so i'm sitting down in the main theater on father's day, the Why I Believe event has just started. all of a sudden i'm called to the aisle... sister carcamo and sister amparo NEED me and it's URGENT. why on earth would they need me? i'm not on shift, what could have possibly happened that they need me for? i walk upstairs and start to worry that i'm in trouble or something. they have these worried looks on their faces, so i'm sure something bad has happened. they turn around and ask me if i'm good at taking pictures. i confusingly reply with a yes, and continue to wonder what on earth could be so urgent. they lead me outside and there they are.... uncle eric, aunt tamara, and all the kids!! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ME! it was almost too good to be true. it took me a minute to realize that standing before me was my family, and they were real! and then i figured it out and started crying. it was so fun seeing them, catching up, taking cousinly selfies, skyping mom & dad for 1 minute (long enough to throw up the I LOVE YOU sign and tell dad happy father's day). seeing them was the biggest tender mercy of all time. we weren't even supposed to be there that night! sister croese had a meeting with sister cooke afterwards, so she asked us to come even though we didn't have someone for the ward or an investigator with us. i would have been so sad to find out they had stopped by on a night i wasn't there! they were heaven sent, it might have been a planned trip, but seeing and talking with them was a miracle that heavenly father knew i needed. i have been drowning this transfer. a lot of things have been a challenge, and in more ways than one, being with family was like finally coming up for a breath of fresh air. as i was sharing some of my mission experiences with them i was able to see how heavenly father loves me and cares about me despite my many, many weaknesses. i said things that i wasn't necessarily thinking, it's as if heavenly father was helping me say certain things, helping me see that i need to stop dwelling on my mistakes and move forward. as aunt tamara told me how awesome it was that i was avoiding the benches at the VC, i was able to feel that even though i do so many things wrong, that was something, one thing, i was doing right. heavenly father was grateful for that effort i was making to be more productive in the visitors center (thanks aunt tamara!). it really was the best thing of my life. i'm so so glad that happened and so grateful that was during this challenging time of my mission. one of the best parts of being on a mission is finding joy in others' joy. that's what sister busath did for me last night. i was so glad she was there, and that i was able to share that miracle with her. i couldn't pick anyone better or more important here in dc to introduce my family to. they even got to briefly meet the eyrings! now you can all say you've met president eyring's brother :]
time is pretty short today, we're going on last minute splits tonight because sister croese will be in yet another meeting. i'll be going to quince orchard with sister saviano and what do you know... i'll get dinner!!!!!! that in and of itself is a tender mercy.
best thing of my life, even better than seeing my family, was finally meeting with sandy. it was the absolute best night of my entire mission. SHE'S GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!! the date is july 26th, just one year and 2 days after i got my mission call. it was our first real sit-down lesson with her. we talked about the BOM, briefly about families being together forever, and mostly focusing on the feelings that she was feeling that night and that she had felt at the visitors center during christmas time. sandy and i both cried all night long, and the spirit was there in abundance. i knew that god had meant for me to meet sandy with sister owens last transfer, that i was meant to be the one who patiently and persistently kept in touch with her, that sister sottili and i were meant to be the ones who visited her on her special pre-opening day at the new talbots, and that i was meant to be a part of that first lesson with her. i've never prayed harder in my entire life for the salvation of another. throughout that entire lesson i just kept begging heavenly father to help her recognize the spirit that was there. the two of us cried all night and i could tell that she knew that this was true and coming from God. she is excited to read the book of mormon and is excited to grow closer to heavenly father! i ended up writing 5+ pages in my journal that night about sandy's story. as we were leaving she asked if she should get sundays off work, SHE asked US! we told her that would be great! and you know what's cool?? her boss has met me! inspired! meant to be! who knows how that will influence the things they allow her to ask for at work?! everything leading up to sandy is a miracle and tender mercy. we usually spend our tuesday nights with mary ellen & rick, but this one particular tuesday another family signed up to feed us dinner. because of that we were able to meet with sandy and now she's getting baptized!!!!!!! this is why i'm on a mission, this is why i'm here in DC, to meet sandy, and help her feel the spirit. transfers are coming up, and the original plan was to transfer me. now that president knows about sandy he/i have no idea what's going to happen. i've never been more anxious for a transfer in my life. i prayed about it, and asked heavenly father to help me feel peace about whatever happens. just after that i looked up and found this quote on the wall, "if God brought you to it, He will bring you through it." at first I thought to myself, "perfect! I get to stay with sandy here in Kentlands!" But now I'm trying to see it as the bigger picture. Perhaps it means that god brought me here on a mission and HE will be the one who brings me through it, HE will be the one who decides where I go and who I help.
whatever happens will be what God wants. This is HIS mission, HIS children, HIS time, and HIS decision. i'm learning to be better about that, to be more dedicated and serve Him in a way that demonstrates what a privilege this is. only 9 more months to grow and learn things i can learn nowhere else.
lots of love,
sister rowley
This seriously hits so close to home! When I was a missionary we had an investigator visit UT and she went to my sister's wedding reception. We didn't have cell phones but it was late enough that as we were getting for bed the apartment phone rang and she said, "Sister Jarrett, I have someone who wants to tell you hi." Before I could say anything my sister was on the other line and we both just started crying. I squeaked out a congratulations and talked for probably a minute before I said, I probably had to hang up so as to not break the rules. That was such a blessing and a memory neither of us will ever forget! I am so thankful for families and tender mercies.
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