I had a thought today about how much easier it has become to talk to everyone.. Just making our daily walk to the church... waving to the world. Oh hey post lady. Bus driver. Neighbor that always gets mad at us for forgetting to mop the floor. Lady who tried to give us money for the Book of Mormon we left on her porch. That one guy who is always at the check out line when we buy our mountain of food each week and hold up the line. Asian student number 69734689. Tennis man. Fruit Salad friends. I literally think it is impossible now for us to get on the 933 bus and not see someone we know/have tried to share the gospel with. Maybe I have been here too long.. hehe I love it.
But Sister Parker and I decided we needed something new. And literally I tried everything I could. We changed around the books on my desk, put up some new pictures, rearranged my wardrobe, even painted my nails (haven't done that for months). And then sat down and came up with some new ideas. And boy did it deliver. June is the month of invitation where we try to plan as many activities as possible that people can bring their friends to and so we had our own little summer kick off with an American Breakfast. Let me tell you if you ever want people to come running from miles away to come visit your church building? Feed them sugar. 300 eggs, two hours of strawberry chopping and a slight stomach ache later, we had what I would say the most successful ward activity I have ever seen. ah. it was so cool. There were over 100 people there and we were pulling every chair we could find into the room and it was still standing room only! Like where are all these people coming from? And you say you don't have any friends who need the gospel... lies. hehe ah I was in awe. It was wonderful.
I have been thinking about my progression throughout my mission and how it used to scare the pants off me to try to open my mouth and say 'I like your shoes' to someone on a bus and how that has now become so normal. Or how I feel like Heavenly Father just has been throwing me in the deep end of all these changes and to have things the same for 6 months is like unheard of in my missionary mind. I think at the beginning of my mission I was forced to rely on Heavenly Father. There was no other way to adjust and do the things that I was scared to do. I still need to rely on him just as much now if not more, but I think often times I forget and try to do things by myself. Let me tell you something peeps. It. doesn't. work. Don't ever try to do missionary work by yourself. You will fail. So rather than changing everything around me I decided I need to change my outlook and rely on the spirit. Go back to my days of having faith that every person I talked to would accept the gospel and. Reread my MTC journal that was all about relying on the spirit. Not let myself get too comfortable in the craziness of missionary work. So far so good.
love ya bunches.
yours truly
xoxoxo
s.heywood
pure beauty.
just a little bingo to mix things up.
It takes this sweet lady twenty minutes with two missionaries on each arm to walk to the other side of the room... but hey at least she does it with a smile. remind me never to get old.
hehe. I know I had a little giggle as well. And then told s.eden we had to klingle them even souly for the sake of a good story. and you know what? they actually had interest and s. montgomery and her are going back next week! jokes on me. too good.
rain or shine. we're still having a good time.
