didn’t actually have a baby, that’s just the term you use when you
train a new missionary. BUT TUESDAY WAS SISTER BELL’S VERY LAST DAY OF
TRAINING! She is so ready for this new transfer and she is going to do great
taking over the area! So transfers happened. First of all my new companion is
from Magna, UT and her name is Sister Johnson! She is so sweet and has a great
testimony. This is going to be an interesting transfer but I have never been so
ready for a challenge! We actually white washed into the area which means that
two previous elders were taken out and Sister Johnson and I were put in. We are
the first sisters to live in this apartment EVER. You can tell it has been
lived in by boys since 1992 (that’s the last date we have record of). It looks
a lot better now, so does all of the records. It has been CRAZZZYYYY. Just
imagine for a second the most rural place you can think of. Houses every mile
or two, long dirt driveways, lots of land, horses, trees… yes that was South
Whidbey. Now picture the typical city. HUNDREDS of apartment complexes with
THOUSANDS of occupied apartments, traffic, honking horns, people walking on the
sidewalks, people crossing the road in the busy traffic… that’s where we are. It
is quite a different dynamic. Everyone wants to go to a foreign country on
their mission but shoot, we have 60 different countries within our small area.
We have met people from all over the world: Cambodia, Fiji, Egypt, Russia, and
all over the place. I think we have more copies of the Book of Mormon in
languages other than English.
Wednesday: This morning we woke up and did
our studies. It was weird to do all of our studies in the morning before
district meeting. On the Island we always had to catch the ferry so our studies
were pushed back. Anyway, we did studies and then went to district meeting. WE
HAVE A HUGE DISTRICT. 7 sisters (including my baby Sister Bell!), and 4 elders.
It is great to hear so many different perspectives and ideas. We went grocery
shopping after district meeting- got some food and hangers because I didn’t
have enough in my new apartment. Then we came home and called all the auxiliary
leaders to set up appointments. We wanted to meet with each of them to see how
we could help and take a load off of their shoulders. Then we went and visited
some members, had dinner, and then saw more members. We got a referral out of it so it had to have
been worth it! We also had a meeting with our Ward Mission Leader. He is great
and we are so excited to work with him!
Thursday: Today felt like a total of 824
hours. LONGEST DAY EVER. We had a meeting with our relief society president
right after our studies and it was wonderful! She gave us a whole list of
sisters to visit in the ward. We spent the whole day trying to contact members.
We don’t know who is active, less active, semi active, anything. It’s fun. It’s
like a game of Guess Who! We had a lesson with an investigator family planned
but they canceled. The son was supposed to get baptized this Saturday. AHHHH.
STRESS. But he didn’t show up to church so we are going to postpone it a little
bit. We actually have an appointment with them tonight. But overall it has been
a good few days. Not sure if I will ever get used to the apartment complexes though.
I don’t like when the visitor parking is filled. OR that we have to look up
names in a directory at the complex just to call them so they can unlock the
door. It is hard to explain. OH AND LOTS AND LOTS OF STAIRS.
Friday: WEEKLY PLANNING TO THE MAX. It took
up most of our day. It is hard to plan for an area that neither of you know. We
had to reorganize some things but we feel so much better about the area and we
are ready to work, work, and work this week.
Saturday; Saturday went by pretty quickly. We
spent most of the day at a Roots Tech Family History Thingy (the thingy isn’t
actually part of the name I just can’t remember what the rest of the title is).
We just helped people get to the correct classes and answered some questions,
we got free cookies too. We stayed in most of the night to read through the
former investigators in our area book. We actually have a whole separate binder
for them because there are so many. We found some great people that we are
excited to meet!
Sunday: Well we had ward council early in the
AM. It was wonderful to already report on some of the names Sister Jensen
(Relief Society President) had given us. We are off to a good start in the
ward, folks. We were also asked to say the prayers in sacrament meeting. So
when sacrament meeting came, that’s what we did. Then we went to Gospel
Principles class where our Ward Mission Leader taught. There was only a few in
there. We are teaching next week though so more people better come! ;) During
relief society we introduced ourselves and made an announcement. This is
critical. We as missionaries come to members’ homes for dinner to strengthen
their faith and help them with their missionary efforts. It is ONE HOUR of
coordinating efforts and suggesting and receiving new ideas. IT IS NOT ABOUT
THE FOOD. Missionaries are not starving to death. We have food in the apartment
and we have a specific amount of money to spend each month. We eat at members’
homes to hasten the work of salvation. And to reiterate… ONE HOUR. Half way through
the meeting we went into Primary to talk to the 10 year olds about how the
Gospel is in all the world. We shared about all the languages the Book of
Mormon is translated into and where all of our friends, relatives, neighbors,
cousins, are serving. WE KNOW PEOPLE EVERYWHERE! After the block we had a
meeting with our Ward Mission Leader. Then a meeting with our Bishop. Then a
meeting with Sister Carter the Young Women’s President. We are going to talk to
the laurels next Sunday to get them out working with us. We had dinner at the
Bishop’s house and then had our studies! Loving it here in the Pacific
Northwest! It has been rainy but it hasn’t struck us with lightning, it isn’t
slowing us down.
I was telling Sister Johnson yesterday how
weird I feel this week. I have so many things to be stressed about or so many
reasons to be frustrated for whatever it may be but I AM JUST SO HAPPY. It’s
weird. I am just so excited this transfer. I told President Bonham and the Lord
(of course) that I am ready to work harder than ever this transfer. Just
“trying a little harder to be a little better.” Everyone says the last 6 months
of your mission are the prime time. Although, I still feel brand new I feel
like I finally know what to do and HOW to do it. I am ready to put it into
effect. Because of the disobedience of some previous missionaries, we are
really striving to gain the trust of the members. Having exactly 1 hour
dinners, returning and reporting on the assignments they give us, and going the
extra mile. The work of members and missionaries should not be parallel but
should intertwine. They are both good efforts separately but together they are
exceptionally great--- invincible.
There are so many people out here in the
world that NEED the Gospel. We do not know who is prepared and who isn’t. We
don’t know who is behind the door that we are about to knock on but Heavenly
Father does. Those are His children. OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. Open your mouths
and share what you know. The success comes in the invite. Give them the
opportunity to accept or reject because they have agency. Don’t just pray for
opportunities but PLEAD for opportunities. Plead for the ability to recognize
those opportunities. Heavenly Father will give them to you. Once you have a
missionary experience, share it with others. It gets them excited and they will
do the same… it is contagious because it is the greatest work on the earth.
I love you all, xo
Sister Rodda
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