Sunday Quotes

Well, it's been an incredible journey.  I don't have the words to express what the mission means to me, and I think that's because it's all in my heart.  I will be eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father and Savior for this opportunity and to the Spirit for being there every step of the way.  What a joy it's been!

And now, it's on to another journey.  So far, it hasn't been quite as fulfilling as the mission, but this is part of Heavenly Father's plan for me too, so I'm sure it will get there.  I'm trying my best to do as President Monson advises and find joy in this journey, which is making a difference.  So today, I wanted to start a new tradition: Sunday quotes.

These quotes will be from the past couple of weeks.  They're things that have helped, reminded, consoled, and lifted.  Hopefully they do the same for you.

Truth exists beyond belief.   -President Uchtdorf

He who honors God, God honors.     -Chariots of Fire

Discipleship is not a spectator's sport.     -Sister Elaine S. Dalton

The purposes of God cannot be frustrated.     -Doctrine and Covenants 3:1

What we do will never measure up to what we need to be, but that's okay.  God has bridged the gap.     -Kristan Miller

It's not a coincidence that the word "quest" is in the word "question."     -Michael Wesch

Love is not an experience; it's a capacity.     -Michael Wesch

The Lord wants us to be made over - but in His image, not in the image of the world, by receiving His image in our countenances.     -Susan W. Tanner

Of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that are given to deity, he has asked us to address Him as Father.     -Quorum of the Twelve

The Holy Ghost is within whispering distance.     -Elaine S. Dalton

Creation is ongoing.  It is not complete until we fulfill the measure of our creation.     -David Seely

He can lift us perfectly.

600,000 Lights

Another Festival week.  It's been a great one.  I think the sisters are to the point now, where they are really learning how to be themselves when they are talking to people.  I love watching them interact and send the missionaries to these people they meet and testify of the Book of Mormon and just love every minute of this experience.  I'm like a mom.  But I'm really so proud of how these girls/sisters embrace their calling! This is definitely a time for a lot of reflecting, and seeing how good they are really makes me think about how my mission has been.  And I'm grateful there is still time to step it up and be better than I am.

One thing that I love about Festival is the number of international visitors that we've had.  So far I've sent missionaries to someone in Trinidad and Tobago, called someone in Zimbabwe, talked to people from India, South Korea, Vietnam, Puerto Rico, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and a million other places.  My favorite place to take them is the creche room.  There are creche's from all over the world and it's amazing to see how all of Heavenly Father's children can have the same faith.  And even if the creche includes a turtle and a monkey in the manger scene, Christ is always at the center.  It's so meaningful.  That room has such an incredible spirit that is tangible when I walk inside.  I wish that I could take all of you there! Plus, they put these plug-ins in there that make it smell like Christmas and that definitely adds the magic of it all.

Another miracle we're seeing is that this Saturday, Tevin is getting baptized!  He is ready.  It's incredible.  To me, he is evidence that the study of doctrine changes behavior faster than the study of behavior changes behavior.  He is a miracle.  I'm still amazed at the power of the atonement to change people! At the beginning, Tevin was very angry, and bitter, and confused and I wasn't sure if we were going to make it to a second lesson.  And he had so many concerns with the first lesson, that if we hadn't had the spirit in our planning, we probably would have revisited Lesson 1 over and over again.  But both of us felt like we needed to teach him as if he'd accepted everything and just move forward.  As we did so, his concerns became fewer and fewer, and the light in his face got brighter and brighter, and now he's ready.  Last time we saw him he said that we actually likes church (what 16 year old guy says that?) and he feels ready.  He's happy now.  And it's true.  The gospel changes people!  Bah! I wish you could all see it! This has been one of the most memorable and fulfilling conversion experiences of my mission.  I don't know how to put into words all the feelings of watching Tevin (a 16 year old in the middle of 9 siblings, divorced parents, etc. etc) as he hated the world and all of the unfair treatment he'd received.  He was even called the 'devil child' by members of his family, so of course he had every right to be angry and bitter.  It consumed him.  He never smiled.  His eyes were always squinted just a little so that everyone knew he didn't trust them, and would sit in our lessons and just stare at the table.  But from the beginning, Sister Wankier and I knew when he accepted our message he would be the strongest one in that family.  I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father knew that both of us are the type of people who respond with extra doses of jokes and happiness when people are angry, because that is exactly what Tevin needed.  And Heavenly Father knew that.  We're sure Tevin thought (and probably still thinks) we're crazy as we were burning tea bags on his hand, mixing in ketchup with his ice cream, and doing every ridiculous thing we could think of to teach him the gospel.  The Spirit led, and little by little, he smiled more.  He came to church.  He prayed.  He read his scriptures.  He laughed.  He changed! He's confident in who he is, and he's at peace.  He trusts God and he's happy.  And it's real happiness. There's no way he could pretend to be as genuine as he is now.  Ah, it's amazing.  This is what truth does to people.  

So stay true to those things that are eternal.  I love you all!

-Sister Welch 

Some Scattered Thoughts

You know how you can feel when change is coming?  That's how I feel right now.  It will be interesting to see what the next week brings.

As for the email, I just want to tell you all again that I'm alive and make it a quick one, but I know that won't go over very well.  So I'll write a real email.

This week, we've realized that Tracey needs some time without us to realize the treasure that she can really have.  We went over to teach her about the covenant she's making when she's baptized, and about the Sabbath Day.  We were very loving, but very clear that she can't get baptized unless she comes to church.  Well, she didn't take that very well, and now she's not very happy with us (i.e. not talking to us or opening her door), but it's what needed to happen.  She needs some time to ponder about whether or not she's ready for this.  So, it's really really sad, but she'll come when she's ready.  I have faith in that.

Gilberto is amazing.  He gave us a good scare because he lost his phone, was never home, and seemed to have disappeared, but we talked to him last night, and he is still invested, 150 percent.  Ah! It was such a joyful moment when he called us and told us, "You sounded so scared, like I was interested, in your message, but no!  I still want to do this!  I want to come to church and read and learn.  When can you come over?"  He's so great.  I hope you can all meet him one day.

Hmmm.  Funny how my mind goes blank when I write these things.

There's a lot of interesting things that happen, I just forget!  Right now I'm thinking of who I need to call when I'm finished emailing, and what I need to plan for "Night of Music and Inspiration" and how we're going to get members for appointments, and wow, I have such a missionary brain right now.

Feel free to ask me questions if you want me to involve certain things in here.  I forget that missionary life is so removed from everyone else, and what I do could probably be interesting to you all, but I'm so used to doing it, I just don't know what to write!

Well, I have to go now, but stay true to what's eternal.

I love you all!

-Sister Welch