jordanópolis - we're here to F E E L

Last week my dad sent me this quote by Elder Nelson, "The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life." I remember hearing this before, but today during companion studies, I was listening to my companion talk about what she learned. It's something I think we should all do every day- talk about the things we learn in scripture study, grow and learn together. Anywho, she was talking about the prophet Nephi in the Book of Mormon, about how sad he would get because of the wickedness of his brothers, how when we truly love someone, we want them to be happy- and the only way to be truly happy is obeying the commandments. And then I reflected on the quote by Elder Nelson. I'm finding this pattern in the scriptures, that everything physical has a spiritual side. Like this: "The only way to take sorrow our of [spiritual] death is to take love out of life." And as a missionary (likewise as a parent to a child who has gone wayward) there's an intense sadness when you watch the people you teach and love, fall or turn away. A sadness that that if you're not careful (because too much of anything, or without balance, is sickly) this sadness can lead to anger and the desire to take away the agency of the other. But as a missionary (or as a parent or friend- you) we only do all we can do to help them feel the Spirit, have an opportunity to change, this my mission. And makes part of my letter last week, "Feed [God's] sheep". 

My new area is a lot smaller than my other area, it's a whole different experience. We finally moved into our new home, which is still missing a few things... like the oven isn't hooked up to the gas quite yet... But it's a super nice apartment. One of the nicest on the mission I've been told. My struggle is still with the language, but I understand a lot more. On Sundays at church I actually understand things and can feel the spirit a lot stronger. Now, I'm practicing expressing my thoughts into words with my thick accent. Opa! And starting all over learning the names of everyone at church and getting to know people, you know- doing everything out of Sister Duncan's comfort bubble. I like what someone said one time, that someone once told her- "You didn't come on a mission to be comfortable." Opa! Isn't this true, I'll change it to- "you didn't come to earth to be comfortable." We came to learn. To change.

We're teaching a mother and her son, they came to church. (: Woohoo! I think the coolest part was that the son had come not on his own terms, probably in his eyes- forced. But he walked away asking that his mother bring him back. How many times in our lives have our parents "forced" us to do something, then look back and we're grateful? For me, countless.

Lastly, thinking back on change: A quote from a talk I was reading this morning.

President Holland quoted A favorite British scholar, who said said: “I do not think that all who choose wrongroads perish; but their rescue consists in being put back on the right road.A [mathematical] sum [incorrectly worked] can be put right: but only bygoing back till you find the error and [then] working it afresh from thatpoint, never by simply going on. Evil can be undone, but it cannot‘develop’ into good. Time does not heal it. The spell must be unwound.”²

^{Thank you families and friends for all the support and love. Thank you for being you. Life simply wouldn't be the same. I wish I could express just how grateful and blessed I am. One day into eternity you'll know. (:} 

^LOVE, 

^{SISTER DUNCAN}