Dear Family,
"Wow"
is really all I have to say. This is not easy. I cannot even begin to tell you
the peace I have found in dong this work. We had stake conference here last
week and they talked about how easy it is to "push aside" or to
"explain away" spiritual things. It’s a revealing experience for me
to even just be here at the library each week. As we sit here on the computer
there is a homeless man with a long beard and worn skin, parents yelling at
children, a woman who just walked in to donate a book, trying to hold back
tears as she quickly mentioned, "her husband is now deceased and she won’t
need it anymore." Others are
working on schoolwork and some are here just to play games. There is so much to
distract us in the world. So much that can hurt us. that can make us feel
lonely and without hope. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the healing balm for all
pain. But only if we will let it be.
My
mission has been so special to me because I have been able to "let it
be" in my life. (Of course I have to somehow include a Beatles reference
right?) But I just can't adequately explain it. We were over at a recent
convert’s house the other day. She has quite a colored past and her children
were not raised in the best environment. She is part of an addiction recovery
group right now and tells EVERYONE about how happy the gospel has made her. She
is so funny. She always says things in such a "matter of fact" way
that I find myself on the verge of hysterical tears each time I visit. But on
this last visit she said, "Yeah. I used to think that people that were
crazy about Jesus were... Crazy!" She continued on to say that you could
be "normal" and still humble yourself enough to turn to Him; to try
to recognize those small feelings. We all have times where we feel as if we are
tossed to and fro. The world deals so much with fixing what is on the
"outside." But the outside is just a product of what is on the
inside. If we are able to learn
about the Savior and to feel Him more in our lives, we will begin to see how we
are slowly healed from inside. I have seen that happen in my own life. I am
impatient and inconsistent. My urgency ceases. But the more I pour over the
scriptures and have experienced on my mission just how aware of me my Heavenly
Father is...I have felt a strength come into my life. I can trust Him.
Last
night we had a lesson with Greg & Liz Casey. We were over at the Stewart’s
house for what is called a "New Member Lesson." After someone is
baptized, the members of the ward teach the missionary lessons to them just as
a way to get them connected to the ward and to meet new people. The Stewarts
are a family I love very much and, of course, I love the Casey's more than I
could ever explain. The spirit was so strong that night. At a certain point in
the lesson Brother Stewart pointed to us and said, with great feeling,
"These will always be YOUR missionaries." Brother Stewart served in
North Carolina. (same mission as you Dad!) You could tell that as he spoke he
was thinking about those people that he had come to love so deeply on his
mission. Brother Stewart made us promise that we would always be worthy of each
other. That even though "Sister Mitchell" is going home, "she is
never done with you." It is a special friendship that will last a lifetime.
Greg said, "We consider you family." Those words will always resonate
with me. I consider so many of my brothers and sisters out here to be my
"family." The members, my mission president, those that we have
taught. They are forever a part of me and I feel as if a piece of me will
always be here in the California Roseville Mission. I hope to always be worthy
of the Casey’s. The Fitzpatrick’s. The Tate’s. The Saechao Family. Ericka
Duggins. Melody and Gabrielle. Pat Peart. Debi Allen. The Goodsells. The
Savery's. Heather Pate. Angelina. I am reminded of the words of Elder Holland
when he spoke of the fishermen turned Apostles who had returned to their nets.
"Children did not my life and my love touch your hearts more deeply than
this?" I hope that His love has touched my heart more deeply than before
and that it will continue to throughout my life. Elder Holland’s talk has been
at my bedside for the last few weeks so forgive me for over quoting it but...
He said something along the lines of, "Every missionary who has ever stood
in a baptismal font (or beside it) and said the words "Having been
commissioned of Jesus Christ." That commission was to have changed your
convert forever, but it was surely supposed to have changed you forever as
well." I can say boldly that it has. I feel as if I have been changed
forever. I know there are new adventures ahead, but my heart wrenches to leave
these people and this type of service. I am so grateful to be a member of this
church. I am so grateful that when I have
to remove that tag from my chest, I will still be able to bear His name. I know
that God lives and that He loves us more than we could ever know in this life.
I love you guys so much! The only thing that makes this all okay is that I get
to give you all a big hug next week. God be with you until we meet!
Love,
Sister
Mitchell
P.S. "This week I had so many fun surprises. The Jones
family came up from Loomis and kidnapped us for dinner one night. Then, I
showed up to dinner at the
Clement’s house here in Auburn and they had planned a surprise
party for me! One of my FAVORITE mini little missionaries, Kate & Anna Clement came up to see me. My jaw was just on the floor! Then to put icing on the cake, Sister Taylor and Sister Kaupanger came to our Sacarmant meeting on Sunday. It is just so fun to have been able to have welcomed so many new members into our family.
I love the California
Roseville Mission!"
