Hey all!
It's been a pretty good week! We've been able to see a handful of miracles. Not too much with people actually progressing, but that's ok, because the miracles show that God is blessing us and that it's His work and His timing. It's funny. I think my time here in Lacey has been to help me relearn that.
Probably the biggest thing of this week was last night. We had our last fireside. Probably ever - because the Weavers are going home, and firesides are a Sister Weaver thing. It was a roller coaster of a night. I had a lot of emotions inside of me, and it made me think a lot about that past year or so of my life, and the next few months I have left here in the WA-TAC. I'm not an overly emotional person. I haven't cried much since the beginning of my mission. I cried more last night than I think I have in the past 6 months. And I'm not really exaggerating. The testimonies given, through word and song, pierced my heart, and then thoughts of the Weavers going home also took a toll on my emotions. But, throughout the evening, as I was filled with sorrow for the Weavers going home, and all the wonderful missionaries I've grown so close to that are going home in a few weeks - Sister Bevan, Sister Crosby, and like a bajillion others - and the thoughts of me going home in a few short months, my thoughts turned towards my Savior and the powerful testimonies that were being shared. I am SO grateful that I have 18 months to devote all of my time to just sharing about Him! To just express my love and my gratitude. To help people understand Him better. To help people grow closer to Him, to use His Atonement and form a true relationship with Him. How lucky am I to have 16 weeks left to do this. I'm so lucky! I get 16 weeks more! I'm not going home today! What reason do I have to sorrow? And then, when I go home, that's not going to stop my testimony. That's not going to stop my ability to share. It'll just not be so....all the time. I don't need the nametag or the calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. That's just who I am all the time. And I'm so lucky for that.
I really don't know if I can share much else...that pretty much has enveloped everything I think and feel right now. There is nothing else I'd rather do or rather be than to be a missionary, doing God's work. Because as often as we call it missionary work, it's not! Proof of that was all this week!
We went on exchange this last week with Parkland sisters. I went with Sister Bishop, again, except this time I stayed in Lacey. We went to go check up on a less active to recently moved into the 5th ward from the 2nd ward. a member from the 2nd ward asked us to check up on her, but he didn't have her exact address, just the building she lived in. So, remember how Sister Bevan and I found Linda and Jim back in Silverdale (don't know if you remember that way cool story. The relief society president asked us to find a less active. She knew what building she lived in, just not the actual apartments number. So, we looked for her, didnt' find her, but found Linda and Jim, who wanted to learn more what we were all about!) I decided that Sister Bishop and I would just knock on each door. Lo and behold, did we find this less active woman? No. Instead, we found a girl named Nicole, who had just moved in a week ago, who said she would love to learn more and accepted a Book of Mormon and told us when we could come back. That wasn't missionary work. That had nothing to do with anything Sister Bishop or I did. That was God placing Nicole in the right place at the right time so she could accept and invitation to learn more.
A similar thing happened a few days later. We were looking through some old potentials lists. We found a name that we thought looked pretty promising. We knocked on her door, but she had moved. The lady there, though, when we asked if she and her family would be interested in learning more, invited us in right then and there! She's a nurse, so she is really busy, but she showed true interest - she was intently listening and wants us to come back - and this gives us the chance to teach a whole family - her husband and her two kids. Again, not because of our work, but because of God's work, and us and them just being in the right place at the right time.
Man. I just love it here. I love doing this. It's hard, often, but it's never too hard. And I always have my Savior to rely on. In the words of Nephi, "I glory in my Jesus." MY Jesus. As I've been on my mission, He's become my PERSONAL Savior. And it can be the same for anyone else. I'm so grateful for Him and who He is and what He's done. Truly, I would have gone home a long time ago, if I didn't have the grace of God, given to me through Him, to rely on. I love Him!
I love you all! Thanks for all you do to help me out here and to support me in the work. This pretty much is the best decision I could have ever made, to come out here, and to accept my call to the beautiful WA-TAC.
Sister Beth Ann Root!
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