Success - 9/2/14

hi hi hi! sorry i wasn't on yesterday, it was labor day. you guys probably already knew that though... oh well. 

Well anyways, last week was awesome! this transfer definitely started on the right foot and i'm so excited for the rest of it! 

here are some pretty awe$ome happenings from the past week:

-Nurdin and Naza have a baptism date! yayay! for September 27th! They both know Joseph Smith was a prophet, so that was awesome to hear. Since Naza can't read we were worried about how she was going to even read the Book of Mormon, so Nurdin reads to her! That was cool to see how that over came that with their own faith. But then Naza got a job this week... a job that she'll work 8-5... on sundays.. when they told us i could feel all of the happiness just leaving my face. so they quickly reassured us that she is going to ask for Sundays off and if she doesn't get them off then she'll have to find a new job! seriously, this family is amazing. Their faith, ah it inspires me. i love them.

- we have had lots of help from the ward members recently. from becoming friends with our investigators, to offering for us to do laundry at their homes. I love seeing the selfless service of members all over, because i know it just doesn't happen in the St Louis Hills Ward.

- Leona told us that she knows that she'll be getting baptized soon. Hearing this was music to my ears. Then she started asking questions about getting a calling and when she'll be able to go to the temple. she is so so close! but we just have to be patient with her and let her know that it's all up to her from here.

I know some other cool things must have happened but i really can't think of them right now. I have been thinking a lot about success lately. In the world it can be easy to measure success, as in how much money you've made or what position you hold in your job. But i was thinking about it in more of a heavenly aspect. Most the question that i thought of was "how will i know if i really am a successful missionary?" we can't measure it in number of baptisms because that doesn't always qualify someone as successful. *cough* abinidi *cough* but really! how will i know if i was a successful missionary. I think it starts with first identifying what the word success even means. Even though it will be different to everyone and different in every situation I think in a mission aspect success means becoming the missionary the Lord wants us to be. 

HOW THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT?! <------ my impulsive thinking.

i was then rebuked with the thought that the Lord wants us to succeed. He wouldn't prompt me to come on a mission and just let me fall on my face (even though i have literally fallen on my face out here but that's a story for a later time). Well anyways, my conclusion came to this. Success will come 

 

IF I:

- follow the spirit 

- work hard

- apply Preach my Gospel

(here's my hardest one)

- forget about myself. 

I will be a successful missionary. I have been working my way towards success for the past 8 months and will continue to do so until the Lord has come and says well done that is the hope i hold on to (hahah okay thats a cheesy lds.org youth song that we listen to on p-days). Okay I'll be serious now, this work isn't possible without the Lord. I'm grateful for the knowledge of God's plan of salvation so that i can have more of an eternal aspect on success. He love us. 

"success"

to laugh often and much

to win the respect of intelligent people 

and affection of children; to earn the 

appreciation of honest critics and 

endure the betrayal of false friends;

to appreciate beauty, to find the best

in others; to leave the world a bit better,

whether by a healthy child a garden patch

or redeemed social condition; to know even

one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

this is to have succeeded."

-ralph waldo emerson

 

those are beautiful words. i love them and have read them lots in the past week. Thank you for being the best family to help me succeed as a missionary! the love and support i feel from all of you is amazing. 

keep on keepin' on.