I feel like I get a real good spiritual email out to you all every..maybe once every month or so, but here comes some good learning moments I just wanna take thirty minutes out of my pday to share with my fammmmmy.
I don't know if I've told you all, but sometimes missionary work is real HARD. Called to SERVE literally means you are called to go work. Sometimes I still get all surprised when I have to actually work hard for things. Well. Anyway. This week was an adventure -- as promised, it is Betio...
This week I was sick with a fever. It's not a big deal or anything, but the house that I moved into doesn't currently have power. Or water. Every time I needed water, I'd have to go outside to our little well, lay on the coral filled ground, and bucket what little water we had left. Because the power was out, I layed on the cement floor in our house (cause it was colder than laying on the bed) and I had a good cry. Not a pity cry, or a sad cry..just a "fetch, this is hard" kinda cry. I had a good talk with Heavenly Father as I told him all the things that were, "hard" about this mission. The list was pretty lengthy, but after the emotions and the tears a little voice came that said, "Yes, this is hard but your strong enough to handle it."
A little while later the zone leaders called randomly to ask about baptism clothes, and I asked if they were in the area..they said no, but they would be soon. So I asked if they could come give me a blessing, and they were happy to. The blessing was really good but the thing that stuck out was this. Elder Klatt said, "You Father in Heaven is mindful of your hard work and is mindful of the hard work you will continue to do." It sure made me laugh..and I know that Father in Heaven heard my prayer. My prayer of, "hard work sometimes stinks." and reminded me that I'm going to continue to do hard work. So thanks Father, for listening. I know you did.
Speaking of hard work, after prayer and fasting we have changed our goals. It's called, "The 5, 10, 15 Plan of Happiness"
-5 families completed (meaning preparing a family to go to the temple, or baptizing every eligible member in the family.)
-10 less actives rescued (coming to church regularly)
-15 Melchizedek priesthood holders (a lot of members are baptized but don't have the Priesthood - so we are finding members, or taking the less actives and getting them active to receive the Priesthood)
The goal is working from the Priesthood up. Most of our investigators fall into all three of the categories..but as we work with the heads of the households we feel it will be most effective to grow the ward and grow the amounts of completed families.
Anyway. So there is my summary of the week. Hard work. But you know what I know? I know that suffering for Christ's sake is a privilege.
If I could say anything else, it really would be just my gratitude to Heavenly Father for listening to my prayers. Sometimes my prayers are so scattered, so frustrated, so imperfect..but the miracle that in the blessing the words were used "Hard work" just the thing I was tearing up about a couple hours earlier means everything to me. It keeps the tag on my chest..just knowing He listens. So thanks to my Heavenly Father.
Power should be coming on today, so the story ends well. Every story always does if we live the gospel, right?
Sure love you,
Sister Johnson.
