Continuing the Work: "Made of the Stuff of Eternity"

President Uchtdorf is wonderful, is he not? The title of this post came from his talk in General Conference - it has helped me a lot this past week.

This week was a rough go for me. I still haven't been sleeping, and this week was when it finally started to take a major toll on me. I had headaches, stomach aches, muscle aches, and extreme fatigue all week long. Those things began to prevent me from being able to push the work forward, and that is NOT a happy thing. I started to feel very down on myself - that I am a bad missionary because I'm not able to work my hardest with a migraine, or I'm not cut out for this because I feel exhausted all the time, etc. etc.

I was able to understand these harsh feelings on Sunday. Talking to our Ward Missionaries and the Ward Council, and discussing those we have been teaching, and their progression, and seeing how many people came to church (we had SEVEN investigators there on Sunday), and pondering the events of this week, it was so clear why Satan has been working so hard on us. Because we are having such good success! He
makes us feel like we are not doing good enough because we are doing too much good! I am so happy I realized that. It was a wonderful epiphany and gave me the excitement and motivation to keep going and to work harder. Sister Major and I talked about how Satan is the ONLY person who we can consistently and consciously be trying to upset. Let's all think of ways we can tick him off! The more we anger him, the better we are doing. :) It was a good thought.

We are made of the stuff of eternity after all, and if we are going to last for eternity, that "stuff" must be pretty powerful! I am so grateful for having been in the slums until yesterday. It is so much better to have had that epiphany about our work than to have kept going without the realization that we are doing wonderful things! I love the way my Heavenly Father lifts me up when I am low. He's amazing.

This week it was wonderfully sunny and beautiful, which helped to find a little easier. We were able to meet four new investigators who are all absolutely AMAZING! Mina, Danielle, Jeremy and Braden. Mina is from India, and we hit it off talking about Bollywood and my dear Sharuk Khan (did I spell that right?). She was so excited that I knew who he was, and we talked about "Kal Ho Na Ho" and "Om Shanti Om" and "Main Hoo Na" for a while. She said she is going to get me some Bollywood CD's because she is so excited I know what it is and love it! Haha we are going to her house tonight for dinner. I'm very excited! Anyway, she is wonderful. Danielle is this cute pregnant woman who is friends with Bonnie Wallace. We met her and her husband Jeremy and their son Braden. All three of them came to church on Sunday too. They are the greatest!

This is what happens when the sun comes out in Washington.
Missionaries soak it up!

We got to do a service project as a zone on Thursday morning up at a lovely little campsite. We were clearing out a building so they could have a water treatment system there. I helped out with pulling nails
out if the walls inside the building, clearing everything out, and removing a lot of wood. We had to wear masks in one room because there were dead, rotting, and supposedly toxic rats in there. It was lovely.

We also spent a lot of time with the Rodriguez family this week. They are just so fantastic, it's hard for us to stay away. They had us over for dinner one night and cooked some really yummy steaks for us! It was so good. I sure love steak. We helped them finish their Monsters Inc. puzzle too. I love puzzles too! Oh I just love the Rodirguez's!

Me, Daniel, isaac, Jose, Meg and Sister Major. Too much fun!

We had a lot of really wonderful experiences this week, and once I was able to reflect on the things we accomplished, the love that we shared and received, and the happiness that this work is bringing to Vancouver, my spirits were lifted and I was able to give Satan a nice smack to the face. I love my mission, and though it might encourage Satan to work a little harder to bring me down, it encourages me to work that much harder to bring myself up. I love the person I am turning into, and I know it is because I am serving my God. Some song lyrics from "Brother Bear" fit perfectly with how I feel:

"This has to be the most beautiful - the most peaceful place I've ever been to.

It's nothing like I've ever seen before.

When I think how far I've come I can't believe it, yet I see it.

When I see family, I see the way we used to be."

-"Welcome" from "Brother Bear"

It's true! I have come so far, and this place is gorgeous! The last line isn't referring to you guys back home, it's talking about our spirit brothers and sisters who are out here in Vancouver. When I see the progression they make and the happiness they hold, I am able to understand that I knew them in the preexistence. So really that line is saying "When I see my spiritual family, I see the way we loved and trusted each other before we came to earth." I love this work, and I love the blessings that it brings to God's children. I am excited for this upcoming week, and the chance I have to continue in the Lord's work.

Hurrah for Israel!

Love,

Sister Guilott