Dear Family,
It
was so great to talk to you on Christmas! It was quite different to have an
audience and I felt I couldn't really say a lot of the things I would have
liked to had the circumstances been different. So sorry! But on a better note,
this week has been incredible! Can I please just be a missionary for the rest
of my life!?!?! Life as a full-time missionary is just awesome! I can't really
even describe it, but I have NEVER been happier to wake up at 6:30 every day in
my LIFE!
As
you know, this is my third area now. I have served in Loomis, Rio Linda, and
now Auburn. All of those areas had their different challenges and successes.
But in each, I feel like the common lesson that was learned was to "love deeply."
President Ezra Taft Benson said, "I have often said one of the greatest
secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the
Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches
by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be
happy." Thanks for teaching me to work hard Dad! Because... that quote has
been so true for me on my mission. When I am diligent, regardless of what
outward success I may see, I feel deep love for the people I serve and it fills
me up. Sister Siemens and I have been trying our best to be diligent and to
give "everything we got!" This week we got a phone call from a man
and his wife. He said... "I'm not sure if you’re the ones, but we live right
by the Sister Missionaries and they always smile and wave at us. We were
wondering if there is any way we could get someone to come to our home. We
would like to become members of your church." Okay now. Just take one
minute to think about what my reaction might have been...... if Alicia said,
"Jumping up and down obnoxiously and fist pumping in the air," then
she was right! We met with them Saturday night and they said they had gone on
vacation to Salt Lake City and visited the temple there. When they recounted
the feeling of peace they felt, I felt a warm feeling come over me and I felt
so much gratitude in my heart for the way the Lord works in the lives of
others. We committed them to come to church the next morning and they will be
getting baptized in a month from now. They are the all-time sweetest couple in
the WORLD! The wife loves photography and her husband paints and wears a cabby
hat. Is it too soon to say I am in love with them? They came to church on Sunday and he said this was the second
time he has worn a tie in his LIFE! (The first being at his wedding) THEN, as
if it couldn't get any better, a man walks into our sacrament meeting. In
Auburn we have quite a few people who are homeless and there is program where
different churches will put them up for a few nights at a time so they are not
on the streets. This man was a part of the program for only a short time now
since he lost his house. He looks at me and said, "I know you!" I'll
be honest it took me a minute. I smiled, shook his hand and said,
"how?" He said that a year ago I had gone through his checkout line
while he was working at Walmart. My jaw, yet again, dropped to the floor. HOW
COULD HE
STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLL
remember me!?!?!??! He said that I gave him a pass-along card and said,
"exactly what he needed to hear that day." He is working on finding a
job right now and will be coming back to church next week.
We
never know the influence we may have on people. We must seek to draw close to
the spirit, to be sincere, and to love all those around us and he will be able
to use us for GREAT things! I love you all and hope all is well at home!
Because of the shortened time in the MTC they have shortened our missions by a
week out here and changed the transfers to 5 weeks. I got my "trunky"
call this week and they are booking me a flight for February 19th into the PHX
airport. I love you all! Keep working hard!
Love,
Sister Mitchell
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