Where are you going?

I sat up in bed with a start. My breathing was quick and my eyes big- at first I didn't know what the sound was- it was like a lion's roar projected from the sky. The clap of thunder rumbled so deeply I could feel it in my chest. Another storm! Just the other night one of my companions and I opened the blinds, turned off the lights, and got really excited as we watched a lightning and thunder storm roll in. I couldn't help but think about how much my mom would love it as well. My favorite part was one strike of lightning that looked like the smile of the Cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland. And his counsel, "Well if you don't know where you want to go, then it doesn't really matter which way you go." And then thoughts of my mission, the goals that I have- the places I want to go (physically and spiritually) and that it does matter which way I go!

Remember how I apologized for being scatter brained? Well I'd been having a really hard time staying awake during personal study, and it was really frustrating feeling tired all the time. It was actually last Monday when I prayed really hard that I'd find our what I could do more to do better - even a desire to study if that was what I was lacking. Then that night after we'd been out knocking on doors, we came into home and it smelled funny. (Like it always did...) And I noticed a couple of doors I hadn't really paid attention to before. I was curious and went over to the doors and opened it. "Hey look what I found- the heater- ewww." After one whiff I pulled away from the closet. It smelled strongly of gas. Long story short- we ended up calling people, trying to get a hold of the managers, were told by the mission house coordinators to stay out of our apartment room- and one of the neighbors had come over too. It was a party! Just five people, but the most we'll ever have in our room. The manager's son said it was a gas leak- so they turned it off, luckily it only feeds the heater...And here in the summer- I have a feeling we won't be needing it for a while.

Moral of the story! It was such a blessing- and I know an answer from the Lord. He helped me find that gas leak, and who knows what weird things it was doing to our minds. I really felt God's love for me, that he had answered my prayer- and I know He can do the same for you! Prayer, especially when done with a sincere heart and expecting miracles and exercising your faith will lead to seemingly little things. I've also had an increase of desire to learn, to really ponder the things that I read from the scriptures- and I've been working on how to write down the feelings and thoughts during these times.

It's so hard to write about things without names or talking about the people- because it's all about the people! This week has been so good and so hard. So hard- we had lessons cancel on Friday and Saturday... Which meant hours and hours of going door to door, really working our faith that we'd find someone who's prepared to learn, and faith that we're being guided where to go. This whole week we had a total of 84 ITLs or Invitations to Learn, so of the hundred plus houses we knocked on and people we passed, we talked to a total of 84 and invited them to learn more about Jesus Christ and to increase that relationship.

My trainer, 
Sister Jensen

The best part of the week...I think it was Wednesday? We had a service opportunity to work on the garden of one of our investigators. By the end I had about twenty new mosquito bites and my hands and knees were a black from the mud we'd been working in. It was so much fun though, and so show our investigators our love for them and then also that we're hard workers. The husband pointed at me and said, "you must be the country girl!" I must admit, I felt super proud/ this is probably one of the best compliments I could get, except of that being a disciple of Christ of course. I laughed and thanked him, but told him I was a wannabe, and that it was actually one of my other companions who was the one from the country. "Didn't you just cut yourself with scissors?" He teased her, but she was laughing at herself too. "Yeah, I don't know how I did it still..."

Life is so good! It's hard too! It's kind of a given. The sweetest joys though, they really do come from our hardest struggles. If you're going through something hard, maybe unspeakably tragic, try to thank the Lord, and plead for understanding and wisdom. It will come, I know it will! Have faith, hope- and just love until you have nothing else to give- and somehow your love just won't run out. You'll catch a glimpse of just how much God loves you and everyone else.

Sister Manchester. (:

We've been listening to a talk by Brad Wilcox, he talks about the mercy and grace of God. I love how he explains that we really need to believe and trust that Jesus Christ has suffered for everything. That there is not one difficulty or hard thing in our life that he has not covered. Then he says this, "we believe that we've been saved by grace, but have you been changed by grace?" The things God asks of us doesn't always make sense, or it's hard, or awkward like knocking on doors and testifying of what you believe, but as long as we're willing to make mistakes, accept Christ's love and sacrifice for us- then we'll change, we won't make as many mistakes.

 Ah! I love you all. Thank you family. There's nothing that I could do to repay you, just like we could never repay God- but with my own love and devotion. Keep strong, don't give up- you CAN do anything you put your mind to. (:

Love, Sister Duncan.