This week was bittersweet, leading up to transfers. While generally you stay with the person you are training for the full 3 months, I had a feeling that I was leaving. Sure enough, in a little bit we will be driving to drop me off as one of the Zone Leaders in the Houston East zone, serving in the Pasadena (Fairmont) ward and the Houston East YSA, with Elder Ewell as my new companion.
I am sad to be leaving an awesome district and an awesome companion, all of whom I have really come to love. That idea of coming to love is the reason for my subject line, in fact.
Being a missionary and getting moved around is interesting, because you only get to know the people for such a short time. But I have found that even in that short short time you come to love them. I have really found family here, and am sad to be leaving them. They will always be a part of my heart. Each area I have served in it has been the same way. Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it is such an amazing gift. I wish, and am striving for, charity for everyone. I want to just love people, whether or not I think they do lovable things. Each person I speak to is worth so much, and worth loving. I am trying to develop that charity for all of them.
For those keeping track at home, P__ is still excited for her baptismal date in November. I will have to make the trip back to Port Arthur for it. Also, D__, who I taught in Cleveland, has a scheduled baptism for this Saturday! I am excited for that, hopefully I get to attend!
Each week we set weekly goals for what we will accomplish, and this week, on Sunday, we had reached all of our goals except for our new people to teach. We had only found 1 during the week, and we had set a goal for five. Well, we knew that the Lord would help us achieve our goals, and so we prayed and asked for His help, and we set out. I have never seen former finding-going by people that were taught previously- to bear fruit like that. We found them, we talked to them, and they accepted invitations to meet with Missionaries again. By the end of the day, we had found the 4 people we needed. It truly was a little miracle.
During that experience, there were a couple of times that I pulled back a little bit. Satan whispered in my ear that it really didn't matter about the goals, no one would care if I didn't work...well, I shot back, it did matter, to me and to the Lord, and I cared about whether or not I did all I could. And in the end it was all the sweeter for having to overcome those things.
Well, it was a great week, but my journal is all packed up and I don't remember what else happened. Packing is always a little depressing, as you see the physical manifestation of you living there just disappear into a couple of bags. But good things ahead, as well as behind!
Emailing from Port Arthur for the last time,
Elder DeFord
No comments:
Post a Comment