Being on a mission is like having a real life but in a sped-up miniature version. Time seems to go bye so quickly yet slowly at the same time but then seems to skip as you look back on the week...I don't know if any of that made the slightest bit of sense but that is the best way I can describe it.
This week was an interesting one, all of our appointments got cancelled but we still managed to make it a fun week. It a bit cold but still very beautiful outside. Some days we just couldn't help but smile because the sky was so beautifully perfect.
My companion, Sis. Doxey, and I made a deal where every Monday, (our P-Day), we go to a local store in Lelystad that seems interesting and get a treat. Today, we went "Jamin: Dat Is Lekker", a chocolate/candy store we've had our eyes on for quite some time. We each bought a bag of various flavors of little chocolate eggs (I got about 20...don't judge); so far the best one is the milk chocolate Dulce De Leche. It was our valentines to ourselves lol. It was funny because when I went to pay, the cashier laughed at me a little because I couldn't stop smiling; I was just so happy to get a bag of chocolate. It doesn't seem like much, but you really learn to appreciate the little joys in life that bring light to your day.
This week, I've thought a lot about the reason why we are here; on this earth and in this life. The first thing we teach people is that God is our loving Heavenly Father. And as it states in 1 John 4, God is love. For me, love is not always the easiest thing to possess, for others as well as for myself. To a certain extent, in order to understand or rather believe and come to know that our Heavenly Father loves us each individually, we must first have a relationship with Him. And anyone who knows relationships knows that they require communication. It cannot be casual or apathetic, it must be honest, constant, consistent, and sincere.
What is the most important thing we must learn while we're here? My answer: we are here to learn how to love. We must learn how to love God enough to be obedient and love others enough to forgive. At times, both are very difficult. Both are intangible and require sincerity and action. Both need time to develop and grow. And both demand an effort of understanding.
My aim, on my mission, is to have people truly understand that and when they understand it, they will act upon it, hopefully. I used to think that in order to love God we had to be perfect. I am grateful that God, knowing our natural imperfection, still loves us anyways.
Another thing that I've also learned on my mission is to condense and simply state a lesson about the Gospel. People don't give us much time to speak so, you learn how to say a lot in a very short amount of time. Here's one I learned from one of my favorite teachers at the MTC:
"Jesus Christ frees us from sin and death - He asks us to follow His gospel. Faith in Him
means believing and trusting Him. Repentance means turning to Him when we make
mistakes. Being baptized and confirmed means covenanting with Him and receiving help.
Enduring means loving Him."
As always, I am running out of time. So, I'll end here. I love you all and miss you much!
Kus kus kus (kiss kiss kiss)
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