Hello friends and family!
I cannot believe that another week has come and gone! I feel like I say this at the start of each email, but it is honestly true! This last week has not been the easiest week on my mission, but don't you worry . . . I am still alive and working hard! The beginning of the week started out with a sick Tahitian sister who had to go to the doctor everyday to get scans, tests, and such. My companion is the driver, so naturally she had to take this sick sister to the city for the first four days of this week. I was left in the area searching for sisters with cars who could take me and be with me from lesson to lesson. This does not seem like a big thing, but it was stressful in the moment. We then found out from three of our progressing investigators, who so badly wanted to get baptized, that their parents did not approve of their request. With these three it looks like the situation is going to take some serious faith and work! Their names are Marwinda, Tane, and Rai, so pray for them! This was a little bit of a let down because no one likes hearing that the baptism won't go through. Then on Thursday, Soeur Statsny and I received two sister missionaries that have personal or family issues that are going home this week; they could not handle being anywhere else but with us. I love these sisters, but it has definitely taken a toll on me mentally. They are sad and homesick and have no desire to work or be missionaries. We have been trying to find enough energy and motivation for the four of us. These little things added up and turned into trials for me. Then I realized that God does not give us trials (or temptations) that we are not able to bear. (D&C 64:20) So that helped my confidence a little bit. God knew I was capable and that I could find sisters in the ward to work with, deal with the stress of a struggling area, and help these sad sisters all at the same time. The only thing we can do in these challenging circumstances is to put our trust in God. He knows best. We need to let Him work out the situation, so we can be the instruments in His hands. To do this, we have to watch and pray continually. (Alma 13:28) We have to try to be the person who God wants us to be. We exercise the correct Christlike attributes when needed. We need to have hard moments like this to see how we will respond and how we can improve and progress! When our desire to be better is there, the desire to act in the name of Christ and do as He would do, we have the power to do good. We are agents for ourselves. As long as we are doing good, we will not lose our reward. (D&C 58:28) This reward can be a reward of eternal life one day, but it's also the reward of peace in our hearts and even though we are not perfect, we know we did our best and that God is pleased. He is smiling down upon us! But we have to know as well that it is always our choice to do good. We should be anxiously engaged in a good cause and do many things of our own free will to bring to pass much righteousness. Our agency is so important and does the most important thing for us in the end if we use it wisely . . . which is making us into something better! At the end of the day, we all need to ask ourselves, "Am I not only doing good, but being good?" I want to be a good daughter of our Heavenly Father and show my love for Him through my faith and actions of obedience! I am thankful for challenges, responsibilities, and new opportunities to learn and grow; it helps me to draw nearer unto Him and guides me to who I need to be! So this week as you go throughout your lives, be good! Trust in God and He will lead your paths! I love you all! Thank you for everything!!! Have a wonderful week and Happy Halloween!
Love, Soeur Kofford
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| Some of my favorite Tahitian friends! |
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