SO my first day landing in Lubbock was ROCKIN! It was only me and a few Elders flew in so we got to spend a lot of one on one time with the President and his Wife, they are so wonderful. Then I got to spend the night with the Sister training leaders in Lubbock and we taught lessons and had dinner with a member family and it was just so amazing. I laid in bed that night with tears streaming from my eyes because I couldn't figure out what i had ever done to be this blessed...
Aaand then they sent me to Borger... Imagine Borger as the town you come acrossed when you are road tripping with your family and you have to pull over to find a restroom, so you pull over in the middle of no where and you find this run down gas station and the clerk is missing all his teeth and everyone has a lazy eye and cow boy boots on. That is where I am serving, haha.
My companions name is Sister Vance and she is super cute. She speaks Spanish very well and is VERY diligent and keeps me very busy. Our first lesson was RIGHT after she and I met and drove to our area. The house we were teaching out was a complete hoarders nest.. I have never felt more uncomfortable. I was sitting on a pile of literal garbage.. Then we leave that lesson and go to a member's house for dinner. They served my beets. And they had like a million goats. Then we went knocking. Every person is like a crazy hoarder.. I have never smelled such thick smelling houses... I was terrified. And tears streamed out of my eyes falling asleep, but for a complete different reason.
Sister Vance makes me get up at 6 to run with her around all of Borger. So my plan to come home super chubby is totally ruined, THANKS Sister Vance ;) As a mission, we need at least 10 hours of service a week. So we have torn up carpets (in hoarder's houses that smell like pee), knocked down walls in old apartment buildings with a sledge hammer, cleaned old folks homes, helped move people in.. My body has never known such pain as this.. I am constantly sore.. Mom I am going to need you to send me some hot pink work gloves, thank you. My girl hands are covered in blisters.
90% of our lessons are in Spanish. There are so many Mexicans who live here, it is awesome. I realized that I actually don't know any Spanish.. I am able to share my testimony in Spanish and that's about all I am good for in lessons, haha. Poor Sister Vance. She is so patient with me.
They speak SO FAST here. And I will just look at them inlessons sometimes and wonder what is this noise coming form their mouths.. and then they will speak in English to me and it is this THICK southern accented english.. so basically English or Spanish here, i can't understand anyone. Hahahaha.a.. asfojaihgs
S'all good though. I am learning so much. And it is really weird, because as crazy as the people are here.. I love them. I love them already. Every lesson we have and it seems like they are confused or frusterated.. I have to fight the stongest urge to just get on my knees in front of them and hold their hands and just cry with them and tell them that they are so loved by their Heavenly Father and that we are here to help them.
I have been able to share my testimony so much. Everyone here is religious. People belong to religions that i haven't even heard of before.. It is so weird. Knocking doors, I get to meet the mst interesting people.
We are teaching about 6 investigators right now. They aren't really progressing and that is frustrating. We have SO MANY less actives in Borger.. it is depressing. We seriously have so much work to do as missionaries.
There are tarantulas everywhere here.
Anyways this week has been the longest and hardest one in my entire life. And to be honest, I didn't think I could make it 17 months. I prayed and prayed so hard and I have been working so hard to be the missionary the Lord wants me to be. On Sunday is was testimony meeting and I got up and shared my testimony to the ward and just told them how much this Gospel means to me. Then we sang Be Still, My Soul. "Be Still, My Soul. Thy God doth undertake. To guid the future, as he has the past. Thy Hope, Thy Confidence, let nothing Shake. All now mysterious, shall be bright at last. Be STill my Soul, the waves and winds still know, His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below." ....Isn't that so beautiful? In Alma 26:27, "...bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." Those words have never meant more to me. Then, that evening, Sis Vance and I prayed about who we should go visit. Then a families names who we hadn't met yet but had been meaning to go see, popped in our heads. We knoced on thier door around and a woman named Dolita answered the door. She invited us in (which was rare), and fed us (rare), and shared her life with us. She was actually a less active memeber from years and years ago. She has had the gnarliest life.. So many trials.. She was so tough. She talked about when the missionaries came to her door.. they changed her life. She looked me straight in the eye and said "Honey, don't you EVER give up. Never quit knocking doors. Never lose your faith. This is the most important work and so many need you." We just hugged and cried and cried. She hasn't been active because of some issues she has had with the Church and their treatment of the Homosexual community. She was so heartbroken because she loves this church so so so much.. So she said Sis Vance and I could come back and talk to her more. The Lord sent us to her because it is time to come back. The Lord loves her so much. When a convert is converted to the Lord, they will never fall away. Not converted to the missionaries, or the bishop, or the apostoles.. The Lord. Through the guidance of the Spirit, I can help her achieve that. So I am super pumped to teach her. The Lord is taking such good care of me. This work isn't about me, but the Lord hasn't ceased to be mindful of me. I have never felt more passion to do anything else in my entire life. This gospel is EVERYTHING, It is the MOST important thing. this is what brings families together, this is what gives you strength. I need to never lose sight of the reasons why i am out here, to help bring others to the Lord by helping them receive the restored Gospel. Joseph Smith IS a prophet, the Book of Mormon was translated by the power of God, that priesthood authority is back on the Earth. THESE THINGS ARE TRUE! And they will never not be. We are sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father. This I know with my whole heart and soul.
I am sorry this email isn't very funny.. Funny things have happened this week, I just can't really think of them.
I am going to be the best missionary Borger has had. Attitude is everything.
I love y'all (yes, y'all.)
SISTER KYNASTON
 |
| my apartment. the nicest in the mission. |
No comments:
Post a Comment