Hello Family!
Didn't you just love conference?
I loved conference so much. It was great. We were able to watch the
Saturday Morning session at the home of some investigators! It was
great because the father has cancer, and receives his chemotherapy on
Friday, so on Sunday he is still in a lot of pain and hasn't been able
to come to church. We watched it in Spanish They loved conference!
If conference was every
weekend, they would totally watch it! Bummer hat it's not, and that
you actually have to come to church to get baptized... But we are
hoping and praying that the talks touched their hearts and that they
will have the faith to at least come to sacrament meeting...
We watched the rest of conference at the church, in Spanish. So I
didn't really understand everything. (I can't wait to read them in
English) It was a very good time to really learn by the spirit. A few
things did stick out to me and they included, "clean your room", "be
humble enough to take and apply council", and any testimony of the
Savior and His atonement.
It was very humbling to see the three new apostles to be called. When
you are called to be an apostle, the time remaining in that calling is
indefinite! You are there until you die.
I have been so humbled by the calling to serve in
the Lord's work! It has brought me more blessings than I think I could
have ever imagined. My trainers are each the best friends I have
waited for my whole life. They are so kind and loving. They tell me
that they consider me like a sister to them and They write me each
week! I view them as blessings from the Lord!
I am so humbled by the opportunity and trust the Lord has given me to
not only serve here in Norcorss, in Spanish! And to serve with Hermana
Martinez. I love her so much.
This week we went with the relief society president and another sister
to visit a sister who tried to commit suicide 2 weeks ago. It was very
precious to be able to testify of our Savior Jesus Christ. He was
perfect. He loves perfectly. He is the son of God. Yet, He had to walk
alone. Even his own disciples, His best friends, rejected him. They
faltered in their faith throughout His ministry. Yet he continued to
love them and was always there for them. I can't imagine what a lonely
path it must have been that He walked. But I am so grateful that He
walked it, and that He did it for me. So that I could turn to Him, as
my best friend. The one who always understands and knows how to succor
to my needs. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve as a
missionary, where I can help others gain the same sweet relationship,
by helping them apply the atonement of Jesus Christ.
This past week I had a dream where I decided to go home for a minor
operation. I could have endured whatever it was for the rest of my
mission, but I had decided to take the excuse to terminate my mission.
I made plans with you to go back to backpacking Europe after the
operation. I said my goodbyes, left my departing words with my mission
president and came home, happy to see you and the rest of the family.
But as I sat in the waiting room, waiting to go into the operation, I
thought about my mission, and how much happiness it had brought my
life and all of the blessings the Lord had granted me. I started to
weep. I no longer cared about traveling on grand adventures through
Europe or Africa, I just wanted to go back to my mission. But I had
already decided to not do that, and it was no longer an option. I woke
up crying tears of gratitude for this opportunity and that I was still
here. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I love it so much. I am so,
so grateful for everything I have and am learning. I am so grateful
for this experience and for every blessing, big and small, that the
Lord has granted me because of it. I am so grateful that I made it out
here. It's crazy to thing that exactly 6 months ago, I was touring the
streets of Paris, and working to figure out how to get back home, so I
could come on my mission. I love it so much.
I still love and miss you, but I know this is where the Lord wants and
needs me. I am so humbled by the trust He has given me and the
opportunity to see how he strengthens my weakness' and makes up the
difference for the things I can't do on my own.
I love and miss you!!!
Hermana Wallis
