July 29, 2013

All is good in Ellington. There are definetly a lot of ups and downs but most of the times I dont really think about the downs. I think thats a blessing from heavenly father. One day we had lots of dropped appointments, one which was so dissapointing because we spent a long time planning this very important lesson and planned to invite her to be baptized. we were just finnishing planning it when she called. but then we met with recent convert who we have been trying to get a hold of for decades. she hasn't come to church because of work and she always changes her phone number. but we met with her and her amazing home teacher brother Mehr came with us. She agreed to meet with us weekly and we will be reteaching her and she also said she'd come to church every other week (thats all her work schedule can allow). So by the end of the day I was lying in bed thinking, "ah what an amazing day! being a missionary is the BEST!" and then I remembered how discouraged and hopeless i felt just a few hours before and really forget what that feeling felt like.  Then people ask about a trial or a time you've felt hopeless and my mind goes blank. I think, "I have had to feel hopeless sometime in my life....why can't i think of any trials? why can't i think of how 5 hours ago I wanted to chuck a brick at a wall?" It is the oddest thing - i can't explain it. I think that's what the atonement of Jesus Christ does. We have hopeless moments and times we feel like we are completely useless and feel like we are wasting the Lord's time....but the atonement helps paint over that. It's got to be some pretty strong paint...probably Benjamin Moore paint or something because it paints over it so well you can't see any dark marks underneath that fresh white paint.

 

Bro Mehr, that lady's home teacher taught me a lot. I needed that lesson more than Latrina did. I walked away thinking, "They should really get the missionaries some home teachers". He gave an amazing thought after we did and then asked me to say the closing prayer and said "now im going to ask sister bell to do a favor. in her prayer shes only going to thank heavenly father for things. and everyone in this room needs something right now and it's ok to ask for things in our prayers, but lets see if Sister Bell can ask for things in this prayer for us but through thanking Him." That prayer took a lot of thinking which was good for me after a day of discouragement and dropped appointments. Its amazing how you can ask for things by saying thankyou. There were so many times i wanted to slip up and thought "itd just be easier to directly ask" but when phrasing it in the way of a thank you it was neat to experience. After the prayer Bro Mehr said i did good and that there were something he was praying that i'd mention during the prayer and i did. Then after walking out i realized Bro Mehr has only been active for the past 8 years and before that time wasn't active since he was a teenager! And he's dad's age or a little older! Wow the Lord has taught him quickly the past 8 years. Walking out with him I told him how amazing he was and how much his spirit reminded me of my dad's and how he was able to teach me in the manner that he did. It's exactly how you teach me, dad. I looked at him and said, "Bro Mehr, when you are you going to invite someone to meet with the missionaries in your home? You could work miracles." He laughed really hard and then looked at me and realized when i wasn't laughing I was serious. He said he's working on it :)

 

The groundbreaking for our temple which is going to be SO close by is this upcoming month! The members are SO excited! There is very very limited space at the groundbreaking so you can only attend by invite only and they aren't really planning on inviting any of the missionaries. good news is that my new friend Bro. Mehr is on the groundbreaking committe. I asked him what we could do to help. He said they have it all taken care of. I said we could even help with parking! Anything Bro Mehr! We'll do the job no one wants to do! I love Bro Mehr because you can be SO direct with him so I said, "Bro Mehr, you need servants wearing the name of Jesus Christ on their heart each day there as witnesses of this wonderful work. People need to see that!" He's so great - he'd figure out if we can do parking :) So each day Sister Barney and I pray in gratitude of the temple and gratitude for bro mehr that he is doing all he can to help us be apart of the groundbreaking. Wouldn't that be awesome!! Rumor is President Monson is going to be there because his granddaughter lives out here or something?....but we're not counting on rumors...itll still be awesome whoever is there though.

 

LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you for your letters of peace and counsel...i feed off of them and eat it up. I thank heavenly father every day for a family who stands behind me and supports me and is active in raising their families in the gospel. Stay strong in the little things families! Looking at families here, they fell apart when the little things slid past them.

 

Love,

Sister Bell