May 13, 2013 letter

Hello again family! Twice with-in a 24 hour period? You must be so lucky. I must really love you! :) I am really glad that I was able to talk to you yesterday. Megan, you are forgiven. However, I will be coming down to your place for a week or so when I get home. Hope you are ready. Also, mom... on the way home from the airport we are stopping at Cafe Rio!

 

I have another riddle for you. I am going to give you a few clues and see if you can guess it.

What is...

-cylinder in shape

-metal

-tall

-unmoveable

- and hurts when you walk into it?

Have you guessed it yet?

 

It is a pole! And that is what I did last week. Early Tuesday morning we went for a walk. I have a bunch of scriptures I wanted to memorize and my mind tends to wander that early in the morning. Well, I thought it would be a good idea to try and memorize a scripture while we were out walking. Mosiah 5:2 is the scripture that is engrained into my head. Well, we were out walking and next thing I know, I walked into a pole! I laughed to keep from crying, though I just wanted to cry. Well, long story short we went to the ER and I was told I gave myself a minor concussion! Ha ha! Just my luck, hey? So, all week I have been on brain rest while those around me have taken care of me! Sister Dean is so great. She made me food and took really good care of me. Needless to say, I am doing much better and we are able to go out and work again! I will send a picture of the bruise shortly.

 

We are working with a few wonderful people. We have the wonderful opportunity of helping 3 of them come into the waters of baptism on the 25th! We are still working with the father and I just know that he will be baptized too. I told the wonderful sister that I would be there when they are sealed in the temple! What a glorious work to be engaged in!

 

I want to share something I learned in my personal study this morning. I was reading in Jacob chapter 2 and it says "to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds" It made me really think of the way that I talk to people. Everyone is going through their own battle on the inside, and it made me think "Am I helping them become whole? Or I am tearing them down with my words?" It just really made me realize that we need to speak kindly to others and preach the gospel. After all, in verse 8 it says "they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul." The message that we share is what helps them become whole again! Then, I was reading in chapter 7 in Preach My Gospel. I love on page 127 where it says "Listed below are ways you can strengthen your faith that the Lord will help you teach and testify in your mission language:
-Recognize that you have been called of God by a prophet.
-Live worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
-Be obedient to the commandments and to missionary standards.
-Pray sincerely for divine assistance.
-Study, practice, and use the mission language each day."

That applies to everyone. We are all learning a new language. We are giving up slang and we are showing the Lord that we will rise above the world! I love it! One goal that I have for the rest of my mission, and the rest of my life really, is to avoid loud laughter, light-mindedness, harsh speaking, sarcasm, and anything else that pulls away from the appearance of the Savior that I so desperetly want to keep with me. It made me really realize how important our language is and how words can hurt.

 

I love being a missionary. Thank you for all your support and love. I am excited to hear from you all. Love you lots.

 

Sister Saal.