Monday, August 12, 2013

Pueblo here I go!!!!!

Dear Family and Friends,
I keep thinking that things will eventually become normal here... But I guess I keep thinking wrong! Things are always crazy!! In fact Pueblo is so very different from the springs! Mostly because we do A LOT more investigator work! So far we have 2 investigators with a baptismal date and 4 other investigators we are working with. Sister Kipp and myself are very out of our element here having never worked with so many investigators at once. Apparently though, a general authority came down and spoke in a Pueblo stake conference years ago and promised them that Pueblo would become a very important area. Why? We don't know but the work here is certainly moving. The ward is very excited to help and refer their friends to us (especially since we are the first sisters they have seen in 10 years). We have been having a good time here though. Even with all the walking:) I'm beginning to think I bring unusual weather changes to any area I am serving in though because it has rained every evening since we have been here and apparently that is very unusual! In the last week alone they have exceeded their annual water fall! Luckily, we have gotten either rides or we have been in appointments when all the sever rainfall starts! Otherwise I might end up with a cold again:) I've been safe though.This week I have been thinking a lot about my last companion. She was an really good missionary and was always able to teach the people not just the lessons. However, she always complained about how she couldn't be herself because no one would accept her if she was. For some reason this has been on my mind all week. In the MTC they tell us future missionaries A LOT about how we are chosen to serve in our areas because we are who we are. Well, that made me think of a Dr. Seuss quote that talks about how no one is 'youier than you' (I think that is how it goes anyways... ) in thinking about this I realized that there is only one person in this entire earth that can be us. No one can exactly duplicate feelings or talents or personality. If we are constantly hiding who we are being scared of rejection then there is at least one personality that is missing from the world. I think many times about how if I went around hiding the things that had happened to me in the past there are many people I would not have been able to relate to or have open up to me about the things they are struggling with. When God uses us to help others it truly is because we are who we are and if we hid or mask that then there will be less people to whom we are able to touch and bless. In the Elder Uchtdorf talk 'forget me not' he states:
 "I want to tell you something that I hope you will take in the right way: God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect.Let me add: God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not.And yet we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others—usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths. This drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result, we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does."
I love this because so often when we are being someone we are not it is because we are looking at all of those around us and thinking that we need to be like them. The great news is that we can be whomever we choose. We are children of the Most High God and he loves us for who we are. Yes, we are asked to always improve and make our weaknesses strengths but even so as we are trying our best he will always love us for that!! Never forget that God made you YOU  for a reason and even if you don't see it now, you will:) I love you all! Have a great week!!
Love,
Sister Bice

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