July 2, 2012

Hola Familia!

This past week was the BEST with Hermana Draney and Baird! Well, really every week is the best ever with them! Another transfer is coming to a close. It sure is crazy how much time has been flying by. Hermana Draney is going to be going home a week from Friday, it is really sad to see her go. She sure LOVES being on a mission and she has shown such a great example to me that when times get tough, you can look back on it and learn, laugh and move forward.

For example, this past weekend we did exchanges in Raccoon River and I have not done a lot of finding (formally known as tracking) I have probably gone finding a handful of times and most of them have been on exchanges. We went finding in the HOT! I have come to find something really interesting about humidity.... it is just sticky. In AZ you go outside and you start sweating bullets because it is so hot... here, you just feel really sticky. The best conclusion i can come to to relating to what it feels like is watered down gel- all over your skin! haha! While we were on exchanges it was really hot (95 degrees plus humidity) but we were laughing and enjoying ourselves the whole time. We met some pretty interesting people and also some mean but also some really nice genuine people. It was quite the experience but I did enjoy it! Because I am happy and the Gospel is true!

So, i wanted to relate a story and I hope that i am going to be able to finish it. Our  mission President shared this about service and if I shared this before bare with me because service is a good topic to talk about anyways... :) Ok, so... some Elders in our mission got word that a family member of a  member of the Church died. The lady wanted nothing to do with the Church, but the Elders offered to do service for this women because she owns a farm and now that her husband was gone she had to do double the work. So, she decided to take full advantage of the Elders.... she had them do everything from weeding, to building a garden, painting her garage and even cleaning out the house stalls (which i heard is a very tedious task!). She would watch them do this all day and after they had finished their chores they would write her a note and leave it on the door and they would come back the next day with a note on the door with the assigned chores as well.  This women started to see the love that these Elders had for her and in turn also what the Savior had for her. Well, one day, the Elders had finished their chores and went to put a little note on the door and she opened it and invited them in. She had a desire to learn about the Church because of the love and the example of the love of the Savior and of the women that the Elders had showed. I really hope that we are always looking for opportunities to serve our friends and family. We are all members of His true Church and we know that "when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God."

I am so very thankful for all that my family and friends did for me and my family during the hardest time of our lives. I will always remember coming into our home the day after dad's death and seeing Dani Foster and her daughter whipping down the walls at our house. Or Sister Chapman being there cleaning the kitchen and calling orders to everyone. Friends from the singles ward, like Andrew Payne or Tyson Anderson mowing/working on the backyard, or even Perla Turley helping me put away my laundry. And there are so many, many more examples. Kara coming and taking me to her home to eat food. Ted, Kristy and April taking me to Applebees while "screaming our lungs out"... my aunts being there for my mom. Lisa Thompson being there basically 24/7...:) Daniel Bowers cleaning the back of my dads truck for hours and really cleaning every one's car...  My Uncle Scott, Aunt Shirley and Haylee driving 24 plus hours to get to our side and give us big huge hugs! and there are so many, many, MANY more examples of people showing love and service to my family! How very thankful I am to my family and friends that served my family. you were all the hands of the Savior during that time!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I know that My Redeemer lives! I know that when we are in the service of others we are serving our God as well! I love you all so much! thank you for your prayers! I promise, i am working on writing letters to you all!

VAYA CON DIOS!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Love, Hermana Wadsworth