Wow, I can't believe this is my last letter
home to you. We had a very exciting week here in good old Mississauga.
We think we're going to start up a zoo with all of the crazy animals
we've been encountering the past few days. We have a skunk who loves to
come hide under our landlord's cars, so when we get home at night, we
have to be super careful or he surprises us. We also have a rabid
squirrel who has decided that he's going to live on our roof (he's
nasty! His tail has lost all it's fur and it has jerky movements). It
likes to stand on top of the roof, stare into your soul, and scream at
you while you run for your life into the apartment. It really keeps life
exciting. This particular story is my personal favourite...I've wanted a
dog story my whole mission. You can't go home without a good story about
being chased by a dog. We were tracting in an apartment building and
there was one door that had a sign that read 'Beware of Dog.' We knocked
on the door and quickly found out why that sign was there. The door
opened and out came two really big doberman pinschers. They were barking,
scratching, growling, and snapping at us. I stood there, clutching my
Book of Mormon and praying probably harder than I think I ever have
before. Probably the most terrifying experience of my mission. On the
bright side, the owner of the dogs finally got them inside and we had a
really good conversation about the gospel with her, hahaha. Then to top
off our crazy week, pink eye has struck our apartment! We spent our
p-day in the doctors office and at the pharmacy, hahaha. Such a
wonderful time to get a contagious illness. =)
Super
exciting news! Sister Pat set a baptismal date! It's been so neat to
watch her faith grow over the past five months we've been teaching her.
She wouldn't accept a baptismal date for months. We tried helping her in
every way we knew how. Finally last Friday, we read Alma 32 with her
and talked about how we don't have to know everything before we act. She
accepted a date and is praying and fasting to get an answer about
whether it's right. I love seeing the gospel work in the lives of
others! It's been one of the most joyful experiences of my mission
watching her grow and live the gospel little by little.
I
can't believe how quickly the past 18 months have flown by. My mission
has been a sacred privilege for me. I have loved experiencing the power
of the Atonement in my life as well as in the lives of those I have
taught and served with. I remember hugging my family goodbye at the MTC
and wondering, "what am I doing?" I struggled through the MTC, trying to
learn how to teach and be a good missionary. Then we flew to Canada...I
remember being at the airport and seeing all of these signs that said
'washroom' (hahaha) and then stepping out into the February weather. It
was so cold and I felt so scared. The first thing my trainer took me to
do was street contacting and I hid behind her the whole time because I
was too terrified to open my mouth. That whole transfer I wondered,
"what am I doing?" I remember kneeling down to pray each night and
telling Heavenly Father, "I can't do this. I'm not going to make it
through my first six weeks let alone 18 months." But then the power of
the Atonement of Jesus Christ came in. He helped me change and learn to
love serving Him as a full-time missionary. "Yea, methought I saw, even
as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with
numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising
their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there." Alma 36:22. Just as
Alma longed to be in the presence of God once he had felt the effects
of the Saviour's Atonement in his life, I longed to be here serving the
Lord as I felt the effects of the Saviour's Atonement.
Canada
has become sacred ground to me. I love the people here more than I can
say and saying goodbye to them is more difficult than I ever imagined.
My mission has helped me learn to love other people and to love the
gospel. I have loved feeling the Saviour's love for others and being
able to serve them as He would. I have come to not just believe the
gospel is true, but to really feel and know it. My mission has been a
very humbling experience for me...I've learned how much I really need
Him in my life.
I testify that Jesus Christ
lives and that His Church has been established again on the earth
through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know we have a prophet on the earth
today and that the priesthood is on the earth again. Through that
priesthood power, our families can be together forever. I know that the
Book of Mormon is the word of God, and I know that God answers our
prayers. I will never regret my decision to serve a mission!
I love you all!
Sister Dille
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