Dearest Family and Friends,
I love being a missionary! I love being a servant of the Lord! I love laboring in the Lord's vineyard and being a part of His army! I don't think I could have always said those things on my mission, but I feel this way so much right now. I woke up this morning so happy, and so excited for this new day. I couldn't wait for what it would bring and I didn't mind that it was 6 in the morning (which I know is late for some of your wake-up calls!).
A mission is truly a refiner's fire as is this life! It is so hard sometimes but so wonderful too! It has stretched me and helped me to grow like nothing else has.
I prayed and fasted this week to feel rejuvenated and excited again about being a missionary and Heavenly Father has already begun to answer my prayers! I was studying yesterday and this really hit me like it never had: that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to live in our Heavenly Father's presence forever, in never ending happiness. I have always known this, but I really felt it this week. I want to give everyone the opportunity to accept the gift of this gospel and to be freed!!! I don't think we realize what we have. I don't think we realize that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to fully access the Atonement of Jesus Christ. When I have this perspective, talking with everyone is no longer scary for me!! It is exciting and fun, no matter their response. This gospel even makes the experiences of life so much richer! It makes me truly happy and it is my strength and my anchor. Shall we not go on in such a cause as this!
I am currently loving the story of Alma the Younger!! I have always loved this story, but it has been on my mind all week. This story shows how the gospel truly can change our lives. It can change the vilest of sinners to steadfast and powerful, servants of the Lord. I have shared this story a lot with people this week because a lot of people we are working with, have been deceived by the lie that they cannot change. That it's either too late for them or that they have sinned too much, or that Heavenly Father doesn't even care about them enough to help them change. These are all such lies and they make me so upset (not upset at the people!). God would never tell us that we can't change or that it is too late for us to change! He and His Son Jesus Christ love us, even when we have sinned against them. Do we truly have faith that they love us no matter what, and that we can change? That They want us to change? That everything is in our favor to change!?
Something else that I struggle with on my mission that I would take any advice on is tracting!! I don't struggle with the act of it, and it is actually fun, but I struggle with the talking part once they do open the door. I feel like I gear myself up every time for what I am going to say, but as soon as they answer, I just start rambling and telling them everything! I don't know why this is so hard for me, but I will keep working on it!!
So many fun and exciting things are happening and many wonderful things happened this week:
*Dinner with Sunay on Monday! He is from Armenia and we are convinced that he is an Armenian mob boss! :) We ate at a Turkish restaurant and I can report that I love Turkish food! We talked about a little of the restoration and plan of salvation (he originally thought we were Catholic haha) and it was wonderful! He wants to be happier and he says he knows there is a God. He went to an atheist school growing up, but he said that atheism only relies on one of your senses. He has felt that God is there and he cannot deny it. I love this!
*Exchanges with Sister Kraemer on Tuesday! This was so wonderful and so needed. She is an amazing Sister and I love her so much! She taught me so much and she taught me how to be in a moment, love and have fun with the people we are with. I think I struggle with looking too far ahead and focusing on what is next that day or week. I am working and praying for help to be with each person I am with and to love them! This exchange was fantastic and a blessing for so many more reasons, and I am so grateful that I got to have it!
*During the exchange, we had a lesson with Bettina (our investigator) and Rose (a recent convert). Bettina expressed that she doesn't feel like she prays right, and she was really upset about this. Rose immediately responded and said, "Oh Bettina, there is no wrong way to pray (true for the most part!). Sometimes I pray to God, sometimes I pray to Jesus Christ (what!?). It's just whoever I feel like talking to that day." Rose is such a sincere person and she is so close to her Heavenly Father and Savior, but she showed us something we need to go back and teach her again! We read 3 Nephi 18 in response that talks about always praying to the Father in Christ' name. It all turned out great, but it was a fun little experience!
*We had dinner that same night with the relief society president in our ward. She shared a lot of really great things with us, and talked about how she has accessed the Atonement in her life. She says that a lot of us get into holes and we get stuck there. She felt this way after her divorce, and she felt so dark and depressed. She said that people tried to force her out of the hole, but she just jumped right back in. She said that she felt Christ reach His hand into the hole, and she slowly started to come out of it. Eventually she was back into the light and she felt healed, but it was a long process for her. A lot of people who we work with are in similar situations, and I feel like we are Christ' hands, helping them to get out of these holes. I just really liked this!
*We had dinner with Jenny, a less active that we are working with. She is a sweet sweet lady, but she is missing out on so much, because she is a cafeteria style, member of the church. She picks and chooses some things that she likes about it, but still lives her life the way she wants. This makes me so sad for her and we love her so much. She doesn't seem happy, but she doesn't admit this.
*Sister G. and I had an awesome visit with a member that night! They reminded me of our family and it was so rejuvenating to talk to them!
*Thursday was a sick day! Sister G. had a really bad sinus infection and the flu so we stayed in all day! It was actually a really good bonding today, and we talked about our lives all day! It was a tender mercy in many ways and much needed!
*We saw Jenny again, and we helped her sort through some papers! She fed us truffles, which is always her payment for our service :)
*Tea Party with Bettina and Rose (herbal tea that is!) Bettina is amazing and she has stopped drinking coffee and regular tea and has switched completely to herbal tea! We had tea in cute little tea cups, and talked about tea party things (I had to ask them what you talk about at a tea party and they said you talk about your families and friends). We told about our families and ended with a short lesson on Alma the Younger. It was so wonderful and I felt so classy. Btw, have you tried herbal tea? It is so gross!! I want so much to love it but it is awful! We mixed it with milk and A LOT of sugar at the tea party and it was more bearable!
*Church was incredible! I love church!!!
*Visit with Ilana yesterday! Hard! Heavenly Father carried us through it and we were very blunt with her. She is not willing to change or humbly accept that she needs to change so she is stuck. She did come to sacrament meeting yesterday however!
And finally, the last bit of news...
*Transfers are this week and it looks like one of us is getting transferred. I got a call last night that I have been called to train a new missionary, which I am actually really excited about. I love training! I think it is just so great! I feel so blessed and I want to truly be an instrument in the Lord's hands as I get to train my new companion!
We are so blessed! I am so blessed to have you all!
I hope you all have a great first week of February!!!!
Much love!!
Love,
Sister Akin
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