Week Eight

Written 29 September 2015

Como estas? Estoy bien! (In the most gringo accent you can imagine) =)

How is everyone doing? I feel like I don't ask enough questions, which is missionary training kicking in =) Really though, I enjoy reading the responses, so I'll ask questions this time. What is something new you have learned this week? How have you helped someone? How have you come closer to God? Your family? Friends? What do you enjoy most about these emails? The least? Am I annoying you, helping you, little bit of both? 

I just wanted to say thank you for all that you've done to help shape me into who I am today and for all the love and support you give me. It helps me in my low points to know that I have friends and family cheering me on, so thank you. 

Okay, what's going on/what happened this week? Um, I guess I have a couple of big pieces of news.

1) There was an investigator who I met my first week who was baptized on the 25th, this past Friday! I have only known him for a short time but I love this man and his family (they have 2 ADORABLE kids!!!) already. He is a young father whose wife was an inactive. He had gone to church with her before for a year and it wasn't until recently that he was invited to be baptized. Since he was invited, he has diligently kept each commitment and progressed quickly. We actually had a date of Oct. 3rd as his baptism but because of certain circumstances (which I'll explain later) we bumped it up to the 25th. He was super excited and ready to go! 

It was so beautiful to watch. The baptism was at 7 and we showed up with him at 6:55 =) there was a good number of people from the ward there to support him, which as the missionary, I was very grateful for because we'll be handing him off the ward later. Missionaries change areas frequently so the ward is going to be his support now. Anyway, the service was amazing; we started with two brief talks about Baptism and then the Holy Ghost before the actual baptism. It took a couple of tries to get it right (which was kinda humorous because our investigator was smiling and making brief jokes) but it eventually was done correctly. The Spirit was so strong, there was no doubt that he had made the right choice. I loved being there for him and being blessed to feel the Spirit testify to me, yet again, that this is Christ's church restored to the earth. 

There is a brief period of time where the person who was baptized has time to dry off and change. During that time, there are a couple of things that can be done. For our branch (if you don't know what a ward, branch, or stake is, please feel free to ask me or look on lds.org), the missionaries give a brief presentation of the lesson, "The Restoration". Yup....I gave a presentation....in Spanish.....after 8 days in the field. BUT anyone who knows me knows 2 major things about my character. 1) I work hard and so I have been working hard to study, fast, and pray to learn Spanish. It's working. And 2) I LOVE to talk! So I actually really enjoyed myself as I bore my testimony about the Restoration. It went amazingly well and we filled up just the right amount of time. =)

After that, he bore his testimony and we closed with a remark from the bishop and a closing hymn. 

He will be confirmed this Sunday, the 27th. Confirmation is when a recently baptized person is given the gift of the Holy Ghost. They are promised the companionship of the Holy Ghost always IF they stay worthy and clean, which takes daily repentance. At the same time, the person becomes the newest member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's a really cool process and if you'd like more details, just let me know or check out lds.org! 

2)This weekend (the 26th and 27th), we had a special meeting called a musical fireside. Here in the Ogden, and now Logan, mission, they have a regular event called a musical fireside. From what I understand, it's around every 3-4 months and all (or most) of the missionaries learn special musical numbers to perform. It is a beautiful way to share our testimonies and receive referrals (referrals are names of people that are recommended for lessons with the missionaries). For the most part, it's standing room only type of event! There are a lot of solos and group numbers with a few choral pieces as well. 

For this one, I was given the music last week and I had 2 practices before we performed.....daunting yes, but not for me! I love to sing and, fortunately, I have been blessed with the talent to be able to sight read which I'm very grateful for. This talent is helping me to fulfill my purpose as a missionary though something I love. It's amazing to me how the Lord works, blessing us with certain skills and experiences so that we can then go bless others. That's what talents are for, the blessing of both your life AND others; it's what this church is all about, it's what LIFE is all about. We are here to help one another grow and eventually return to Heavenly Father by using our unique talents and experiences. 

3) This past Saturday, the 26th, there was a special meeting for all the woman 8yrs old and older; it's called General Women's Conference. This meeting is always held the weekend before General Conference. It is a time for all the women in the world (ideally) to hear council and guidance from our leaders that is specific for us today. This one was kinda new for me for 2 reasons: 1) it was my first one away from home, specifically my mom and sister but also 2) it was in Spanish for me. =) Because I am a Spanish speaking missionary, I watched the broadcast with my ward, so it was in Spanish. I will definitely have to go back and read it in English =D haha

But, now I'm super excited for this coming weekend, the first weekend in October, because it will be General Conference. This is the time where all the world gets to hear from living prophets that have received revelation for us from the Lord. Because I am serving in Ogden, which is about an hour (I think) away from Salt Lake City, my companion and I have been given the chance to take an investigator or recent convert (someone who was recently baptized) to a session of General Conference live!!! We will be going for the Saturday afternoon session and I am soooooo excited! It will be my first time to see General Conference live and it's even better because I'm going with 3 dear friends of mine: my companion, our recent convert, and her daughter. I can't wait to go!!! I promise to report on that next week =)

Okay, those were my major events of my past week. A lot has happened in just 2 weeks but those were the highlights. I am learning a lot (as I hope you can see) and I am growing. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my investigators and my ward members and I can't count all the miracles the Lord has given us. Oh, speaking of counting, I have been challenged to have a gratitude journal where I record at least 5 things I am grateful for daily. I would challenge you to the same thing; just being aware of how much the Lord blesses you with and how much His hand is in our lives helps make each day go better. 

Life is hard, busy, and tiring, but it is also so sweet and amazing. Serving others and loving them the way Christ does really changes your life AND theirs. Keep your focus on others and God and you'll be able to overcome personal challenges and live happier. Remember, happiness is a choice you have to make constantly. It's okay to be sad occasionally, admit that things are hard, but then stop focusing inwards and look out and up. I promise, you will be blessed the more you strive to be like the Savior by not focusing on yourself and loving others.

You are all the best! You're all children of God and He loves you perfectly. Smile! And be joyful! =D

Love,

Hermana Lindh