WEEK 51: June 3, 2019 "When will my reflection show...."

June 08, 2019

WEEK 51: June 3, 2019 "When will my reflection show...."

This is my pday. Chimarrão (very popular herbal tea called mate' in Argentina). Writing Letters and The District 2. And Star Wars blanket.

ABACAXI!!!

This week was... interesting. It started out so great. We had a zone conference and we got to watch "THE SAFETY ZONE!" which is my new favorite TV Series. It is the only show dedicated to keeping missionaries safe, healthy and secure through video replay and analysis. So that was a great start. and we were planning a baptism for the Saturday so I was so happy.

And then.... Wednesday.

So here is a story that I maybe shouldn't share with you guys but I am gonna anyways. So we went to teach Vilar. He is the man that would have been baptized last Saturday. We got him all prepared for his interview. He said that he was excited that he wanted to follow Christ and that he knew that everything was true. So we said we would return to take our district leader there to do the interview. So we worked and then met up with our District Leader and took him to the house. But we when got there, I saw the Book of Mormon and the Restoration pamphlet on the front porch. And I just thought, "no. No. No. Vilar you need this! You need this gospel!! I can't believe it" and we started knocking and he just didn't answer.... nothing...

It was devastating.

This week I will enter into the last 6 months of my mission. I have done a lot of reflecting.

Before my mission I thought that I would get here and just be transformed into a perfect instrument in God’s hands. That I would just see miracles and miracles and it would be like lollipops and rose petals.

Now I look back and I see the snowstorm that I passed through to get to this point. I have distinct memories of the first time that someone gave back the Book of Mormon and said that he didn't want anymore. I remember when we had a baptismal font full, and the person called and said that he decided not to be baptized anymore. I remember being yelled at and called a servant of Satan and annoying and stupid and wrong and gullible. I remember knocking on doors at 8am for 10-15 minutes to help someone go to church and they never answer and I just cried and cried because someone is sacrificing eventual salvation for a little more sleep. I have felt heart aches and headaches and I have cried and yelled and done everything I can to help people recognize Christ and they just don't want it sometimes. But the blessing of a mission is that in the midst of rejection and sadness and heartbreak. You see the hand of God touch the hearts of so many people.

I have been able to see a couple addicted to drugs overcome the addiction completely with the help of the Book of Mormon. I saw a woman who was critically concerned that her husband was never baptized before he died; feel and understand the power of the temple. I saw a woman who lost hope that her husband could quit drinking, feel the spirit in her home and saw HIM choose to stop. I saw someone who was trapped in her bedroom by depression who passed everyday crying and cursing God, get up and this month she wrote me that she is going to go the temple!! I saw someone who was completely burdened down by sin, leave everything behind and find a new happiness that he could never have imagined.

I have seen countless miracles in this last year that I can't even describe. But more importantly I have seen a miracle in my life. I have learned to deal better with stress and sadness. I have learned to rely on Christ when I am reaching a thousand dead ends. I have learned to recognize and follow the Spirit everyday.

The mission is super hard. But in the end. The miracles make it all worth it. I hope you all enjoyed my reflection for the week. I love you all!!!

This week I want to challenge you all to make a list of all the blessings that the gospel has brought in the lives of you guys. Just make a giant list of the blessings and then say a prayer to thank God for all those blessings. They exist. They are there.

I love you all,

com muito amor,
Sister Hammond