Monday, March 10, 2014

March 10, 2014 Faith or Fear.‏

Howdy, howdy, howdy!!!

Well, I don't have as much to update you on since I just e-mailed on Wednesday but I will give you what I have got :) I am starting to fall in love with McKinney. It was another pretty rough week but things are starting to look up. My companion is awesome. Did I say that she is from West Jordan, UT? We know we competed against each other when I threw shot putt and discus my sophomore year. Pretty funny huh?? We are convinced we knew each other from somewhere else but we're not sure. (I just had to backspace because I realized I had written the last half of that sentence in Spanish, hahaha.) We have a few people that have a lot of potential and every day we are trying to find more of course! It has been rough because both my companion and I got sick this last week... but we are taking vitamins and medicine and I am sure we will be feeling better soon! This morning during studies I was thinking a lot about what has happened on my mission and the missionary that I am. I was starting to doubt if I am/had done things right and found all the people I needed, etc.  Then I realized, God doesn't wanting me doubting everything I am doing and feeling all down. Those thoughts aren't from Him. I decided... it's either faith or fear. I decided I am going to do everything I can to keep my head up!! I am going to continue giving it my all so at the end of my mission I have no doubt that I did everything I could for the people here :) Honestly, with faith, you can do anything. Anything that is the Lord's will. Throughout the week we had some really good lessons. There is a lady here named Dariela. She is INCREDIBLE. She just got baptized like 2 weeks before I got here or something. She taught the Gospel doctrine class this last week. She did so good :)  Now we are teaching her 2 younger brothers. They just got here from Honduras not too long ago. We are hoping to have a couple baptisms with them this transfer :) So I really do feel like it's a dream where I am living. I feel like I shouldn't even tell you all because you won't think I am really serving a mission ;) Hahah. It's definitely a change from the mouse poop in my breakfast and the cock roaches in the last place I was living. We have 2 dogs. They are the Ragsdale's dogs but when they go out of town, we get to take care of them. Their names are Lucy and Pirate. They are so stinkin' cute :) I will send pictures of them. We are living in the Ragsdale's pool house. We each have our own bathroom and I also am sleeping in a king size bed. I don't remember if I told you all this on Wednesday?? Anyhow.. it all seems fake :) Haha. Church on Sunday was crazy because when Sacrament started there were maybe 15 people there. It turns out.... almost every single person in my branch is a convert that was baptized within the last 7 years. INSANE huh?? It may be a bit of a struggle because some of our people we really need haven't gotten a lot of training. Our ward mission leader was in-active for a bit I guess but now he is active again so we are trying to work with him to get things going how they should be going. It's incredible to feel the missionary Spirit in this ward though. Because almost all of them are converts... they still have the fire of the Gospel really strong in them. Many of them are really willing to help us in any way they can. I am excited to get to know a lot of them better but for now they seem like an amazing branch. Sometimes, being a missionary can be incredibly hard. But so is life. I have learned that we will all always have trials. The trick is how we react to them :) It is true.. some may have a lot bigger of a load than others. But isn't it ironic that those who have been through so much are often the ones who are some of the happiest?? :) I believe that we can choose to be happy. Cheesy as it sounds... attitude really is everything. It's not easy now and it won't ever be in this life. But there is hope :) We can choose to be happy. As President Monson said, "The future is as bright as your faith." I believe that. I am going to choose to be happy and hold my head high. I am going to do all I can so that now and forever I can face the challenges that are given to me in life and grow from them :) Coach Richards, my favorite basketball coach from high school, had a phrase tattooed on his fore arms. It said, "Where there is no STRUGGLE... There is no PROGRESS." I have been through some struggles. It's now time to progress :) I love you all and hope you have a good week! Pray for someone to share the Gospel with. God will bless you with a missionary experience. The work is moving forward. Be a part of it. We missionaries need you. The Lord needs you :)

-LOVE Y'all!!!!

-tu favorita, Hermana Hadlock 








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