Happy first day of
Spring! As much as the calendar says it's spring, New York does not seem
to agree. The high today is in the low 40s, with a low of 30 degrees.
Hopefully things will warm up a little here in the next bit, although I
can't say I am looking forward to the 90 degree days with humidity that summer
will bring. Oh well. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get
there, right?
My companion is
thrilled that it is still cold. She loves the cold, and frequently walks
outside without a coat on saying "it's not that bad!" I beg to
differ.
Last Sunday we had an
opportunity to help out with our ward's Relief Society Birthday Party.
During Relief Society we had a soup and bread meal (I made a chicken
noodle soup that was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself) with fruit salad
and cake for dessert. It was a wonderful event where we were all able to
gather as sisters (the Primary and youth leaders were there too, and the Young
Women came to join us as well) and feel the Spirit together. Because many
of the American sisters in our ward serve in the auxiliaries, they do not get
much opportunity to associate with the Relief Society. It was wonderful
to all be together and for them to be included in the wonderful group of women
in our ward.
We had a great
training yesterday specifically for trainers and trainees that focused on
teaching the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and finding success in our work. I
loved what President Morgan shared on the subject. Success is
traditionally viewed as part goal-setting and part fulfilling those goals
through work, but he said that recently he has heard of missionaries that,
though they set good goals and work hard to achieve them, do not feel
successful. He told us that after pondering for a while, he came to the
conclusion that we are still missing a part of the equation. That part is
gratitude. Gratitude for the success and opportunities that the Lord has
given us in lessons, in contacting, in service, and in all other areas of
missionary work. I thought about it, and I completely agree.
Gratitude is necessary as we look at our personal success in achieving
our goals. As we are grateful, we are able to better see the blessings
that Heavenly Father has given us because we are actively looking for them.
Speaking of things to
be grateful for, in earlier blog posts, I talked a lot about my fears as it
pertained to learning the language. Recently I have seen a pretty huge
miracle concerning this. I have noticed a dramatic increase in my
language abilities. I can communicate and teach pretty much anyone I
meet, from young intellectuals to old Fujianese men who have really thick
accents. It's not always easy to understand what they are saying, but
more and more I am able to speak, understand, and, perhaps most surprising to
me, read in Chinese. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve
Mandarin speaking. I can tell already that it is going to bless my life
and the lives of others as I continue to develop this skill.
Thank you as always
for the love and support you give me and other missionaries. We are
grateful for the prayers and missionary efforts you give!
Love,
Sister Beer
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