Keep Calm and Press On

Hello my wonderful family!!

          So, I realized after I sent my last email that it didn't have a subject line...oops :) Those things are really hard to think of!! So, I am doing really good actually. I heard that the first six weeks are the roughest and then it gets better, and especially after training, and I believe it! I have felt, deep in my heart and soul, the sanctity of this mission and call to serve and I am very proud to say that I am 100% committed to seeing this mission through to the end! Sometimes I'm not quite sure how I'm going to make it there, but the one thing that I know is that I will because He is with me always and He will never let me fall without being there to pick me up again. :) It has been a good week--can ya tell??

        I came across a quote while I was on exchanges in Brownfield this week (more on that later) and I really loved it:

"You will come to know that what appears today as a sacrifice

 will prove instead to be the greatest investment you will ever make."
 -President Hinckley

     I've heard quotes like that before, but I never appreciated them until I was actually living it. We may go to an MTC in order to prepare for our missions, but the mission is the MTC for life! I have only been out for three months, but I can already see the eternal blessings that will eventually come from serving a mission.

This week I had my first zone conference! It was amazing and I got to see Hermana Russell! Every single thing that we were taught at zone conference seemed like it was geared directly towards me and, honestly, it was a spiritual feast. One thing though, that I liked a lot that one of the AP's said was "We can be people who pound the pavement, or we can be missionaries."

      So, when my companions went to MLC, I went to Brownfield again. Luckily, it was with the same sisters that were there before, so I knew them! It was an interesting experience, because every companionship does things differently. The thing most of note though, is that we did service at an asylum. Yes, you heard me, a legit asylum. :O I played dominoes with Sister Turner and a couple of the residents while Sister Jenkins talked with one of the other residents. I still can't believe that it actually happened. :I

      We are teaching a boy named Damian, I don't know if I've mentioned him before, and he is starting to progress! It's just a teeny tiny bit, but we will take what we can get! He seems to be really interested in the Book of Mormon, and he said that although he has read it a few times before (but not really searching) he is willing to do it one more time. We have a lot of hope for him :)

       So, my companions are awesome! We have gotten really close the past week, and we have started teaching in unity more often as well! It's going good! One thing that I noticed though, is that each companion that I have seems to teach me something specific. So far, I have determined that from my companions I have learned: the sanctity of my calling, just keep swimming, the importance of obedience, charity and love, and how to be a leader. It's amazing that I have already had 5 companions, but I am so excited to meet the rest of them!

     Okay, last thing, I wanted to share a scripture that I came across as I was studying the blessings we receive from keeping the commandments:

JOHN 14:21

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them,

 he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father

 and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him."

     That is the whole reason why we keep the commandments--Because we love our Savior and our Father in Heaven.

I love you all soo much! and I hope y'all have a HAPPY HAPPY DAY!

LOVE,

Hermana Tycksen