Called to Serve: Living the Dream

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 12:08 PM

HAPPY THANKSGIVING AGAIN for those that missed it the last time and I want everyone to know I’m grateful for God and the things He does for me and everyone else. And I’m also thankful for smiles, good food, a family that loves me, and toilet paper. Ok… on to this week...

A friend told me once that God stretches you until you can’t take it anymore and then stretches you more. I believe that.

So, today I finally got my last companion. Changes were last Wednesday. I had been jumping around between various members - nothing set every day since and that was weird and difficult. It was like I didn’t belong anywhere. Hahaha-but now that has changed. I am now dividing the area we opened last change, finishing my mission with a Nicaraguan member. She isn’t a missionary yet; she is still waiting for her papers. She is also pure native Nicaraguan - she speaks a dialect in addition to Spanish and they had to fly her out from her pueblo on the east coast of this country - first time away from home and first time in this part of Nicaragua. SO I’m kind of training-prepping her and dividing the area and I’ve got SO MUCH TO DO. It’s great! We may even be baptizing this weekend. Cool beans. I can’t even sleep anymore-this last change has got me going crazy.

Fun story - we taught the gospel principles class Sunday about the Holy Spirit and asked the question about any time someone had had a spiritual experience, or how the spirit speaks to us or something like that. I had an investigator present; his name is Jose. We had taught him a month ago but he was drunk both times and then hung-over the last time we passed so we gave him a bit of time. We hadn’t visited him or anything for awhile-not until Saturday. Anyways, during the Sunday school class, when that question was asked, Jose shared his spiritual experience: He had been thinking about us and the things that we had taught him and baptism and he was thinking that he should go visit the church. He felt that that would be important. Well, a couple hours later, I showed up. And we taught him and invited him to church. And he came. 20 minutes early. And he is happy. I’m happy. The spirit works in simple ways.

People always say you`re fried at the end of your mission and talk about how I’m going home and stuff but I sincerely don’t feel any different. Yes the time is limited.. I have 1 month left. But I don’t feel it. I feel like I have maybe 8 months here. And that I’ll continue on. But it’s weird because at the same time I get this strange creeping feeling that my time in Nicaragua is passing-like I have played my part and now it is time for others to take the reins and me to bump up to the next level of the video game of life.

Many people talk about missions being hard, and they are, but life and putting into practice all the changes and beauty that one learns on a mission is also a great adventure. My last change and the situation I’m in presents great challenges, but I know that God has grand lessons to pack into this little time I have left. President said that it was indicated by the Lord that I end my mission here and that the Lord would take advantage of this time to teach me and I should learn those lessons with enthusiasm. I’m focused on the moment - making all my present actions count. I have so many ideas I want to realize this month and we just want to explode this area. I think Howard Hunter said `The conscious effort to do one`s part fully is the greatest element contributing to success.´ If we are willing, God takes it the rest of the way. All I know is, if an opportunity for growth presents itself in our lives, God will use it.