So today is Wednesday, we were busy labouring on labor day, and the Library was closed, AND we had zone conference yesterday, so our e-mail time came late this week! So naturally I have SO much to tell you all about!! :)
First off, I wish I could name off all the amazing things I LOVE about sweet, sweet Childress! We got rain last week! LOTS AND LOTS OF RAIN!! The thunder was so LOUD our little blue house shook! But it was an amazing week filled with miracles, and life and laughter and love! We were introduced to the new Nashville Tribute CD- Called to Serve (I think is its name), and I fell in LOVE with the track about Moms- it made me really, really grateful for the amazing mothers who have helped shaped me in my life, especially my mom! :) It's kind of interesting learning more about myself out here, has really helped me understand so much more, and appreciate so much better the goodness and influence that I have had in my life. And I know that I wouldn't be out here without that influence. We got the CD from a mom, lol, and she was talking about all the kids and going to seminary and stuff, and our little congregation's geographical area is SO HUGE (seriously, it's like 3-4 counties) that there are kids who wake up and SKYPE into seminary in the morning because they live an hour away from the church! It's amazing the sacrifices that we make individually throughout different time periods in our lives so that we can learn and grow. And it especially amazes me the sacrifices that a lot of the church members out here make to keep everything going.
COUNTRY ROADS! This morning we went for a run, a pretty long one for our early morning missionary work outs, it was a little over 3 miles, and there is just something amazing about watching the sky slowly fill with light as you're running down a road that never ends! Okay, let's be honest, this is me we're talking about it was more of a nice jog, except when I realized that there were some dogs that weren't leashed and I turned around and sprinted away pretty quick :P but, overall, it was amazing. As I was talking with my lovely companion after our run, we realized that we both have very different experiences in our heads while we're going. Where she thinks of anything and everything in the world so she doesn't have to think about how she's running, my mind kind of goes blank, kind of like the feeling you get right before you take a test and you forgot everything- but it's not anxiety-inducing, just relaxing, because normally I feel like it's going 1001 miles/hour in 379 different directions. I'm pretty lucky to have a good soundtrack just going in my head, but there are some little things cross into the blank-ness sometimes, like how the temperature is cooler when we're in one of the little valleys between the hills, or how it's almost indiscernible, but the light really does gradually increase before you see the sun rise over the horizon! Upon further reflection, I kind of likened it to a little analogy that was used in a conference recently: how we learn truth/see light comes in 1 of 2 ways:
1- like turning on a lightswitch = immediate answers
2- like watching the sun rise = gradual progression
And I thought of how we're all kind of running down this road we can't see the end of, except it's like an ALL day process! haha, but we can kind of start in the dark, and then the first bits of light show us where the horizon is, and kind of give us a little more motivation to go towards it, even though we can't see the best of what's in front of us. But as we go up and down the hills, moving forward, slowly the path in front of us gets a little lighter and we can see a little more. And then we get some more light, and realize, wow, we have a long way to go! But, we keep going, and it feels awesome! :D
I'll end today with a little bit on the Spirit, because that was a HUGE focus during our Zone Conference yesterday, and I know that 18-26 children would not be able to be out here serving teaching the gospel without it! :P
President Heap is such a powerful speaker, and we were being taught a lot about how we need to teach by the Spirit, and to other's needs, show them we love them, because that's what the Savior did, that is the ONLY reason He ministered, was because of love! After he called each of us by name he said: "I know each of you by name because I love you, and I need you." The Spirit was so strong in the room, I can't describe to you the peace and sincerity that was in that man's words. He talked just a little bit more about how we are teaching and preaching repentance, a lot of people know the Savior down here, but they don't fully understand that the Atonement changes you. That was very bold, and both of my eyebrows went up, but I knew his words were true, and I realized, I'd have to be learning repentance, and the atonement for the rest of my life too. It only gets harder and hotter with that sun rising in my life, but it's a beautiful thing to be able to walk (or run) by faith while we're here on earth, because that road I travel, it's celestial. :)
With all my heart,
Sister Heather Ann Lagrosa
p.s. check out davidandmaryheap.blogspot.com for more fun TLM mission news!! :D
PICTURES!!
1- I LOVE ME SOME CHILDRESS!! (also, getting on that wall was an adventure :P)
1- I LOVE ME SOME CHILDRESS!! (also, getting on that wall was an adventure :P)
2- This is why we need to go running every morning! Everything is BIGGER in Texas!
3- Bike day in the rain! (Don't worry, we were about 4.528 seconds from a DOWNPOUR, and 4.326 seconds from a member's home, the thunders was shaking the streets in this picture!)
4- awesome missionary foot blister :P
5- EPIC!
6- After a run on the front porch of our cutesicles little blue house :D
7- Zone Conference = old companion reunions! :D
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