Miscellaneous Missionary Stuff

Greetings from Washington where anytime (any time?) I see the sunshine I want to leap for joy. About once a day, if we're lucky, it peeks out from behind the clouds to remind us all that it's still technically warming our planet. At least it's courteous, you know?

 

I've reached the point in the mission where every single one of the days is blurring together and by Monday I can't remember anything that happened the previous week. I'm resolving to keep notes in my daily planner like a 50 year old accountant. Pardon me while I adjust my pocket protector. Here's an attempt at recounting the most important parts of last week:

 

-We're eating dinner with a family when the 5 year old says, "sisters, I had blood in my mouth for SEVEN HOURS yesterday." Umm, awesome. Your parents should probably seek medical counsel and/or an exorcist.

-The amount of cat-infested homes here is mind-blowing. Your houses smell like straight-up urine, people. Ask me to help you sanitize; I'd be more than happy.

-Someone (who's daughter is serving in South Korea) told us that Kim Jong Il DIED last month?? I didn't put question marks at the end of that sentence because I'm wondering if this is fact or not. What I am wondering is why in the cuss no one told me about this. Death of dictators, family births, and celebrity gossip are all things I feel like I should be privy to, people!

-A member of our ward calls me "Miami" because, well, I don't know. Maybe because I look like a Latina? Which leads me to my next point...

-In a lesson with this guy he interrupts the conversation to ask me if I was a) a former Catholic and b) a native Portuguese-speaker. Um, no. He also asked me, voice laden with condescending tones, "have you read the whole Bible?" Why yes, sir, I have. Would you care to converse about it? No? You wouldn't because you asked the question in hopes that I hadn't and you'd make me look dumb? Try again, brother.

-You would not believe - or maybe you would - the number of women I meet here who are AMAZING, but married to fools. Note to self: think before you marry.

-There are countless people here who have nothing in the material sense, but hold fast to their faith. Do bad things happen to good people? Yes, but we keep moving forward. We trust that trying times will strengthen us and allow us to foster empathy for people in those situations in the future. Attitude is key.

-I wish I could care about the BCS Championship Bowl, but 'Bama-LSU is equal to watching Stalin and Hitler argue. Go play in your own evil corner and stay out of my college football sandbox, children.

 

In uplifting news, this week's lesson is that it's easy to be fault-finding and negative. It is harder to find the good in people and decide to love them anyway. Am I still sarcastic (in smaller doses) and witty? Yes. But God wants us to be good to one another, even in thought. Nearly every action is prefaced by a thought. If I choose to love (or try to love) those around me in my thoughts, kind words/deeds will follow suit.

Something to get you thinking as you decide how to be more parts positive than negative: Thomas S. Monson wrote, "Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows."

 

My final thought: there are loads of missionaries who spend their days thinking, "when I get home, life will be good. That's when life will be ideal." Wrong. Start loving now. Start appreciating the beautiful intricacies of life this minute. Don't do what everyone thinks you SHOULD do until the time comes for you to do what you would RATHER be doing. Life and people and experiences aren't to be begrudged. They're to be loved and cherished.

 

I love you all and I cherish the friendships we have. I'm serving this mission one day at a time and trying to love every second. It is hard, but the effort is there nonetheless.

 

Love to everyone,

Sister G.