From: ssmith@myldsmail.net
To: hahn_smith@hotmail.com
I'm so sorry it's been two weeks since I've sent you anything. I was going to send you the memory card last week, but I told Tomas I would put some pictures on his USB thingy first and I even forgot to do that last week... so I'm going to do that while I'm here emailing, and then send my memory card to you with some other things.
So, we got our transfer doctrine Saturday! You ready? Drum roll..........
I'm staying in Ensign!
Sister Franco is going to Black Mountain by Henderson to an English area. Her first English area in her mission. She's training a new girl and is maintaining her title as Sister Training Leader. I am not training, though. Sister Holland is coming here. There's an interesting story behind that, too. I was actually on exchanges with Sister Holland on Saturday in the Singles Ward she currently serves in. During lunch, her zone leaders dropped off her and sister Johnson's transfer info and one of them goes, "sister Smith, what's your first name?" I told them and they're like, "well, you should just stay together because the two of you are companions." What a co-ink-I-dink! Sister Holland only has one transfer left on her mission, so I'm "killing her" as they say in mission lingo. Sister Franco cried the whole day. :( She doesn't want to go to English because she's afraid she'll lose her Spanish, but she'll do great and she knows the Lord has need for her there. I saw Sister Franco Saturday because Sister Holland and Johnson had a baptism, so we all went and she kept telling me that sister Holland really needed me and how it wasn't a coincidence that we're going to be companions. She said she'd tell me later, and so I asked her about it later that night when we were reunited. So you know those top secret meetings that all the ZLs and STLs go to? Well, at the meeting, apparently president and sister Neider talked about Sister Holland. Sister Holland has apparently had a pretty tough life and president talked about how they wanted her last area to be the best experience for her so that she could go out with a bang. This is what sister Franco told me. And President I guess was inspired to assign me as her companion. I thought that was interesting. From what I've seen, sister Holland and I have similar personalities. It's always nerve racking, though, to get used to living and being with a new person 24/7. Also, you know, there's that added pressure of making this like the best experience for her... haha. Sister Franco was giving me advice and just telling me to love her and pray to love her all the time. I really think this will be good for me, though, because I sometimes struggle with not getting discouraged with myself, and one thing Sister Franco has taught me is to be positive and patient at all times. Now I feel like I might have to be that example of positivity. Also, I've been trying really hard to put myself aside and just love the people, love everyone. That's the most important thing to do in missionary work, but it's so hard! I read my patriarchal blessing, though, and it's interested to me how it seems that the things I struggle the most with are the things I've been blessed with in my patriarchal blessing. Maybe that's because Satan's trying extra hard to make me not realize those traits. He doesn't want me to become that person God sees me becoming. So this transfer I really want to put myself aside and just work my butt of and learn and love and serve my companion. Because for whatever reason she needs me and I need her.
Humility is HUGE. I realized the other day that I'm more prideful than I thought. I'm TERRIFIED to talk Spanish in front of other missionaries. Terrified. I feel like they're always judging me and everyone's better than me, and that's actually me being prideful. I'm so afraid of what someone might say or think, that I'm not just trusting in the Lord and my own abilities. A mission is the hardest thing I have ever done, but I want to make the most of it.
Don't ever feel like you've scarred me or think that I don't realize you love me. I know you do and I love you so much. You are a great mother and I realize now more than ever how much you've taught me growing up and how important the things are that you've taught me. I couldn't have asked for a better mother. :) <3
Love you all!
#############################################################################################
#############################################################################################
If you would like to email Sam, please do so. She will not be able to see any comments you leave on here but feel free to do so anyway and I will read them.
No comments:
Post a Comment