It has been a crazy busy week. I have spent a lot of time giving advice for colds (sore throat, stuffy/running nose, cough, headache), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, back pain, knee pain, hamstring pain, tooth aches, mouth sores, rashes, styes, migraines, etc and then following up to see if there is any improvement or changes in treatment. I have scheduled doctor, physiotherapy (physical therapy in the US), and X-ray appointments.
Monday I spent the afternoon in an urgent care with a missionary who fell and required stitches on the back of their head. It ended up being a “gluing” instead of stitches but it took the same 3 ½ hours wait and treatment time. I went to two separate doctor’s appointments with missionaries on Wednesday and again on Thursday. I accompanied a missionary to physiotherapy on Friday and to another doctor appointment on Saturday. I am not complaining and I don’t want you to think that the mission is full of sick and injured missionaries. When a mission has close to 200 missionaries, a few illnesses doesn’t represent the entire mission.
I don’t want the missionaries to be sick but I do enjoy interacting with them and helping when I can. And keeping busy is great! I will admit it is a little stressful on those days when I’m talking to a missionary and before I finish, there is a text or two coming in. This doesn’t happen frequently but this week was the exception.
I also spent a few hours on a couple of days helping Sister Lewis clean out two flats getting them ready for incoming senior missionaries here in my building. She was closing one flat so it had to be completely emptied except for the furniture and ready to be turned over to the property manager. The other flat needed to be cleaned up and readied for the new missionary couple.
As a bonus, I acquired two pictures to put on my wall, a few misc items, and a blender taken from the flat that was closing.
No time this week for exploring the area and taking pictures so I have little to offer in the way of adventure.
One of the doctor’s offices I went to this week is in a little mall where there is a Countdown. I thought this arrangement of leeks and onions was striking.
On Saturday afternoon I invited the sister training leaders in my area, Sisters Crooks and Kehoe, to come to lunch. I made sausage and pasta with tomato sauce, a fruit salad and caprese appetizers.
After lunch we went knocking on doors and talking to people on the streets with them. What a wonderful and rewarding experience. I learned a lot from them and got to experience the feeling of rejection a few times but also we met a man who accepted an appointment for the elders to return for a visit next week. YEAH!! (The sisters couldn’t teach him because he was alone in the house so they would refer him to the elders in the area.) We talked to another man from China who was interested but some people he was waiting for on the sidewalk, arrived and he had to leave before we could get a commitment. Sister Kehoe did give him a card with their number on it. Hopefully he will call.
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| Sisters Kehoe and Crooks |
Sunday evening I was invited by another couple here in my building along with Elder and Sister Lewis, to come to dinner. The chicken fajitas, salad, and apple crisp was tasty and the company was enjoyable.
Monday morning I was invited to the Sister Morningside (like a fireside) for breakfast and sharing ideas.
We were each asked to prepare a 3 minute lesson on how to love our companions better and to include scripture and examples if possible. I was not chosen (WHEW) but I’ll share the thoughts I prepared as it applies not only to companionships but to each of us and the way we interact with each other.
Our companion can be one of the best parts of our mission. We can learn and grow together and act as one in bringing others to Christ. Having a companion in the mission field is a great opportunity to develop skills that will prepare us for a happier future as a friend, college roommate, mother and wife.
Because each of us comes with traits and personalities that differ from one another, it can also be a time of trial, tension, anger, annoyance, etc. Differences of opinion, habit, or background are inevitable
Here is a quote from President Monson that I think can apply to us as missionary companions even though he is talking about marriage and family:
“Some of our greatest opportunities to demonstrate our love will be within the walls of our own homes. Love should be the very heart of family life, and yet sometimes it is not. There can be too much impatience, too much arguing, too many fights, too many tears.”
It is important to look for the good in each other. We must look outward and not inward. We want to avoid contention in our home. In 3 Nephi we read: “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention” (3 Nephi 11:29).
We need to be understanding and tolerant when one is having a bad day for whatever reason.
So how can we show love and compassion for each other?
1. Express appreciation.
Sometimes all one needs to feel loved are words of affirmation. Thank your companion for the responsibilities they fulfill in order to make your flat clean and orderly. Acknowledge when she does something for you and don’t forget to express gratitude.
2. Pray daily for each other and with your each other.
Whether you are praying alone or with your companion, ask for her protection, success, and happiness. Pray to know what you could do to strengthen your relationship. When you selflessly ask Heavenly Father how you can serve your companion, He will help you recognize opportunities to do so.
3. When you have a concern or problem, pray together and then talk openly with one another and work through your problem.
4. Try to keep a positive attitude. To keep this short, I would like to share a thought for you to consider.
ATTITUDE
Charles Swindoll
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.”When we approach our missionary activities: living with a companion, knocking, teaching, talking to strangers, it can all be improved when we have a Christ-like attitude.
I love my Savior and I love you my family and friends.
