May 25, 2012

It´s been a good, but rough week. Hermana Olson and I are learning a lot together. We struggled last week really bad and work far below our potential as misionaries. I realized something really important about myself this week and we have improved so much. We still weren´t able to reach our goals, but there is a huge, notable difference in our efforts from the week before and this last week.

I realized that I before in my mission I more or less did things to get them done, please my companion (or at least to not create any more problems), or because I felt a lot of pressure to do them. Now that I´m the senior companion, I need to be the leader and example of how the work should be done (as far as diligence and obedience). I noticed that I need to do it now because I want to, and not just because I feel like I have to or just to be obedient.

Hermana Olson and I have spent a lot of time this last week studying and talking about what it is that we need to change and how we can improve. We have a lot of goals and we´re beginning to see a change in how we work and in our desires. I´ve reflected a lot about why I came on a mission, and it was more or less to be obedient. Now I feel, more than ever before, the need to want to do the work. I feel the desire growing and I´m so excited to see what my mission will be as I focus more on being what I want to become rather than waiting to become it. It´s about time, right? I´m only almost half-way through my mission.

We have some really great investigators right now, but they´re not progressing because they haven´t come to church. We don´t know why they´re having trouble with it because they´ve said the would come, even the night before, and then they just don´t show up. I´m thinking they´ve got some "icebergs" that we need to uncover and stop hacking at the little piece at the tip. Maybe we´ve been treating the sypmtoms rather than the sickness. We´ll be doing a lot praying and studying to find out how we can help them keep their commitments.

We have transfers next week and so I won´t be writing until Wednesday. I´m just praying that Hermana Olson will get a little more time together and have the chance to keep growing. Things are going better in our ward. The bishop asked us to speak in Sacrament meeting at the end of June. (I´ll guess we´ll see if we´re both still here). The topic is ¿Porqúe la misión? (Why the mission?) There are so many angles I could take on that. I´m looking forward to preparing the talk, whether I get to give it or not.

I love you all and I´m so grateful for the support and prayers you give to me.

Love,
Erin