I think I'm starting to enjoy talking in English. I also enjoy listening to people who have the experience of speaking a lot more grammatically correct english like my dad. Thanks for writing me that experience, Pops.
Life as a missionary is probably the most gratifying experience I've ever had. ....I can't even begin to express the love I have developed for this place, for these people I talk to, for the gospel I study and teach every day, for my companion, and most of all for my Heavenly Father who is my constant Teacher. I love riding bikes around town and waving to people, I love wearing skirts to my ankles, I love the feel of a tucked in dress shirt with a high-waisted skirt. I don't mind having my name displayed on my chest for everyone to see. I love meeting a new crowd of people. I love being challenged to do what is right and show the pure love of Christ while doing it. I love failing, because it makes the victory so much more enjoyable. I just like so much about this mission experience, and it's going to be hard to leave it. But until that day comes, I'm sure taking advantage of this calling and having fun with it.
Angel is still learning and is so excited to be baptized! He and some members went to a baptism in Houston with us. It was his first time seeing a baptism and he was pensative all throughout it. Afterwards, he was telling others from Houston 9 that he too was about to be baptized and he'd ask me, "Cuando es?" I'd tell him, the 2nd of August, buddy....the second of August. Smiles exchanged. The people in Houston 9 were so excited to see me and Hna Campbell all over again. They couldn't believe we were companions again. I felt the most at home yesterday than I've ever felt in my mission. Everyone I loved most from Houston 9 was there, it seemed. Even Nacho and Yoli made it to the baptism just to see me and Campbell. Not only did we have good company but, get this, we ate ARROZ CON LECHE afterwards! Can you even beeleenat? It was an all around good time!
As we drove back home last night, I sat in the back of the Schatelowitz' suburban with the window rolled down and looked out at the sky while Sister Campbell talked to Connie and Charles. I truly am amazed at the satisfaction this mission has brought me. I don't refer to the choice to come here for 1.5 years, but basically what my decisions and my Heavenly Father has brought me after this time. I thought about why my obedience has brought me so much happiness, why my conscious effort to hold on to hope throughout trials has brought me to this point, and why the mission would prove to be a testing ground of this. Trials are no longer surprising to me. I think I am starting to realize that trials will always come, and depending on how I react will determine how I transform into someone happier, stronger, more like my Heavenly Father.
Ok, les quiero mucho.
Que siguan adelante en la fe del Senor!
Con amor,
Hermana Langston
Monday, July 20, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
July Greetings!
Hi everybody!
It's been a really incredible week. First, it's been wet. We were on the bikes last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday while our car was in the shop and we felt the need for a change of clothes three to four times throughout the day but the beautiful thing is that doing this work, it doesn't bother us as much as it probably should.
Sister Campbell had a spill on her bike while talking on the phone to the people at Toyota. Right over the ol' handlebars she went. And it made for some good laughs all week long.
Two more people have felt the power of this gospel and want to be baptized! Angel is a 20 year old guy from Mexico who was a referral from a member referral. His friend moved to another state, but he's still coming to church with us and listening to the lessons and now he is preparing himself for baptism. He told us that the stuff he's learning now -- the fact that we lived with God as spirits, that we are to be on this earth to learn from the hard times, and that we have God's help through a divinely organized church-- all has been stuff that he never knew. And he's excited to be baptized to see the help of God more in his life.
Mike Yeh, the husband of a member, has also agreed to be baptized. We set a date for him to be smoke free by the end of July and then be baptized a week later. He's been so much more hopeful in lessons and he didn't doubt at all that he'd be able to do it. It's really exciting for me to see people change into happier people through learning this gospel. I don't think all of them realize how amazing of a guy Joseph Smith was, but I'll go ahead and start making it known.
We've also been teaching a girl from China who is a friend to the Jones Family. She's so smart and so outgoing. She doesn't come from a Christian background, however, and she's still learning English so we've been teaching very basic with her. In learning about Jesus Christ, and why He needed to come to the earth, she exclaimed, "Oh I get it! So we produce a lot of happiness but also a lot of sadness, and Jesus has the job to take all of our sadness from us and get rid of it." I'm telling you, this girl is SMART! She's starting to pray more and her demeanor has changed since we first started teaching her. She seems more sober.
I have been learning so much about the human race while here. Each child of God is uniquely different and has his or her own needs to be met in order to be perfected. It's amazing to me that God is able to meet the needs of so many people who are so completely different, and that He's able to love us despite our weaknesses. I've been trying to learn how to see past my own weaknesses so that I can confidently teach the doctrine to those who are hungry for it. I've been trying to see past the weaknesses of others in order to love them the way that God would. All of us live in an imperfect world, surrounded with imperfect situations, and act very imperfectly. Yet amidst all this, our Heavenly Father's love is perfect. Is it any wonder that when we feel this love for the first time, we are taken aback and amazed? And each time we feel it afterwards, we can't help but feel grateful. What will it feel like to live in a perfect world with someone who loves us so perfectly? I sure wouldn't know, but I'm glad that God is willing to show us little foretastes while we're here on this earth.
I know that I'm being led by the Spirit. I know that this church is being led by the only chosen prophet of God on the earth. I know that obedience to this gospel brings happiness and a conversion.
I love you all!
Love,
HErmana LAngston
It's been a really incredible week. First, it's been wet. We were on the bikes last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday while our car was in the shop and we felt the need for a change of clothes three to four times throughout the day but the beautiful thing is that doing this work, it doesn't bother us as much as it probably should.
Sister Campbell had a spill on her bike while talking on the phone to the people at Toyota. Right over the ol' handlebars she went. And it made for some good laughs all week long.
Two more people have felt the power of this gospel and want to be baptized! Angel is a 20 year old guy from Mexico who was a referral from a member referral. His friend moved to another state, but he's still coming to church with us and listening to the lessons and now he is preparing himself for baptism. He told us that the stuff he's learning now -- the fact that we lived with God as spirits, that we are to be on this earth to learn from the hard times, and that we have God's help through a divinely organized church-- all has been stuff that he never knew. And he's excited to be baptized to see the help of God more in his life.
Mike Yeh, the husband of a member, has also agreed to be baptized. We set a date for him to be smoke free by the end of July and then be baptized a week later. He's been so much more hopeful in lessons and he didn't doubt at all that he'd be able to do it. It's really exciting for me to see people change into happier people through learning this gospel. I don't think all of them realize how amazing of a guy Joseph Smith was, but I'll go ahead and start making it known.
We've also been teaching a girl from China who is a friend to the Jones Family. She's so smart and so outgoing. She doesn't come from a Christian background, however, and she's still learning English so we've been teaching very basic with her. In learning about Jesus Christ, and why He needed to come to the earth, she exclaimed, "Oh I get it! So we produce a lot of happiness but also a lot of sadness, and Jesus has the job to take all of our sadness from us and get rid of it." I'm telling you, this girl is SMART! She's starting to pray more and her demeanor has changed since we first started teaching her. She seems more sober.
I have been learning so much about the human race while here. Each child of God is uniquely different and has his or her own needs to be met in order to be perfected. It's amazing to me that God is able to meet the needs of so many people who are so completely different, and that He's able to love us despite our weaknesses. I've been trying to learn how to see past my own weaknesses so that I can confidently teach the doctrine to those who are hungry for it. I've been trying to see past the weaknesses of others in order to love them the way that God would. All of us live in an imperfect world, surrounded with imperfect situations, and act very imperfectly. Yet amidst all this, our Heavenly Father's love is perfect. Is it any wonder that when we feel this love for the first time, we are taken aback and amazed? And each time we feel it afterwards, we can't help but feel grateful. What will it feel like to live in a perfect world with someone who loves us so perfectly? I sure wouldn't know, but I'm glad that God is willing to show us little foretastes while we're here on this earth.
I know that I'm being led by the Spirit. I know that this church is being led by the only chosen prophet of God on the earth. I know that obedience to this gospel brings happiness and a conversion.
I love you all!
Love,
HErmana LAngston
Monday, July 6, 2009
Feliz cuatro de julio!
This picture is of the Galveston missionaries going to the library (today) to hope for an open computer, but it turns out that the library itself wasn't even open. So we took a picture and came to a member's house.
Me and Hna Campbell holding chicks - this was last monday when we went into a member's home for an FHE lesson. Out of the blue, the front door opened, and all these chicked came cheeping in to greet us. The little boy in the center of us had let them out of their cage and was excited to show us his chickens.
The puppy is someone we found on the street. He should be Galveston's mascot because it's obvious with all that he's suffered, he is still full of hope for his future...
Me and Hna Campbell holding chicks - this was last monday when we went into a member's home for an FHE lesson. Out of the blue, the front door opened, and all these chicked came cheeping in to greet us. The little boy in the center of us had let them out of their cage and was excited to show us his chickens.
The puppy is someone we found on the street. He should be Galveston's mascot because it's obvious with all that he's suffered, he is still full of hope for his future...
I thought a lot about the birthday celebration that must have happened this weekend. Happy birthday to my brothers and Keiti and Emily! Happy birthday to Peggy tomorrow! I hope you got the birthday cards. Peggy and Daniel, you have something coming your way.
So how were the desserts for the fourth? That's one thing I could have had more of on my holiday--dessert! But yesterday a member saved the day and gave us a big ol chunk of pretzel, creamcheese, jello stuff. Really hit the sweet tooth spot. On Saturday, our zone met with the new president and his family. They are really good people! All six of the kids spoke -- even the three year old -- and I felt the spirit so strong with each one. I thought I wouldn't care about the new president and his family, but I've fallen in love with them already and have a greater respect for all of them. Later that day we went out to lunch with the missionaries and got back to work. The night ended with seeing the fireworks from the road.
This work is getting more and more exciting! Missionary work is becoming more than just finding! We're starting to take the role as expert teacher. No longer do we waste hours at tracting, but the members are starting to pull through in bringing us referrals and inviting their friends into their homes for lessons. We have a lesson tonight with a boy who Hermana Rivera met at her garage sale and he's so interested that he came to church yesterday with his friend. Tonight we have a lesson with another branch family and on Thursday we'll teach them again with the Rivera family.
Also we're going into english members' homes and having amazingly motivational lessons about inviting people into their homes. The members are amazing! I love working with them. As far as the heat goes, it's hot! Each morning at 6:30 when we get up to run, it's already warm and VERY humid. The air just swarms me when I walk out the door. But everyone we visit offers us water so it works out.
I'm more than excited to come home, but I'm enjoying sharing the gospel so much. I never thought that missionary work could be so fun. Talking to strangers about different topics of the gospel turns into a very spiritual experience and strangers feel it too. Texas is a wonderful place to me, but even more than that, my Heavenly Father has become a wonderful, merciful, strict, yet patient father to me. I know this gospel is true, I know that obedience to it brings lasting peace, and I know that I am now a stronger person because of my decision to overcome temptation and live according to the words of the prophets.
I love you all
I love you all
Les Quiero Mucho.
Love, Hermana Langston
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