This week has been so crazy busy. I look through my planner and I
see that it was packed full and yet I feel like we didn't do much. But we did!
We had a special sister training leader training meeting on Tuesday and Mission Leadership Council
Wednesday and then we had a Zone
training meeting on Friday
Morning. We had an exchange Friday
to Saturday and then had a very
busy weekend. And all the times in between the meetings we were finding people.
See we were busy! hahaha The meetings were so insightful. Our mission council is
really doing everything we can to tailor our missions training to the needs we
feel need to be addressed most. I have learned more about being apart of council
this week than ever before. All our opinions and insights have been so
important. It was been a real learning experience.
Probably the highlight of the week was Sugar's baptism. All day Saturday she was worried about
remembering the importance of her baptism instead of being worried about meeting
her boyfriends parents right before the baptism. We gave her a scripture to
memorize and then memorized it with her all day Saturday: 2 Nephi 31:12 "And also, the voice of the Son came
unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the
Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, Follow me, and do the things which ye have
seen me do." It seemed to help her so that by Sunday she was calmer about it all. On Sunday we had many small bursts of
excitement as the time drew closer for Sugar's baptism. When the evening came we
were asked to fill in on the piano for an invitation only baptism. It was super
top secret for whatever reason. During the confirmation I realized that we had
left the form at home for Sugar to be baptized. Knowing that the last time I had
a baptism they requested to see the form. I started stressing because home was
at least a 20 minute round trip run and it was a quarter to the hour. We flew
out of the building telling people we would be back soon with the paperwork. We
hurried as fast as we possibly could. As we were pulling back into the church
parking lot we got a phone call from some Elders trying to locate us. We walked
in and they sushed us. We stopped and realized that they had started the program
without us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Okay I am going to breathe for just a moment because
I am trying to let this go.) I have really had a hard time with our Stake
President. Everything that goes with a baptism for whatever reason has to be
under his control. He has to be present at each baptism.... we
only do it on Sunday so people can attend (even if the person
being baptized doesn't want others there), and they always push to start right
on the dot even if the family for the person getting baptized isn't there. Here
is what really gets me about last
night: the baptism before us started 20 minutes late, and the Stake
President didn't throw a fit like he did with ours not starting on time. But he
starts ours without the missionaries who just taught the person being baptized
for the last 6 weeks? Then he asks me if I am okay when I am upset and its very
clear my companion and I are upset? Are you kidding me????????? If we had been 5
minutes later in arriving from getting paperwork they didn't ask for this
time, we would have completely missed Sugar actually getting baptized. I am
pretty sure I have been repenting hourly for this one because the man simple
makes me want to become the Hulk and throw him through the roof to the next
state or into the ocean. ;/ I am trying to support him as my leader but I most
certainly do not agree with his politics. I know for a fact that I am not the
only missionary that feels this way. We have all had it past normal stress
levels with him. He makes getting someone baptized very difficult and then tears
us down in the process. However with all that has been said and done I am trying
to focus on the positives of the night. Sugar did get baptized and we did get to
see it (barely :D ). Sugars boyfriends brothers girlfriend is soon going to be
investigating the church (we are teaching her for the first time tomorrow) and many of our ward members
came out and supported Sugar. It was a wonderful service and her confirmation
was beautiful and simple. Just like it needed to be for her. So that was my
week.
Throw in a little drama with Sisters arranging exchanges for themselves
with other missionaries and not telling their leaders (TOTALLY AGAINST THE RULES
ON ALL COUNTS!!!!!), then having to correct them and not have them hate you for
it, then having another set of sisters lock themselves out of their apartment
(they stayed at our place last
night) and you have a very busy weekend. hahaha missionary life is so
weird!!!!!!! The things that make it an adventure are totally different than
"normal" life worries.
I am grateful that I have a new week ahead of me. Hope you all have a
wonderful week too!
Hurrah for Israel!
Love,
Sister Cottrell
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