Sister Brianne Watson: Success (n): accomplishment of a purpose

Sorry this is a day late, but hello! This is going to be short and sweet so I hope you're all okay with that. We had Zone Interviews yesterday where we got to have one-on-one interviews with President Blair. He is so cool, i can't get over how funny he is! We had a good discussion together and I got to answer his generic questions like "what do you think of all the rules in the missionary handbook?" and "what do you think about Preach My Gospel?" and "how are you and your companion getting along?" Ya know, those things that new mission presidents want to know.

I told him how much I LOVED Sister Brown and how much of a blessing she is to me and how I've learned to love the rules and how Preach My Gospel has been a wonderful tool in my missionary service. I got through that entire part of the interview without shedding a single tear! I was so proud of myself. Then, he asked his final question. "Sister Watson, up to this very point...would you say you've been a 'successful missionary'?" Let me just say...this question was so inspired. I started crying right away.. For the past while I've been giving myself a difficult time and putting myself down and really evaluating my success as a missionary.

I talk to Sister Brown about it a lot and it's really been a struggle for me because there are so many times that I do NOT consider myself successful. I don't have any convert baptisms, the investigators are very few, our numbers aren't up to where the mission leaders want them to be, and we are rejected 98.9% of the time. BUT, I've also come to another conclusion as I've thought about all of this. I have a different perspective of being a 'successful missionary' than other missionaries may have. I don't measure my success based on numbers...I measure it on my own devotion to the Lord, my love for the people and for my calling, and especially my own personal conversion. I have changed SO much over these past 13 months. I have a closer relationship to my Heavenly Father, my testimony has grown, my priorities are where they need to be, etc. I am positive that if I hadn't chosen to serve a mission, I wouldn't be as strong in the church than I am now. I wouldn't have that growth and that added knowledge and the experiences I've had that will forever keep me on the path back to live with Them again.

So, that's exactly what I told President Blair. I may not have seen a lot of success through numbers and converts and baptisms and investigators, but I have seen thriving success in myself and in my own conversion. I am 100% certain that that's exactly why I came out to serve a mission. The Lord knew I needed this experience to help me realize how important this gospel is so that I make sure I remain worthy. Of course I'll work my hardest and continue doing my best to find people to teach to be successful in that way, but I'm a successful missionary if I let myself change and become converted. Like Elder Holland said, "the most important person you will ever convert on your mission is yourself."

Enough about that... I NEARLY BROKE MY LEG. Hahaha I was walking on a wooden deck at an apartment complex and one of the boards of wood was loose and I stepped on it and my right leg fell straight through. It stopped at my knee and I was stuck for a little bit but eventually I wiggled myself out. It was so painful! I now have a huge nasty bruise on both sides of my knee. To make it even better, the investigator that we are trying to contact wasn't even home😅 oh well, it made for a great journal entry :)

I went to the temple today!!!!!!!! My second time since being out (and within the past 2 months) and I just absolutely loved it. We went as a zone so there were around 24 missionaries in one single session. I can't even explain to you the spirit that I felt when they prayed specifically for the missionaries around the world. It confirmed to me that I'm a part of a work bigger than I can comprehend. I, along with thousands and thousands of others like me, are sacrificing so much of ourselves to serve God and bring His children to the knowledge of the truth. It isn't an easy task, but it is so cool to know that temples all around the world pray for us and desire our success. I love the temple so much.

We are currently staying at the bishops house for a couple of days which is a cool change of scenery :) they're replacing the windows in our apartment which means a group of men would be inside working in our humble abode starting at 7:00 in the morning for several hours at a time. We aren't allowed to be in a home or building with only men so this was our solution! Slumber parties with Bishop and Sister Adams! :)

Little do you know, we are SO imperfect. One of the nights this past week, we were out tracting before having to head out to Haverhill (hayv-rull) for a dinner appointment and when we got back to our apartment to get our car, I realized I didn't have the keys. Or my iPad. Both things were in the apartment which was LOCKED. We tried calling the landlord and he wasn't answering, we tried asking our 2 neighbors in our apartment unit place if they had any solutions and they didn't, and we were quickly running out of ideas. I then had the brilliant (and insane) idea to borrow a pair of scissors from our adorable old lady neighbor named Gail and cut through a window screen and climb through one of our windows. They were about to get the windows replaced anyways right? So we did it. That experience also made a great journal entry😂

Oh yes...then there's the deadly heat and humidity. It's been absolute torture, and let's just say that I am SO thankful for air conditioning. We step outside and we're immediately sticky and sweaty. I forgot what dry heat even feels like, but you Utahans better count your many, many blessings!

Okay, I'm going to stop babbling now. Enjoy the pictures and have an AMAZING week!