Week 70

Well, I just counted on the little calendar at the bottom of the screen, and I'll send 77 P-day emails total when all is said and done. That's... weird. Nerve-wracking. Exciting. Scary. All of the above. I've just been a bundle of emotions lately, and I can only imagine how that will continue for the next two months.

This week was a long week. Very interesting. I spent it all right here in Springfield, but we went on three exchanges. Tuesday, we exchanged with the Tuscola sisters, so a reunion with Sister Schwenke! We had fun. We had a chance to teach some lessons, including a really amazing one with the thirteen year old girl we're teaching, Adrian. We read a chapter of the Bible with her, and then said a closing prayer. Then as I stood up to leave, she asked "So, when do people get baptized?" I was a little surprised... okay, a lot surprised because she's been taught for quite some time and hadn't been progressing very much. But I answered that we normally teach some lessons, and then when people feel like they have received their answer, they decide on a date. So I asked, "Is that something that you'd like to do?" And she said YES! It was awesome. So we picked out February 21, and she's going to be praying about it. It's one of the greatest things on a mission: to see the Spirit working on someone so that they want to change.

On Wednesday morning, we received some bad news. Our bishop, Anthony Leggett, passed away. He had been battling colon cancer for a while, and over the last couple of months had really been struggling. The whole ward was affected. He was an amazing leader. You can actually read more about this, I think they have a Facebook page called "Fearless Leggett."

Thursday, we had our district meeting, and went on another exchange. This time I went with a sister who has only been out for about four months. There was an emergency switch (kind of like when I was with Sister Reed again) so she and her companion have only been together for a little less than a week. She was doing pretty well though, so that's good. It can be stressful to have so much change so quickly, but she really impressed me with her enthusiasm and readiness to jump in. I love the fire of new missionaries. They are ready to change the world, and they inspire me to do the same!

We actually had an interesting morning the next day together, because we had an appointment at 9:30. See, normally we don't take appointments before 10, but this was the only time that worked for her. So we went to see our appointment, which went well. She loved the plan of salvation! Then, because we were on the other side of town from our apartment, we went and did our companion study at Starbucks (I bought her a hot chocolate). It was a bit of a different sight: two missionaries studying in Starbucks :)

Went on another exchange, this time with a sister who has been out for the same amount of time as me. We had a really great lesson right before we switched back! We have been trying to meet with this potential investigator for a while, but she's always been gone or we didn't have time. But we finally sat down and she really is open and ready and willing to learn. I love meeting people who are searching for something more, because I know that the gospel will bless them with that "something" that they are missing.

After we switched back, we went to Bishop Leggett's funeral. It was a really nice service. He worked in the Department of Corrections so they had an Honor Guard there. It was beautiful. We sang in the choir that they put together, of a medley of "Our Savior's Love" and a children's choir singing "I Feel My Savior's Love."

And now I look outside and the snow is coming down! I'm just grateful it held off, I did NOT want to have to delay emailing :)

Being a missionary stretches you in different ways than you expect. And I am guessing that different missions stretch you in different ways as well. I think of my cousins, in Mongolia and Brazil, and I know that they have to be facing different challenges than I do. But the amazing thing is that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for all of us. We are placed exactly where we need to be in order to be shaped into the disciple that Heavenly Father will need us to be. We are placed where we can bless the lives of His children in the best way, whether now or in the future. And central to this plan is of course the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He made it possible for us to be able to learn and grow through all of the challenges, all of the heartache, all exhaustion and sadness and so on. If I come out of the mission with nothing else, I want to be able to say that I learned how to rely on the Atonement. If we allow Him, He will place His yoke on our shoulders. We will be guided day by day, through the Spirit and through the words of the scriptures. And we don't have to bear any burden or face any day alone.

Sister Barret