It is hard to believe a week has already passed and it is December! Thanksgiving here was pretty amazing, and I feel really blessed for the opportunity to be here now.
On Tuesday night, Elder Dallin H Oaks came and talked (I love him!) He talked about a Lot of stuff- I felt like I was trying to drink from a fire-hose! But it was so good. One topic that he talked about was challenges that missionaries face, and I think these challenges really apply to everyone. The challenges are the challenge to: change, achieve, and become. This challenges are definately true in the mission fied- I am trying to change my prior habits and in a way, change who I am. It has definately been a process for me to change my focus from myself to those that I am serving. It is also a challenge to achieve the skills and abilities that are required to be a successful missionary- speak the language, be a good teacher, and so many other things. But I think the most important challenge is the challenge to become. It is pointless to change habits and activities if they do not change your nature and who you are becoming. One of my goals is to become someone more and better than I am now, more like the person that my Heavenly Father wants me to be. As I succeed in meeting the challenges of changing and achieving, I am being molded and becoming the person that I need to be. So, I thought it was really interesting that Elder Oaks talked about those challenges.
Thanksgiving day was really good here as well. In the morning, Elder Jeffrey R Holland came and answered questions that missionaries had submitted. It was a more informal devotional, I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear an apostle of the Lord just talking to us. One of the questions he answered is "why is life hard?" I think we all ask that at one point and another. One thing he said was that there is something in the nature of discipleship that requires restraint and refinement, and that the rough times of life help us to harness and refine the natural strength and power that we have. As disciples of Christ, how can we expect life to be easy when He who we are following suffered beyond all? Elder Holland's reply was a good reminder to me about the necessity of pressure and opposition; that is truly when we can be molded and changed, and meet the challenge to become!
I am really grateful for the opportuntiy to change and to become someone more on my mission. I know that we all need to do this through-out our lives, and that the only way it is possible is becuase of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I love that I do not have to be stuck the way I am today! I know that as we seek and counsel with the Lord for strength and knowledge of who we need to be, He will provide a way, because it is only He who knows our true potential.