So ya'll know by now that I am the least sporty/athletic/coordinated person known to mankind. My nickname was no-clutch-kayla in college for a reason and I am pretty sure I didn't even know what the world cup was until this year.. BUT I feel like I can now cheer considering... WE WONNNN AHHHH DEUTSCHLAND! How's that for hopping on the bandwagon? They legitimately announced that in church on Sunday and we all gave a very reverent "woot woot" (In our heads of course).
I really must have sounded negative in my last letter because I got SO many words of encouragement. I have the best cheer squad behind me. I love Grammy's letter this week, "Go Go Go! Sister Heywood! You can do it! Pray, Pray, Pray! Try, Try, Try!" Oh I just died. And double packages? Thank you SO much Lawrence Heywood's. Those cinnamon rolls were divine. Maybe a little too divine... ;) And family? I was just swooning over all those handwritten letters and how I could totally hear your voices through them. Golly, I love kids. We saw the most darling kids at the temple this week. We are talking: Leg rolls, rosey cheeks, pigtails with bows in them. The whole sha-bang. Mom you would have died. It took all my self control not to attack the poor child and smother her with love. Don't worry, I resisted. I just creeped from a far.... ;)
It's so weird to me how in the course of one week I can feel every single emotion humanly possible and yet every time I sit down to write this letter and reflect on the week it is only good positive vibes that sum up the week. Even all those hurdles I vent to you all the time somehow end up turning into blessings and learning experiences. I really just need to send my journal home or something so you can read all about it because as much as I want to say. I try really really really hard not to make this longer than the Bible itself. So here you go I have narrowed down all that I have learned this week to one thing:
Charity. How often do we talk about love being the essence of the gospel or the most important thing every missionary must have? (or every person for that matter) I know this. But... boy am I learning wayyyy more. We did a visual in devo on Sunday where the speaker had two members of who had played in their school band back in high school come up and he asked them what it would sound like if they were practicing their instruments by themselves without the other member of the band. Their response "Loud and annoying and it gives me and others a headache." He talked about even if we have everything. The truth, testimony, perfect German, logic. Everything. All it will sound like to the person is "loud and annoying."
"Though I speak with the tongue of Angels and have not charity, I am becoming as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophesy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith.. and have not charity. I am nothing." 1 Cor 13:1-2
Holy Reality check. I am nothing. I really must have charity. No annoying and loud headache giving messages for me. But How? Pres. Heaton (the speaker) told us that we should love the door-slamming people more than our own families. ummm... what? Yep. More than you guys. And than rather than think... "What would Jesus Do?" Think, "What would Jesus Feel?" For charity, ALWAYS requires sacrifice and although I don't know what someones needs are. I don't know what is going on in their lives. Christ does. If I love as He loved than I can truly help those people as he would have helped them and help them see a sense of His divine love. Woah. Now if only I could go back and re-give my farewell talk with was all about love.... Goodness.
Again this wouldn't be a letter without me expressing how much I love being a missionary. Even with all this intense boot camp training. I love it.
German Word of The Week: Entscheidungsfreiheit (intense right?)
Lovin' you buckets and buckets! Give everyone you meet a divine sense of love!
xoxoxoxo
Sister Heywood
ps: sorry for all the confusion I caused this week... There are TWO elder Taylor's. just fyi.
You work those goggles, elders.
All the German Sisters. Beauties huh?
Our dear swedes left this week. sad day.
General authorities have there own VIP parking spot. cool.
