Week 61💌

 Hey guys! Back for another week; see how consistent I've been lately? Three whole emails in a ROW!

Segunda: Today I got to go for a nice walk with my mom. I then had my chiropractor appointment. I was supposed to have it last week, but I forgot about it. I almost did the same thing, but remembered about it 15 minutes before and hurried over. I had been hoping to receive some news about reassignment today, but no dice. They sent me an email saying that they hadn't processed anything yet and couldn't until I sent them a letter expressing my desire, worthiness, and explaining that the medical issues had been resolved. I thought that my starting this whole process expressed my desire...and the interview I had on Sunday and the box checked showed my worthiness...and the doctor's note I submitted 2 weeks ago explained that the medical issue was resolved...But I guess not. They also asked if I had a valid visa and my Brasilian residency card. My visa expired in March, but my residency card is still valid. So it sounds like they want to send me back to my old mission, but transfers are today (August 17th), so that's not an option anymore. I was just feeling kind of frustrated and disappointed all day today. I had assumed that I would be getting some information finally, and instead they just let me know that they hadn't done anything yet. I had Zone Council tonight. Today's topic was on communication and how we can be better at communicating with others. We talked about verbal and nonverbal cues. The two missionaries who taught the lesson are the same ones who taught the great lesson from the Zone Conference. It was a great pick-me-up. I got to talk to my companion, who is also experiencing similar frustration with the missionary health department, as she is also trying for reassignment. She did let me know that she was told that if she has only 2 transfers left, she can't go back. Because service missions don't do transfers, it's a little hard to keep track, but I think I only have about 2 transfers left. I'm hoping that the 2 transfers thing is just a myth that her stake president heard and not a fact. 

Terça: Today was kind of an emotional day. On my way to the temple, my mom was asking about how I'd feel if I didn't get to go anywhere. It might very well be Brasil or nothing, and I've missed that deadline. I started crying (big surprise, I cry a LOT). I am so grateful for the time that I have had at home and for my time as a service missionary, but it's not what I want the next 4-ish months of my life to look like. While serving a proselytizing mission, I didn't feel stuck or like I was missing out on anything. My friends were on missions or going to school, and I was living in a foreign country and working 14-hour days. However, transferring to a service mission feels like moving back in with my parents (which I did, but it feels like moving backwards). All of my friends are coming home, and I never thought I would be there for their homecomings. My friends are starting school again, and I am waiting for a reassignment that might never come. It's been pretty disheartening. I am grateful that I had this meltdown before my temple shift, because I was able to go and get some much-needed peace. I don't know what is going to happen, but I know it'll be for my own good. Maybe they spun their wheels on purpose so I would miss the Brasilian deadline, and they won't reassign me. That could allow me to go get my CNA license. Or maybe they were waiting for the perfect stateside mission to open up, and I'll go serve there for a few months. Whatever happens will be for my own good. I ended the night by going over to my friend Lucy's house! We got to yap and catch up, and then we DoorDashed dinner and watched Hocus Pocus (because it is officially fall). Hanging out with Lucy was just what I needed to get over this hard day. 

Quarta: Today was the day of food. I started by going back to the Columbus Center; it just opened this week. There were all new kids there, and they were so cute! There was even a squishy little 8-month-old baby. I did get beat up by a 4-year-old, though. He looks like Uncle Fester from the Addams Family; no, I am not being mean. He had the same face and was wearing the same outfit! He pushed me when I tried to take his toy (it was clean-up time). So I just grabbed it and stood up because, joke's on him, I'm twice his size. He then proceeded to pummel me with his tiny fists. After the Columbus Center, my mom and I went to my grandparents' house so she could help my grandpa with his PT. My dad met us there, and then my grandparents took us to this delicious pizza place called Slackwater. They have these really fun pizzas. I got a gyro pizza that had tzatziki sauce, my mom got a buffalo chicken pizza, and my dad got the "tastes like burning," which is just a spicy pizza. I meant to go on a walk after lunch, but it was raining. So I laid down and closed my eyes for like 2 seconds, which turned into a 2-hour nap. When I woke up, it was time for dinner. Every year for Erik's birthday, we go out to eat as a family. We usually do Teppanyaki. This time, we tried a restaurant called Benihanas, which has the same sort of vibe. It was yummy! Audrey was so wiped from her first day of school that she was almost falling asleep at the table. Pobrezinha! I was so stuffed after dinner, but totally worth it. 

Quinta: Last night, I took a sleeping pill to help me sleep. I slept until 11! That gave me enough time to do a quick workout and then get ready and go to the temple. I had a really good shift. I had kind of been wondering all week if God was aware of me and where I was. Did He know how stuck I felt? I was feeling a little lonely. I showed up a little early to my shift in Initiatory, and they sent me in. When the patron came to my section, I looked at the proxy family name she was using. The name was Mary Starley. My last name isn't super rare, but it's rare enough that I have never seen it in the temple. If I had been on time for my initiatory shift, or if they had assigned me to a different booth, I would have missed this small tender mercy. To me, it was a sign that God knows where I am, and He is in the small details. I also had the opportunity to be part of a live initiatory ordinance. Normally, that responsibility is given to the temple veterans, not the relatively new girl. But this shift lead has had me perform a live initiatory twice, which is a sign of trust. This also helped show me that God trusts me to do His work. When I was changing to head home, I got a tornado warning from my watch! No tornadoes occurred, but about 10 minutes after I got home, the torrential rain came. Another tender mercy: the rain didn't start until I was home. I HATE driving in the rain. My grandma came and dropped off some yummy lasagna because my mom had hip surgery. She is thankfully doing well! There was also the most BEAUTIFUL sunset that night because of the killer rainstorm.

Sexta: Another day, another temple shift. I at least got in a walk this time because I didn't sleep until almost 12. This temple shift was more low-key than yesterday's. Through a tender mercy, I was able to realize that I had accidentally lost something at the temple yesterday, and found it by complete accident. I hadn't noticed it was gone until I needed it, and then I remembered where I had hidden it. Thankfully it was still there! Normally, things are turned in to the office or laundry at the end of the day, but no one messed with my stuff. I was scheduled to go home 30 minutes early, yay! But about 10 minutes before I was set to leave, I was asked to join in a sealing session. After about 30 minutes, the sealer asked when I was supposed to leave. I admitted that I was supposed to have left 20 minutes before, and he let me go home. One of the families in the sealing room was apparently our neighbors from 13 years back, when we lived in West Jordan. I didn't recognize them, but they recognized my name. I got home and ate some of my leftover pizza from Quarta. Delicious! I made my dad take me on a walk before I went to bed. 

Sábado: I woke up at a very respectable time of 8:30. I stayed in bed, though. Around 9, the fire alarm went off. This is when I realized that I don't have any survival instincts. I stayed in bed while my alarm was yelling "FIRE! beep beep beep! FIRE!" and just texted the family group chat and asked if there actually was a fire. There was not, so I went to bed and then woke up again around 11 ish. I started drafting up this email and then helped my dad with organizing our garage a little bit. A couple of our neighbors came by to say hi to my mom, so I got to snuggle with a baby. Life is so good! I didn't do much except hang out with my mom today. In the evening, we started a movie called The Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot. It is about one of the biggest adoption stories in the country. 22 families from this small town in the middle of nowhere in East Texas adopted 77 kids from the system. It was a touching story about how God needs us to protect the most vulnerable of His children. 

Domingo: Happy Sunday! I had church this morning. My mom wasn't feeling well for church, so it was just me, my dad, and Audrey. We had a great Sunday school lesson on Job. After church, I made raspberry delight for dessert tonight. My mom and I then finished the movie we started yesterday. After that, I tried and failed to nap. I then had my Portuguese class. Only 4 of our students showed up today, and it happened to be our 4 most fluent. That helped speed the lesson along, and we finished a little early. We then headed to dinner at my grandparents'. Dinner was delicious; it was funeral potatoes! David got to join us, which was awesome. We went on a walk around my grandma's neighborhood after dinner before everyone ate dessert. We then headed home so that my dad and Steven could plan his senior trip that is this week. David came over, and we watched as they planned. 

Spiritual Thought: 

Nahum 1:7 - The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him

While I was up on the sealing floor on Friday, I had some time to kill. I decided to play the game where you grab your scriptures and open to a random page and read the first verse you touch on that page. This was the verse that I found. I really like this verse because it kind of went with the theme of my week. It's okay for me to be frustrated and disappointed, so long as I can keep the bigger picture in view. God is good. He is there for us in times of need. He is stronger than any of our problems; He is our safe haven in hard times. Heavenly Father knows you personally. Whether or not you feel like you know Him, He knows you. And He LOVES you. He wants nothing more than your happiness. I also read a talk from Elder Holland from Oct 2020, and I loved this quote about our prayers: "...they are always answered at the time and in the way an omniscient and eternally compassionate parent should answer them". Sometimes we feel like we are in a holding pattern, waiting for blessings we feel might never come. Sending up prayers that go unanswered and unheard. They are heard, and they will be answered. Sometimes the answer is to have patience and wait. Sometimes they are answered instantaneously. They are answered in the way that is best for our future eternal progression, because God is good. 

Picture time:

1. Slackwater has some interesting decor

2. My delicious gyro pizza- I would seriously recommend this place to everyone.

3. The beautiful double rainbow from Quinta

4. Look at this gorgeous sunset!!!