December 7, 2015
Week of November
30- DECEMBER 6! I would be lying if I said this wasn't the best week of my
whole mission. It was pretty high up there on the chart of "great weeks as
a missionary." I think this might be a long email so I will keep the
"not-so-important" things short. ;)
Monday: P-day
and an amazing lesson with our investigator M! It was filled with the
Spirit and we were able to feel just a fraction of the love Heavenly Father has
for each of his children. When people make choices that seem insurmountable and
difficult to the world to put their loving Heavenly Father first is an
indescribable feeling and brings the greatest and most spiritual joy. One that
is hard to describe but easy to recognize.
Tuesday: Today
was literally one of the best days I have had in the mission field. It was busy
but yet it was full of reflection on the improvement and the progress I have
made in the last year. It is hard as a missionary (or as human) to see the long
term changes that take part in our lives. We started the day by doing service
for a cute less active family in the ward. Then we had a lesson with a less
active member. We had the relief society president come with us and it was a
great lesson. We were able to testify of the Atonement and how Christ has us "written
upon the palms of his hands." Then we had Mormon.org time. I love the new
Christmas Initiative "A Savior is Born" I think I watched it 50 times
in that hour. Afterwards we went to Activity Days and taught the cute girls
about how service as a missionary has blessed us and those we have served. We
were supposed to help them sew some things but really they just taught me and I
pretended I knew what I was doing. We had dinner with a less active member and
then we went to mutual. We had a question/answer session with the priests and
they could ask whatever the heck they wanted. It was really fun and I learned
so much about how missions change you, affect you, and strengthen you. One of
the most profound things I learned or was taught (by one of the Young Men
Advisors) is that missionaries spend so much time thinking and wishing and
praying for their families. They spend so much time focused on the things back
home, then they finish their full-time mission, see their family for 5 minutes,
and then they stop missing them. At that moment they realize that they don't
have that mission ever again and they can't go back. It is okay to miss your
family because that means you love them, but you should strive to "forget
yourself and go to work" because you will have eternity to spend with
them. Don't worry family, I still miss you. We also had a meeting with the
Bishop and our Ward Mission Leader that night to discuss... stuff.
Wednesday: We
had district meeting and it was great! I love all the missionaries in our
district, I think it's the biggest district in the mission too. Afterwards we
had a lesson with a less active who is dealing with a tragedy that took place
the day before Thanksgiving. It was great to bear testimony of the Plan of
Salvation and the knowledge and comfort it brings.
Thursday: We did
most of our weekly planning this day and spent the day contacting
potentials and formers. We had a lesson with Maria, Adolfo, Reymundo, and Jacob
(our investigator family- expect Rey is a recent convert). We
brought two young men with us to the lesson and they were great
fellowship. Maria decided she wanted a blessing so we called two other men
(ward mission leader and a member of the bishopric) and they came and gave her
the sweetest blessing. It was a very powerful testimony. I am so grateful for
the Holy Ghost.
Friday: We had a
multi-zone conference with Elder Johnson of the 70 majority of the day. I had
to say the opening prayer, I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous to pray
in front of a member of the 70, half the mission, and our mission presidency.
He shared lots of amazing insights about the nature of the Godhead. The most
significant reason the first vision was needed was to prove that Heavenly
Father has a body of flesh and bone that is tangible. He isn't just some big
mass of goodness (which was being taught by all the religions during this time
period), he has a perfected, glorified body. He told us that majority of us
testify of this from a borrowed testimony and invited us to ask Heavenly Father
five questions so we know for ourselves:
1. Do you exist?
(Are you really there? Are you listening?)
2. Do you have a
body of flesh and bones?
3. Do you know
me? (Do you know I am serving a mission? Did you know I am struggling with this
difficult situation?)
4. Am I really
your daughter? (Are you really my father?)
5. Heavenly
Father, do you love me? (even with all my imperfections? and weaknesses?)
As I prayed I
was overwhelmed with the spirit and received my answers in the most simple but
profound way. I can testify that Heavenly Father truly does have body, parts,
and passions. HE LOVES EACH OF HIS CHILDREN IMMENSELY.
Saturday: We
spend the day contacting. We love the people here in Everett and Mukilteo. We
truly are so blessed. We also did service and helped put up and decorate a
Christmas tree with HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of ornaments. It really felt like
Christmas to me. Oh and when we left dinner (in a nearby apartment complex) we
realized our car had been hit. The person left nothing but blue paint and
scratches on our car. I still love that son or daughter of God wherever they
may be and I would love to tell them that the Atonement allows us to repent and
be forgiven our mistakes. It's not like it was the first accident that
was caused from parking, hehehe...hehe...he.
Sunday: SO MANY
MIRACLES. We had meetings in the morning and then church. I love fast Sunday
and even though it is still really hard for me to fast (because my blood gets
really low) I am grateful for the ability to fast and have a greater spiritual
sensitivity. We had a less active come to church with an arranged ride. As well
as the less active family who recently lost their daughter. We had a man come
to church- long story but we tracted into this family and they were a new move
in of members. The wife was nice but doesn't want anything to do with the
church but the husband came! We also had a nonmember (not quite an
investigator) come to church! After church we had more meetings, studies, and
then we watched the Christmas Devotional. That was such a miracle because we
could only watch it with an investigator, less active, or recent covert. We had
planned to watch it with an investigator but she cancelled at 3:30 and it was
broadcast at 5 here in WA. So we texted a whole bunch of people and an
investigator that we had never met said we could come so we were able to watch
it with her!
One of the
greatest realizations I had this week is that Jesus Christ is our friend. Our
ponderizing scripture "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my
hands; thy walls are continually before me" had a footnote that takes us
to Zechariah 13:6. "And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in
thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house
of my friends." We all know that Jesus Christ is our brother. We know this
because each of us are children of God. However, Jesus Christ our Savior, our
Redeemer, our Exemplar CHOOSES to be our friend. Me and Hayden are siblings
inevitably, but me and Hayden are friends intentionally. The same goes for each
of us and our relationship with Christ. I love the comfort it brings to know
that Christ is my brother. I love even more that he is my friend, and your
friend. But it brings the most comfort to know that he CHOSE to be our friend
with all of our imperfections and weaknesses.
I am grateful
for the Christmas season and the joy it brings into the lives of God's
children. To me it is wonderful that so many people, worldwide, desire to
celebrate the birth of our Savior. He is our greatest example, our brother, and
our friend. I know that as we turn to our Lord we can become happy, we can be
forgiven, and we can have our burdens made light.
I love you all!
Sister Rodda
