***PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Apologies to all of ya'll who have been anxiously awaiting an update on Sarah's mission. I just completed 4 straight days of state testing/finals/AP testing so these past few weeks I have been busily studying for those tests as well as feverishly trying to complete the homework over the last minute things our teachers had to teach us all while trying to balance my already crazy hectic life. Needless to say, her blog kind of accidently got put on the back burner, but now that testing is all over I will be hurriedly trying to post and catch you guys up to date :)
Thank you for your understanding and patience,
Bridie
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Due to the new security measures requested by the Mission leaders, the names of all investigators and people that Sarah comes into contact with will be replaced with the name of a well-known character from a children’s movie. This will keep the identities of people safe as well as make it easier to keep everyone straight. The name given is in NO WAY intended to reflect the personality, looks, or circumstances of the individual(s).
“Training, a whole new world”
Monday April 15,
2013
First off, I
just heard about the Boston Marathon. Let me know what else happens. I hate not
knowing and having the news to stay updated. I got to email Lisa though and
make sure her family that was there was all ok and they were so close to it but
they are all ok now! Thank goodness! My prayers go out to the families and the
people of Boston
This week has been crazy! If you can't tell by the fact that my P-day is almost over and I am just now getting to email. So much has happened that I am just going to start at the beginning and work through the week.
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| Left ---> Right: Sis. Roberts, Me, Sis. Hale, Sis. Loli, Sis. Loli's new companion (Sarah did not provide us w/ a caption, sorry for not knowing Sis. Loli's new companion's name!) |
First, Wednesday we all drove down to the mission office to have Sister
Hale meet her new companion, and for Sister Loli and me to be trained and pick
up our new companions. We were late, because we had to pack up EVERYTHING we
owned before we left because the new Elders were moving in. We were up so late
the night before and I was so extremely exhausted. But, I put a big grin on my
face because I did not want my new companion's first impression of me to be,
"Great, I got the exhausted grouchy and disheveled looking trainer."
When they had her open her call and they announced I would be training her, I
bounced right up and hugged her and smiled and laughed and totally faked it
till I made it haha.
My new companion is Sister Roberts from St. George Utah. She is super sweet and enthusiastic about the work. She was kind of appalled when we went to the Doolittle’s, loaded up my luggage, took it to the Barney’s, dropped it off, and went to work, but we had work to do! I told her that we have goals that we have set and each of those goals is people that the Lord needs us to see, and every night I have to give the Lord an accounting of how we did and there is nothing I hate more than having to say that I didn't do my very best to meet that goal and see those people. So off we went.
My new companion is Sister Roberts from St. George Utah. She is super sweet and enthusiastic about the work. She was kind of appalled when we went to the Doolittle’s, loaded up my luggage, took it to the Barney’s, dropped it off, and went to work, but we had work to do! I told her that we have goals that we have set and each of those goals is people that the Lord needs us to see, and every night I have to give the Lord an accounting of how we did and there is nothing I hate more than having to say that I didn't do my very best to meet that goal and see those people. So off we went.
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| Sister Loli's Desk? (No caption provided in Sarah's email) |
Training is a really humbling experience. I can literally feel the weight
of it on my shoulders. I realize that everything I do and teach effects the
rest of Sister Robert's mission and that scares the living daylights out of me.
I keep reminding myself that any fear is opposed to faith, and whom the Lord
calls He qualifies. It just brings to light everything I need to be better
at and the things I need to let go to fully devote myself to the work.
I've really been concentrating on the phrase in my call letter that says
"Leaving behind all other personal affairs." As I've tried to focus
solely on my purpose as a missionary, I have seen blessings and miracles. It's
awesome because this is the only time in my life where I get to focus 100% on
something and know the Lord will handle all the rest!
The Barney’s are 80 and 86. They are a nice older couple with two cats. We
love it there, but it is so far away from our area that they are trying to find
us a place to live that is actually in our area. I feel like I should put a
sign on my back that says "Free to a good home." It just hurts my
soul as we drive 20 minutes to the Stake center to see the Lord's miles just
ticking steadily away.
We've been
seeing lots of miracles as we try our best to accomplish our goals each day. It
seems like if we are doing everything we can, the Lord always provides a way
for us to achieve our goals and see the people He needs us to see.
Sister Roberts got to teach her first lesson this week to a co-worker of
Brother Popeye’s. We taught the Restoration and she did great. We had
role-played it in companionship study and taught a practice lesson to members
but she was still SO nervous. When she started to share the Joseph Smith story
she was talking so fast and stumbling over her words and I knew she was
terrified. I just prayed to Heavenly Father to help her remember the things we
had practiced and to have faith not fear. It was like you could see the peace
of God come over her and she was able to testify with power. It was amazing!
There is power in companions who pray for each other during lessons instead of
worrying about what they will say next. A prayer in your heart is a powerful
tool. She was so happy after the investigators left, that she was dancing
around their living room. Not exactly the picture of quiet dignity, but since
it was her first lesson, we'll let it slide.
Just a quick thought about how no good deed is wasted. We were driving
down the street after service and there was a little boy selling lemonade. We
had already driven past, but Sister Roberts really wanted lemonade so we
circled around and went back. We bought some lemonade and I started talking to
the little boy. I asked if his family went to church on Sundays. He said,
"No, but I really want to. My friends all go to church." I gave him a
mormon.org card with the church's address and
meeting times written on the back and told him to give it to his parents.
Nothing may come of that contact while I am here, but maybe one day down the
road when he has a family of his own and two missionaries knock on his door, he
will remember the nice sister missionaries who stopped at his lemonade stand
and let them in. You can never estimate the ripple effect of one good deed, one
good interaction with a faithful member of the Lord's restored church.
So now for the reason I am writing so late: Yesterday, Daphne came to
church and right before the opening song she had some sort of attack. She acted
really weird and then just asked me to take her to the foyer. I took her
outside and she started explaining her symptoms to me. I ran back inside where
they were now singing the opening hymn and grabbed Sister Doolittle and Sister
Happyfeet, who is a nurse. We all determined that Daphne needed to go to the
hospital and get checked out so Sister Doolittle drove Daphne and Sister
Roberts and I to Placerville
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| We placed a Book of Mormon in the Chapel at the hospital while we were waiting for Daphne |
So that's life
from Green Valley
Love y'all
Sister Burchett
Love y'all
Sister Burchett
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