Slow Down, Take a Deep Breath and Smell the Roses

Selfie with favorite senior missionary.

This was one of the best weeks of my mission Elder Matthews & I seem to get along like Pepsi & Costa Vida.  Both of us are running at the same speed.  Let's get you a good review of the week which contained miracles, 7/11 pizza, and making some mission memories. Okay, first cool story I will share happened just yesterday.  Earlier in the week we received a referral to go contact someone that moved from Astoria down to Vancouver in our area and we did just that!  She told us to come back the next day but was unusually friendly.  We returned the next day and she explained that two years ago she took the mission lessons to progress towards baptism.  When she was two lessons away from baptism a close family member passes away which turned her away.  However, the Lord has now given her the feelings it is time to return to church and be baptized.  All we did was show up at the door and it was the coolest thing.  Heavenly Father knows all His children.  We believe the lessons we are learning this week have contributed to the success seen in the area.  As we have prayed before lessons and activities, we typically pray for success in the lesson or success in finding people with the plans we have made.  Never have we considered... Perhaps the plans we make or activities we plan for may NOT be the Lord’s intended plans!  This week we told the Lord if He wanted us to change our plans or the lesson outline we would do it.  We just asked for the Spirit to be our senior companion and He was ALL WEEK.  WE GOT LOST in apartment complexes like it was some sort of REAL LIVE LABYRINTH BECAUSE WE DIDNT EVEN USE LDS TOOLS OR GOOGLE MAPS.  We trusted the Lord would take us where we need to go.   Around each corner we seemed to find those of Heavenly Father’s children that needed us at those moments.  He lets us try our best and then he makes up for the rest.  Alright, now let me get real with you all here.  Yesterday I put do Terra oil on my neck to focus and instead it just made me smell like rotten fruit for most of my church meetings.  Actually, to be real with you all, this week I had quite an awakening!  I won't lie... For most of my mission, if I was to be sent home I would have considered it just "another step" in life probably with not too much pain... Mostly just a "content" attitude.   This week I caught a glimpse of what Heavenly Father sees.  He opened my eyes to take a step back and realize that this is honestly the greatest two years.  I looked around and saw how great my companion was. I even looked at the FREAKIN trees everywhere.  I remembered an amazing family I had taught earlier in the day and realized you're happiest when you're in the Lord’s service.  But sometimes you need to slow down, take a deep breath and SMELL THE ROSES.  Amidst any stress you have,  you will probably find plenty of things to rejoice over.  I also realized that I kind of like not working and going to school.   There’s nothing better than serving the Lord.  So PLEASE go on a mission.  It's awesome.