Monday, January 10, 2011

1/10/2011

Pues! Feliz Ano :o can we even beGIN to believe that it's 2011. And I was thinking about this the other day.. 2005 was 6 years ago. OH MY GOSH. But anyway. I'm not e-mailing to talk about time. Because um. I don't have any of it haha. So let's get this started k!

  Well. This has been another crazy week. When I begin to e-mail, I don't even know where in the entire world I am supposed to start with 7 days worth of what has happened. Each and every single day, every moment of every day I've realized, has something new for me to learn about myself. About what kind of character I have exactly. Because being away home with complete strangers surrounding you, and trying to hang on to who YOU are in a place where YOU'RE the complete stranger is tough. You're given no other influence but what you have learned as you have gone through life, and what you have learned about the Savior's life. Because that IS who we're striving to become like. It's weird, because there are SO many times where I realize I am in a situation I have never been in before.. not a 'bad' one, just one I've never experienced- and I try to use what I've grown up with, but it gets tough having no idea how to react with everything that happens throughout the day. Not that I'm trying to complain. It really is just a humbling experience, every single day. I honestly have not repented more than I have been, every single day, trying to be the missionary, or just the daughter that my Heavenly Father wants me to be. How often do we take for granted the feeling that we get after we repent? How often do we forget that Heavenly Father will forgive us.. no matter how bad we may feel about ourselves. No matter how bad we may NOT want to pray and face Him.. but at the same time, how often do we forget to realize that everything He does is with love? That the only. ONLY! feeling we can feel whenever we DO mess up is love, is we just come to Him. But anyway. I don't wanna go off on a tangent. It's just one of those 'blessings in disguise', being able to repent. It can be uncomfortable at first, but I feel like the best prayers are the ones where we totally and completely let Heavenly Father in. No matter how much of a failure we may feel like, no matter how much we feel we may be able to handle any little thing by ourselves. We may be able to try, but I truly believe that we can't feel the kind of love that our Father in Heaven can make us feel. And through the hardest times in these past 4 months as a missionary, I have NEVER felt as close to my Savior as I have in the hardest of times. Or the times where I have felt like nothing but a sinner. Like I do nothing but wrong everywhere I step. But He takes it ALL away! All of it. It's unexplainable. I hope that's a word. But it's possible. It's only possible from our Savior.

  But let me go on with the rest of the week. Sooo Thursday was El Dia de Los Reyes in the Hispanic culture, where they believe the 3 wise men got to baby Jesus. So it's a tradition to make or buy this Mexican 'pan dulce', or sweet bread that's in the shape of a HUGE necklace. And there's a little action figure type. thing hidden in it, and whoever's piece of cake has the little action figure in it has to throw a party for everyone else. So! We were at the Clark's that day, and lowww and behold. The 7 year old boy Joaquin got the little action figure. He gets to throw a party for everyone else. hhhhaaaahah.
  Andd what else! oh! So! Friday was Elder Jordan's and Hermana Knight's quinceanera.. they
're 15 month mark. They had colors picked out and everything haha, so we decorated alll UP the relief society room for all of them for District Meeting.. or. As Elder Jordan calls it. "District Council." Beeecause. That's cooler. haha :) Itwas so fun! Elder Jordan forgot his dress.... but we improvised!
  Umm what else happened. OH! I did this for mom. I went on exchanges this past Friday right, and the area I happened to be exchanged into goes RIGHTT up to the border. And so guess what we got to do! During tracting, we got to go to the border, right by our lunch appointment. And I got to take a picture in front of it.. which I'll send. But check THIS. There are gaps in the border! Like. Huge gaps that could problly fit about 30 cars.. at LEAST, in between them. With ONE border patrol SUV just chillin there haha. But um. Apparently they know what they're doing! It's just weird, how I could just walk into Mexico if the Border Patrol wasn't there :o


  OH! And! I realized this week exactly HOW IMPORTANT members are to missionary work.. members ARE. the missionary work, I am TELLING you! They really are. Ya'll can just go with the Elders tracting, or to houses, or ANYwhere.. especially if you know less actives they can go visit. ANYthing. You really make it happen for us. We're just following your lead. Really.
Well anyway! Time's going quick. I love you all, and I pray for you likE LOCO. I'm a letter away. you know that. Shine that light!



La iglesia es verdadera!
Hermana Lia Batchkoff

No comments:

Post a Comment