A Labor of Love: Mental Toughness

Hola!

The weeks keep getting shorter and life just keeps getting better! Everyday I am learning to truly love the mission more and more. I am finally getting used to the mission and beginning to feel like I am making a little progress! I love improving with every day! And little by little I know I am becoming the person my Savior wants me to become!

The work is coming along, slowly but surely! This week we found some new people, which I always am a fan of! One day we were walking in the street and talked to a 15 yr old girl, she gave us her address and we went to go find it. Of course it didn´t exist, but while we were looking for her house we found a 17 year old girl with a 17 month old baby. She is precious and so sweet, we have another lesson with her this week, so I´m all about fake addresses, bring it on ;)

Also this week we have been trying to comply with the ALB norm of excellence which is 10 people a day, and wow, I have truly seen the blessings from it. The best way to learn of the truth of something is to live it eh? (John 7:17) One day we were ALBing and we ran into a less active, that I have never heard of or met, and she was more than willing to let us come by. We came by this week and her husband who is a non-member told us that he knows he has to join the church, just not yet. I just wanted to drill him with scriptures..."ye shall not procrastinate the day of your repentence" eh? But sometimes you just have to give it time. Patience is a virtue. But he told us that they have been together for some 10 years but just got married last month...HOLLA. Music to my ears. To me that sounds like they are being prepared without even knowing it. :)

This week we also had the opportunity to do some service for a new investigator and I learned how truly important service is in the mission. Because after only one lesson and some service we have gained her confidence, and developed more love for her, because we LOVE those we serve! And what can we do without love? Nada.

This week was Zone conference! Yay! So we got to spend another 6 hours on a bus this week! Love me some quality time on a bus. ( But really I do) I love having zone conference and finding something that I can improve. This month we talked about "Mental Toughness". We read a talk given by M. Russell Ballard. I know its long, but I wanted to share my favorite parts!

As we examine the mission field we see that some missionaries are very successful while others simply wish to be. While we examine the habits of the different missions we do not find that it is the area, the people, nor the time of year. It is the attitude of the missionaries and their ability to use and apply the talents which they have.

Don´t be a missionary who complains about the unreceptive people, the rejections, his companions, his leaders, nor his own heavy load. Instead, be a missionary who can be put into any circumstance or situation and still have success. Be a CREATOR of circumstances not a creature of circumstances.

We are able to control what we put in our minds, we determine the results of our lives, and "we harvest what we plant". Our mind can only occupy a single thought at a time. Therefore, our destiny can be determined with a single thought, it is your responsibility to make it a positive or to make it a negative. "

I LOVE this. I have had a difficult time trying to figure out why none of our investigators are progressing; why I feel like we´re not having success but everyone else is, and as I thought of all the reasons of maybe why we don´t have any progressing investigators, I thought of pretty much EVERYTHING (maybe the ward, time of year, siesta, leaders, etc.) but I never once thought of my attitude. I am the creator of my circumstances, I choose to make this area successful, I CHOOSE to have success. Granted everything is to the will of the Lord, but If I don´t even believe that people will follow through or progress, who will? As I started to begin to change my attitude a little this week I saw how much I can really do! Attitude truly is everything. And we truly do harvest what we plant in our minds. So let’s plant some positive thoughts eh? I Love being a missionary and I love this work!

Con Amor, Hermana Matheson