Tuesday, May 19, 2015

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring...or just drunk

Why do I literally have the best family in the world?  Thanks for all you do guys, I love you so much!!  (That seems to be a familiar missionary phrase -- missions increase appreciation for families, I guess.  Reminder - blue comments are Mom's).    

Couple things this week...I ALWAYS lose my keys in my bag...this bag is the best and has lasted me for 10 months and will make it through the rest of my mission (shout out to the Lovett's--thanks guys!!), but there's a whole in the lining--I probably put something sharp in there on accident, so the keys and pens, etc. always fall into the lining and disappear.  So after a lesson on Sunday, it was raining and cold and we were all trying to find the keys in my bag and afterwards, the member we were with gave me an extra lanyard that she has to help me keep track of them.  Later on I was trying to steer with the lanyard, and it slipped a bit, only as we were going through a roundabout though, otherwise it was fine, and the wheel was locked and it was a bit scary...don't worry,  I won't do it again. But church was amazing!  I learned so much!

So last night we had the coolest experience...one of the less active girls we are working with came to sacrament, but didn't stay, and after church we felt prompted to visit her.  We went to her home, but she wasn't there, she was at work.  We really felt like we should go to her work, but we felt a bit weird, especially because it was Sunday, but we prayed about it and went.  When we got there, she let us in and locked the door because this man was super duper drunk and he had been in the store for like 30 minutes just standing by her and he wouldn't leave.  So when he left, she locked the door. Then when we looked outside, he was laying on the ground by the road.  She called an ambulance, and we went over and talked to him.  He was a bit older, and he was in tears saying that he just wanted to go home.  We talked to him a bit -- he was really pretty present for being that drunk, and he is in a lot of pain, emotionally.  He gave us his address and phone number--and the number actually works, so he remembered his info, and we told him we would help him get home but also help him change his life.  I know that Heavenly Father led us to him that evening.  I felt so strongly that this man is Heavenly Father's child and Heavenly Father is reaching out to him right now.  I love being able to reach out to people for Him.  Or I guess be an instrument in His hands, and I know it's as we listen to the promptings of the Spirit that we can be. 

I am learning how to truly pray and I feel like I am finally learning how to listen to the spirit more!  At least a bit ha.  10 months into my mission haha.  I have so much further to go, but I'm also learning to be ok with the pace at which I am learning.  As long as I am progressing.

So we had this great uplifting night, and when we got home to do our studies, I don't know what happened, but Sister Vaha'i got pretty mad.  To be fair, I probably did something to make her angry without realizing it, but I had no clue what...it was one of the most tense nights of my mission, and I was trying sooo hard not to react, but to act.  Then I remembered something that we were told in Sacrament meeting, that when you want to do something, there's no point in trying, just do it!  I decided to apply that, and when I changed my thinking from I'm trying so hard to be kind and patient and bite my tongue, to think, it's not that hard, just do it, it became soo much easier!  I don't know if  I explained that well, but oh well.  Hopefully it makes sense, because it really clicked for me last night.  I pray so hard for the strength to change and for help becoming better, and then really I needed to change my thinking ... rather than try to be patient or try to be loving, just do it!  Even if you don't feel it right away, you will eventually.  She apologized this morning and we are all goods now, so no worries either.  We all have those moments.  She is amazing and I am lucky to be companions with her :) Sister Vaha'i has such a strong desire to be good and do good.   (One of my new favorite quotes is from a talk by Elder Scott entitled: The Transforming Power of Faith and Character.  It says: "We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.

The one spiteful thing I did last night in response was to eat the rest of the Doritos (there were only crumbs left anyway), but the joke was on me, because they were all stale haha.  Learned my lesson. 

We are working with this part member family, coming, and we stopped by after church to find out why they didn't come.  They told us that they had been hung over, and that's why they didn't end up coming, but the wife shared that she doesn't want to drink anymore, and she  really wants to go to church!!!  The first time we met her, she told us that she just didn't want to keep the commandments at all.  We are witnessing her heart and her desires  change as the spirit works with her!  I am soo excited for their family! 

Oh also this week we were leaving this one home as well, and I said bye, and turned to walk out and walked right into their screen door, and there is now a dent in their screen from my head...I'm that hard headed.  Great. 

Life is great!  Have a wonderful week!  LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

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