Well, today marks my official 7 months left mark - so that's crazy. I don't really feel like I should be at that point yet, but here it is.
1. Ann got baptized on Saturday!! It was seriously the sweetest thing I've ever seen, and possibly the baptism I've been the most touched at so far on my mission. Ann is the sweetest thing, and I really love her a lot. I know I've said this over and over again in my emails about her, but she really is a different person now than she was when we first met her.
2. We met the coolest people on Square this week, an older member who just had a lot of life to share about - and some amazing spiritual experiences, and a big Spanish family that was just so open to talking about the gospel and the changes they've seen in their lives because of Jesus Christ. We met some antis this week, but there will always be antis. I think the hardest part of talking with antis for me, is walking away and loving them. But, I guess I'm still learning haha.
I've been pondering on how I've changed and what I've learned since my mission began up until right now - more or less 11 months in, and with more mission behind me than in front of me. Before I even got my mission call, I had this idea in my mind of the perfect missionary I wanted to be. Perfectly obedient in every waking moment, never tired, never lazy, always would know what to say, never distracted, never unsure, had the entire standard works memorized, and somehow totally immune to everything Satan has in his arsenal. 15 months after receiving my mission call and 11 months in, my perception of a "perfect missionary" has changed quite a bit. I realize now that missionaries, like everyone else, are still totally human. Prone to being tired, and feeling lazy, and being tempted, and discouraged, and unsure, and everything in between. But I find hope in that Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of us all, has gone through and experienced the same challenges and trials that we have. But that He overcame them! I'm sure there were times in His mortal ministry that He was tired, and was tempted, and was discouraged. Jesus, however, has overcome those struggles and temptations and hardships that we experience every day, and our entire purpose here on missions is to invite others to come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him as the Book of Mormon says. - And that includes ourselves. One of my favorite primary songs I think sums up my mission experience so far, and what I now believe a perfect missionary should be like. It's called "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus". To quote a living Apostle, "except for Jesus, there have been no flawless performances on this earthly journey we're pursuing" but I know that because of Jesus Christ, we can steadily get a little more perfect every day, and be more perfect in the small things, and that while here we can become more perfect in trying our absolute best to be like Jesus.
Well, the transfer will happen on Wednesday, and the mission won't know the transfer board until Monday, even though my companion and I of course already have it. I'm super excited for the upcoming transfer - my Pday will next be on Wednesday, and then I'll be having Wednesday PDay. As for my new companion, I'm REALLY excited, and I'll officially only be one continent away from having a companion from all inhabited continents (So, not Antarctica haha)
I love you all! Have a great week! And Happy 4th of July on the 6th :)
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