Ugh, this email has literally taken me sooooo long to write, I hope you appreciate how much feeling I put into this. ;)
(Mom asked her some questions for a specific purpose)...
Transfers were supposed to be today, buuuut our Mission President is at a conference with a bunch of other mission presidents all week, so there's not going to be any changes until next week. I'll let you know.
Mom: "What is the most challenging aspect of being a full-time missionary?"
The most challenging aspect of being a full time missionary is the expectations. I did it as a member too, but people think that missionaries are perfect little angels, and well - guess what? We're actually still just human beings. I don't know how to describe it, but because everyone else thinks you should be perfect, you start thinking that you need to be perfect too, and then when you realize that that's impossible, it's pretty easy to feel like you're failing.
Mom: "What has been the most rewarding part of being a missionary?"
The most rewarding part of being a missionary is seeing how the gospel changes people. Growing up somewhere where I was always surrounded by members of the church, I got to see how the gospel blesses lives, but something I didn't get to see a lot of was how much it can literally change people and their lives! When people start to make changes as simple as praying, something changes within them. When they start making little sacrifices to come to church, they grow stronger. When they decide to give up harmful habits that they've had for most of their lives, and all of a sudden the thought of alcohol "makes them sick" or a cigarette "just doesn't taste the same since they've started meeting with us" ... That's what keeps me going! To see the Holy Ghost touch their hearts as soon as they make the decision to let him in...and to be able to literally watch people come unto Christ.
Mom: "What is something that you've learned on your mission that you probably wouldn't have learned had you not gone?"
Something I've learned being on a mission that I probably wouldn't have learned had I not come... pues español jaja!! I don't even know - there's just so many things! I've learned to actually enjoy the scriptures and I'm learning how to apply them to my own life. I am learning how to get along with all different types of people and I'm learning to love people as God does and to see them as He sees them. (I said I'm learning, its a work in progress, but its easier to do now than it was 9 months ago.)
Mom: "What is a message you would like to share with the ward?"
un mensaje para el barrio.... pues quisiera decirles que no olviden de mi y tambien que me escriban cartas y tambien que todos deben comer un elote con mayonesa y queso, es bueno para el salud lol. kidding. I don't really know what to tell them, but to try to be the best missionaries they can be (even in little ol Idaho), and to feed the missionaries, and to give them hugs!
Dude, i just gave you like a 10 minute talk, what what?
Love,
Maelynn
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