MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB!

Ello sweet family!

Monday night I was studying my President’s letter that had a story about a man who was hiking a mountain, and as I read the words, 

 "The trail is beautiful as well"

I responded in the same way that this man in the story did, I wept.  At first, I thought that the word said, "trial" instead of "trail" and it took on a new meaning. I wept because every trail, either leading to a meadow, or another rocky ridge HAS been beautiful. It has shaped who Sister Lloyd is today. The message of the story was that of a man climbing a mountain and he kept asking people who were coming down if it was worth the trek. While sorting through personal issues while hiking, he wept at the summit and then, while descending, came across a Tibetan monk climbing up and he said to him that yes, the hike is worth it. The monk responded, I’m sure it is, but I’m also enjoying all of the beauty and sights along the path going up. Yep, you know the point, enjoy the journey! 

My entire mission, I have been trying my best to live in the moment and be grateful for what I am given. I remember reading the talk by P. Uchtdorf about not waiting for the "golden ticket" and not ever putting happiness on hold. I remember reading "Lessons from Liberty Jail" and learning that we can have redemptive and revelatory experiences in undesirable conditions. I have tried my best to not think about home, but it hit me that I need to celebrate going home.  I need to have greater faith and trust in the Lord for everything that I have been blessed with on my mission.  Every day has been a fight, and a miracle, but that will not stop just because I don't wear the black name tag.

This week, SN and I felt incredibly spirit led, and it was amazing!  For most of my mission, I have committed to "follow every prompting" and so whenever I try and talk myself out of talking to someone, or just walk by a house, that commitment rings in my head, and it takes about half a second to change my mind!  I love seeing what happens when I follow promptings. Sometimes, nothing happens. I know that God is probably just testing me to see if I am listening and relying on Him to guide our efforts. However, most of the time, we see miracles.  One of the times it happened was this week when SN and I were both staring at a house we were passing by. We decided to stop and do the survey. A young father answered the door and told us that he had met with missionaries when he was 17 years old, but that was over 20 years ago now.  He told us that he had investigated many churches, but no church had everything that he and his wife were looking for. He has two young children, and he asked us to come back and teach them and the purpose of family home evening. How amazing! A new family to teach!

 

I truly enjoyed every minute of the work this week. I feel like my body is so, so exhausted, and especially with the summer heat coming, but I don't want to waste a minute that SN and I have left together, and so I have been trying to just focus and work, work, work. I have had a few sad moments, but SB warned me last week that because I am nearing the end, that Satan is really going to try and get me. I was really grateful for her advice, because I honestly didn't even think about that! I thought that I would be so consumed in the work that I wouldn't even think about anything else. However, Satan is sneaky; he is trying to make me sad and ruin my time that I still have left! Well, I will not let that happen. I will not falter! 

I also had a situation that made me reflect on my decision to serve a mission. I remember getting subtle promptings, and I can still hear the voice saying to me, "You should go." It was never forceful, but I listened. I knew that  I SHOULD go, and I knew that it would be the best thing for me. I knew that the quiet voice was from God and that was enough for me. Almost 17 months into my mission, I am so grateful-- infinitely grateful-- that I chose to listen to that quiet whispering. It was never a grand event or a huge decision for me, I just knew that I should serve, and the Spirit spoke peace to me, and that was that.

Yesterday was yet again, one of the best days on my mission. I just love being a missionary and being devoted to something so purposeful and joyous all of the time! Last night we held a musical fireside with the Harbord ward, and we had arranged to sing with two of our investigators. Just 2 weeks ago we met G, an 18 year old young man from Spain. Since then, we’ve had amazing lessons where one of our members introduced the BOM to him in Spanish, and he has grown so much so quickly! He's one of those people that you just love to be around because he is so happy. It is quite a tender mercy, because he often reminds me of my little brother who is always singing, snapping and whistling. He didn't even think twice about saying yes to singing with us at the fireside, and said he'd love to sing a solo! 

I have been focusing on charity, and pure and calm love for the last couple of months, and I felt as though yesterday my heart might burst!  G and C, another one of our amazing YSA-aged investigators sang with us, "I Feel my Saviour's Love."  These are people who have NEVER heard the song and yet, through the Holy Spirit, understood it’s powerful meaning.

B was also baptized this weekend, an incredible miracle and one of the most beautiful baptisms I have ever witnessed. As we taught the last lesson, he said, "Of course I'll pay tithing, I want to follow every commandment that God gives me, because I can already see the blessings in my life that keeping these small ones has made." After his baptism, he bore his testimony in sacrament meeting. He bore testimony that from now on, he would always be a fully committed member and follow Jesus Christ.  

I feel like this area has been on the brink of something so wonderful for so long, and now the missionary work is alive! Everything is falling into place, and the spindles of the Liahona are aligning to do the work of salvation together, like it is meant to be. I am so humbled and grateful to be a missionary at this time and in this amazing place.   

I love you to the moon and back my family. I love you so.

Sister Lloyd