Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Going Home

Hello friends! 

So, not to be trunky or anything but this is the last e-mail you will ever get from me. At least as a missionary. How crazy is that? So, I think the best thing we did this week was last p-day. First, Sister Gibbons and I went to Holy Family, which is like the Catholic version of Deseret Book. They looked at us funny when we walked in but it was fun to look around. Then at zone sports we were trying to decide what game to play and someone suggested duck duck goose as a joke. But then we really ended up playing it for almost an hour! It was pretty great honestly. 
This week we also had the weirdest lunch ever. Last week we spoke in church and the wife said "Yeah, when I saw you up there I thought you looked like you were going to be a terrible speaker but it turns out you were pretty good." Ok... thanks? Ha, anyway, it was a weird meal to say the least. That same Sunday after we spoke Bishop Kemsley announced that I was getting transfered in a few weeks. Which is true, I am leaving but everyone has been super confused all week about who is leaving and why are they going and how do you know so early and is it an et and what happened and all of that. So my attempts to just disappear from the mission field have been ruined =D 
Another highlight of the week, everyone this week has been sick and on the verge of death. At Zone Training alone, out of 14 people about 5 of them had either thrown up in the past 24 hours or were well on their way. Ha, so it's been a bit of  tough week for the mission field out here in ABQW but things can only go up right? 
Oh, the other great thing that happened this week, we were having dinner with a family and the son wanted us to play a game where you have to guess riddles. One of the questions was something along the lines of " There are two people at a party, if one more person shows up it is going to be a friend of both of them. True or false?" We said true of course because "where two or three are gathered in my name there also will I be." The kid looks at the answer and says "correct!" I'm pretty sure that's not what the card said but we got the answer right! 

Well friends, let me just end with this thought that came from the EQ president a few months ago. Don't get distracted. We were outside of a potentials house, waiting for our other member to get there and he said "You know, I think the biggest tool Satan has is that he just keeps you busy until before you know it, you've died." I can promise you that is so true, I have seen it again and again and again. Even if it is something good that you are doing, you can not let it keep you from what is best and what we need to be doing here. If I had a penny every time someone over the last year and a half has said to me "I don't have time for ...." I probably wouldn't have to work this summer. Whatever you are doing, I doubt it is more important that what we are sharing. When I was taking psych, we talked about something called relational preference. It is the idea that we show what really matters to us in life through the way that we spend our time. When we choose to do something, by nature we are not choosing to do something else. We evidence our preferences through our actions. Of course we have to do some things we don't want to do, and a lot of things are needed to live and be happy like working etc. But if we aren't careful, we can get distracted and loose our sense of priorities. We can forget why we are here, what our purpose is, and that we are here to progress and come closer to Heavenly Father. Everything else, is just a nice perk along the way. It isn't enough to just be busy, anyone can be busy, there is a quote that says something along the lines of even the ants are busy, it is what we are busy about that matters. Look at your time, look at your priorites, remember what you are doing here and who you are! And what that means for you and what you need to do! 
I hope you all have an amazing week! 
Love, 

April