Damariscotta is right next to us so we walk down there quite often and the ocean surrounds us on both sides. IT IS HEAVEN. There is the coast, then there are rolling hills and beautiful country as well. It's not city like some of my area of Georgetown, but it's also not a little tiny town like Bethel was. It's the perfect mix and i loooove it!
My companion is Sister MacDonald and she's from Sacramento, California! She is such a hard worker and we've been getting along great :) i love her!
This past weekend was basically just me sitting in a chair getting thrown around and dunked into spiritualness. On Saturday we had the adult session of stake conference, on Sunday we had the general session of stake conference, and Monday we had a "mission tour" where Elder Randall K Bennett and Elder De Feo from the Quorum of the Seventy came and spoke to us for 7 hours straight! That totaled up to 11 hours of sitting and being spiritually fed in a span of 3 days. It...was...AMAZING.
We were so blessed to be given the privilege to have TWO general authorities training us and helping us know how to become better missionaries. I learned so much and i am so excited to apply what i learned to become a better instrument in the Lord's hand! Change is hard though, it takes a lot of dedication and work. Before that meeting i thought that i was fine where i was at. I would have kept trudging along until the last day of my mission doing the same things i've done the entire time. No change, just patience and endurance.
That was until Elder De Feo told us at the beginning of the meeting to draw a line down the middle of our journals and write the things we hear with our ears on the left side, and the things the spirit tells us on the right. When he first said this, i almost didn't do it because i was sure i wasn't going to be noticing little promptings of the spirit. I knew that I couldn't recognize and discern which was my thoughts and which was the spirit, but i did it anyway. To my complete surprise, the spirit taught me so much yesterday! I almost had more on the right side than i did on the left. I came out of that meeting having so many things that i needed to improve and work on so that i can finish my mission strong. I learned more from the spirit than i did with my ears and it was something that really hasn't happened before, at least that i've noticed.
Guess who was at stake conference? Members from both the Topsham ward AND the Oxford ward!! (Bath and Bethel, Maine areas). I got to catch up with so many people that i absolutely love and adore. There came to a point where i honestly could not handle the joy that was in my heart. It was the weirdest, happiest feeling i've ever felt! I was surrounded by people that i have grown so close to and it hit me how deep my heart was rooted here in New England and in my past areas. These people i have met are so special to me and they will always be a part of me...it's also a great reminded that i DID make a difference here. My efforts are noticed and i'm not just a robotic missionary. I have made relationships with people that i will keep for the rest of my life and that is one of the many things that i LOVE about serving a mission. Gosh, it's the best.
Something that i've noticed and thought about recently is the word "hard" and how it's Satan's favorite word that we use. As soon as it comes out of our mouths, it's almost like it does something to us physically. It makes us more tired, it makes us unmotivated. It causes our thoughts following the word more negative. The word almost sounds final, like there is no solution to whatever is so "hard". This is one of the smaller changes that i'm going to make, and it's going to be me saying that word a lot less. The Lord didn't make this mission in a way that will torture me and make me complain about it being "hard" all the time. He made it challenging instead, which is a word that helps you realize that there IS a solution. There is an option of changing, improving, and growing in such a way that we can look at our situation and see a glimmer of hope. It doesn't matter what "hard" trial you're passing through, it is surmountable. Take it as a challenge and involve the Lord to help you. Call down the powers of heaven to give you the strength you need to push through.
YOU CAN DO IT.
i love you all. i love this area. i love my mission. i love the ocean and the trees and the squirrels everywhere and the humidity.
and i hope you love my pictures.
Love,
Sister Watson
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