Wow. It's been the longest seven days of my life. The field is dramatically different from the MTC and is definitely an adjustment. I got up at 3 am last Tuesday and didn't get to sleep until 10 pm. I was dying. You know me and sleep. I met my companion on that Tuesday and got assigned to the Rancho Santa Margarita mission. Tiersha's stake. A lot of people know her and her family. My comp is Sister Madsen. She has been out eight months. She is from Mesa, Arizona. We are still getting to know each other and figuring out how we both operate. Thankfully we kept busy that first day, but then Thursday was SLOW. The weather is amazing most of the day, but it seems that the times we have nothing to do are the times it's the hottest and we have to be outside knocking. Tracting is not very successful here because it's a community of two-person working households. Aka NOONE is home. Thursday night I asked to do tracting so I could get some doors slammed in my face and have the experience. I was not disappointed ha.
We have three investigators right now which is not enough. Two are a couple. They are getting married next week and baptized the week after. Their names are Jessica and Aaron. They have a cute two month old baby who always makes me think of baby boy. It's awesome but also makes it hard to focus. Our other investigator is a Japanese woman named Ricky. She has a 7 year old daughter, May, who is super cute and full of energy. I really hope we can make some progress with them and eventually get them baptized. We have a lesson tonight so I pray it goes well.
I love the ward. Because we don't have many people to teach, we spend most of our time getting to know the ward, hoping to build up trust and show them we want to work and then get referrals off them. We get fed every night which is great cause at the very least we will have some interaction with people and an opportunity to practice teaching. I am slowly getting more comfortable with talking and praying which is good. We have a car just for us and we live in a member's home. It's kind of annoying cause we have to work around the mom and her daughter but all is good. I definitely could see myself living her in CA. The nights are so awesome - it's perfect and beautiful. I am trying really hard to stay positive and take it one day at a time. People were not kidding when they said it was hard. It's funny cause I get eight hours of sleep each night and we don't tract very much but I am EXHAUSTED by the end of the day. Waking up is hardd but again, it's an adjustment that hopefully I can get used to soon.
I now fully understand why missionaries gain weight. Mom, be ready to sign me up for the Biggest Loser ranch so I can lose it all when I get back. I am so stressed all the time that I eat all the time. I am always hungry. It's ridiculous. The members feed us pretty healthy but I still eat my fair share of chocolate and cookies.
Anyway, I am hoping that as the weeks go by, I get more comfortable and it gets better. No one said it was easy so I am ready to dig in my heels and convert people! I love getting to really read my scriptures and learn about the gospel on a whole new level.
I love and miss you all!
My comp made me a "Welcome to the Field" gift bag with all things green cause I'm a greenie.
Madsen (Amy's trainer/companion) and I with the Olympic gold medalist, Peter Vidmar.
Hey Jess, It's awesome that you are keeping this blog up for your sister! I love it. Would you pass on this message to her in your next e-mail?
ReplyDeleteOkay so I remember before the mission people always telling me how hard missions were and I hated it because I thought they were trying to discourage me from going. When I got in the field though it comforted me to realize that it was totally normal for it to be hard and that it wasn't just me being a wimp. Also, I will totally admit that my first couple weeks were miserable and I seriously considered going home. In fact I cried so much at companion study cause I was so scared that my companion called the mission president to talk me out of going home. Haha it makes me laugh now. But we tracted for like 6 hours my first day and I just remember thinking "is this really what it's like?" But you will totally get a group of investigators and get to know ward members and it will get so much better. Plus you'll become friends with other missionaries and that will help. And I gained probably about 25 pounds on the mission but once you get home it melts off and I actually ended up being smaller than I was before I left. I am the same way with needing my sleep and that part was really hard but you will get used to it. Just want you to know that you are NOT alone in your feelings and there are lots of people who have gone before you and done it and you are paving the way and an example to many! Take care and no regrets! Lindsey Giles (Briana Clement Pascual's sister)