I'm in Midland! I'm in an area with a ward, instead of a branch. So basically, an area with a bigger congregation, instead of a smaller one. I'm not sure what I expected... I love branches, they're small, close knit, but it was hard to get members to come out to lessons, because of the lack of numbers. In a ward, it's not as difficult to get members to lessons and great people, but at the same time, it was overwhelming sitting in sacrament meeting and trying to think of not only who I should talk to, but trying to remember people's names... it'll come!
The best part of this week was...saturday! It was kinda a hard day, just like anyone has hard and good days. At the end of the day there was a ward missionary activity with roasting hotdogs over a fire, dutch oven deserts(even though I couldn't eat them, it was fun making them!), getting to know investigators, getting to know members, and just enjoying the nice day outside! It made me miss camping a little, but I'll have plenty of time after the mission for that. People are so great. The best experiences I've had are the moments I take time to sit down and just listen to someone's story or life, asking questions to understand why or how, or just simply what they believe or how they came to have a glass ring and their love for art. I keep thinking, God could have put us on a world of our own, he has enough power to give us all our own earth to wander around and learn things... but he hasn't! God has given us the opportunity to learn from others, know others, love others- as hard as it is sometimes.
And life does get hard. Things will cross your path that you think absolutely, positively, completely unnecessary. Times when you think, "But, Heavenly Father, isn't there an easier way that I could have learned this lesson?" Sometimes we learn from our own mistakes, but we're also given opportunities to learn from just life in general, things we can't control...And then we learn as we make mistakes when those obstacles come our way. There's this quote that I love, and I don't remember the exact wording. But basically it asks, if Christ went through every temptation, every sadness, every trial- why should we expect our own journey to be easy?
I have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That he truly did suffer for our sadnesses and sins in the garden of Gethsemane, on the cross- and then conquered death through the resurrection. I have deep feelings of wonder and awe, as I continue to learn why on earth Christ would do all He did for me and for you. He thought of me, He thought of Sister Duncan in the garden. He thought of my family, Dad, Mom, Drew, Kenzie, Josh, Spencer- and so on until you name off every single person who has turned their life over to God. We only need accept the gift He's offered us. That's why I'm out here, as a representative of Him, I offer the message, a way for people to know what it is He offers us, and how to accept it through the Restored church, of Christ's church here on the earth today.
Keep ya' chin up!
And I'll try to do the same. (:
Sister Duncan
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