I Am Blessed

Week #11

You know you're a missionary when you smile and say "it was nice to meet you" to someone who just called you deluded and told you that you listen to Satan :)

What have I learned this week? That it is kind of a good thing that I don't understand everything that everyone is saying around me. We went on exchanges this week so I was in an English area (I got to use my English badge). I understood every word and they weren't all nice ones. Hermana Coca and I were talking to a lady and it didn't go very well. We walked back to the car in silence. Hermana Coca handed me an index card from her scriptures and asked me to read it. It was 3rd Nephi 5:13 (the same scripture I chose as my personal mission scripture). We gave each other a hug and moved on. In Spanish I don't get my feelings hurt as easily, but it's fine :) I am growing thicker skin.

We are trying to work with the dads in the families that we are teaching because the families are getting baptized, but the men aren't. So that is one of our goals. Also, we are going to focus on Temple work with our branch because we feel like they need it. I wish that we could attend the Temple. It's not in our mission and we do get to go in October, but I miss it. The MTC spoiled me. I got to go every week. The Temple is such a special place. Even simply standing on the grounds is such a special opportunity.

We had Stake Conference this weekend. Elder Packer of the 70 (President Packer's son) came and spoke as did my Mission President and his wife. My companion translated so we sat in a random classroom for it. It was really uplifting.

I am so blessed! I have only been out on my mission for two transfers and I have been able to listen to three Apostles! And I got to sing in the choir each time. We had a mission wide conference which never happens. I mean never. President Russell M. Nelson came to speak! We all got to shake his hand. When the choir was singing her turned around and joined in with us. It was so cute (is it okay to call an Apostle cute?) He truly is called of God. His words were so powerful. He talked about the Book of Mormon and why we have it. He talked about Repentance "Get over it and get going". He also told us that a good missionary is always joyful (that's why we smile at people when we are being called deluded). One thing that he said after he found a scripture was "these scriptures are working!" I know he meant it as a joke, but it made me think about how scriptures work. They have the answers, we just have to look. He talked about marriage . . . to missionaries . . . not quite what you expect, but it was good advice (I wrote it all down for way later . . .)

I don't know how to really describe the experience other than what I wrote in my notebook right after I shook his hand.
I shook his hand. It was soft. I could tell that his eyes were bluish, greenish, grayish. What I imagine the sea looked like right after Christ calmed them. His face was wrinkled, I'm sure from smiling. He sang along with the choir as we sang "I'll go where you want me to go". He hasn't stopped smiling. Hands that heal. Eyes that calm. A smile of a child. A voice that has talked to God. A servant of God A modern Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. Holding the power and authority of God. Called of God.

I love you all,
Hermana Dickson

No pictures this week . . . sorry.