My week started pretty good, on monday evening I found myself in Hägersten because I got to go on splits with the one and only Sister Giles :) The whole day was so much fun and we just laughed so hard the whole time. She and I went tracting (for her first time!) and got yelled at by a couple different guys that weren't wearing pants. *eyes up.. EYES UP* and they weren't super happy that we were knocking on their doors. Oops. Happens sometimes. Near the end of the split poor sister giles was feeling a little sick so we went back to the apartment and got this prime picture:
don't you worry though, I healed her with some home made chicken noodle soup for dinner :)
wednesday was probably the most productive day of my whole life. It was super well balanced with visiting less active members, investigators, swinging by people and contacting. A busy missionary is a happy missionary. We met this cute little boy with a puppy and got his permission to both pet the dog and take pictures. Rahaf was with us and she was just so excited that she got to touch the puppy, she was almost on the ground.
We got to teach Rahaf about the restoration this week, and for the first time I feel like she totally understood what it means to have authority in the church. She's one of my favorites. She might not notice it, but she has been super prepared for the gospel. I wish I could stay here forever and just be her friend.
we had district meeting in Katrineholm and got some pictures of the cute little city.
dinner with the Bautista's this week and their 7 year old daughter asked elder larson if he was single. She also guessed that i was only 15 years old. AND on the way there, the elders drove by and shot sister nielsen in the head with a nerf gun. I had to photograph the crime scene.
we were going to be watching the women's session of conference on saturday afternoon, just before the live saturday morning session (which would be showing at 6:00 here) and we borrowed the elder's car to go and pick up Solene, one of our friends and bring her to the conference. Well. The GPS routed us to completely the wrong place. Some horse trail in the middle of nowhere. No worries though, after some navigation we were able to find her house and made it back to the church just in time to miss half of the women's broadcast. BUT we did see all of the saturday morning session and it was fantastic.
Yesterday we went to Västerhaninge to watch conference. We finished watching womens session while the me watched preisthood session. Then we watched saturday afternoon session and then sunday morning session live at 6:00.
During the sunday morning session I felt super impressed to make temple attendance a bigger thing when I get back home. At least weekly. So mom, looks like I might be joining you in volunteer work when I get back.
I've learned this week that God puts us where we are for a reason. He'll change our surroundings if they need to be changed. He needs us to be his hands here on the earth. But if we aren't willing to do the things he needs us to, He will find another. This is His work. He knows what he is doing. I read a really old conference talk this week from the October 1983 general conference (old conference talks are my guilty pleasure.) and the area 70, Vaughn J. Featherstone, shared a poem at the end of his remarks that really hit me.
"The God of the great endeavor gave me a torch to bear.
I lifted it high above me in the dark and murky air.
Straightway with loud hosannas the crowd acclaimed its light,
And followed me as I carried my torch through the dark and starless night.
Til mad with peoples’ praises and drunken with vanity,
I forgot it was the torch that drew them and fancied they followed me.
And my arm grew sore and weary upholding the shining load,
And my tired feet went stumbling over the hilly road.
I fell with the torch beneath me, in a moment the flame was out.
But lo, from the throng a stripling sprang forth with a mighty shout,
Caught up the torch as it smouldered and lifted it high again,
Til fanned by the winds of heaven it fired the souls of men.
As I lay alone in the darkness, the feet of the trampling crowd,
Passed over and far beyond me, their praises proclaimed aloud.
And I learned in the deepening shadow this glorious verity,
‘Tis the torch the people follow, who ere the bearer be."
It's 150% not about me. I am simply the torch bearer. I am one of those that Heavenly Father has trusted with this message. If I'm not doing it right, if I get distracted and unable to accomplish the task, he will replace me. Which is both comforting and slightly worrisome at the same time. But I know that he will help and qualify those he calls. So long as we keep an eye single to his glory and focused on the light.
I'm excited for another week as a torch bearer. Continuing the rescue of those here in Södertälje.
jag älskar er
syster janessa brink
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