"Find Joy in The Little Things"

    Its dark, about 8:45 at night. It had been a long, hot and somewhat disappointing day.As you are on your way home all you want to do is eat and go to bed. But than you realize that not only do you have to cook dinner still, you have to update paperwork, make adjustments to tomorrows schedule, start soaking the laundry, and write in your journal. You get to your subdivision, and begin to walk towards your house and you start to see little random dots of light! You think to yourself am, I really that tired that I'm starting to see spots or is that actually something. Don't worry, you aren't going crazy! You are than informed that those "little spots" are actually fireflies! 
    Adjusting to missionary life can be exhausting, stressful and the greatest experience, all at the same time and in the same breath. I had the most wonderful trainer, Sister Ultra. Unfortunately for her I was her last companion, that's right, I killed my companion! (That just means she went home and I was her last companion!) No need to call the police! I didn't become a murderer on my mission! Just like all missionaries, she wasn't ready to go home! You learn to love the people so much that you just think you could be a missionary for the rest of your life! So as we embraced the different emotions associated with entering the mission as well as leaving the mission we kind of made it our motto to "Find joy in the little things".
    I remember one day during personal study I read a talk by President Uchtdorf titled "Your Wonderful Journey Home". In this talk he outlines the Plan of Happiness or the Plan of Salvation. Where we came from, Why we are here and Where we are going. Towards the end of his talk he says this...

"You can spend your days feeling sad, alone, misunderstood, or unwanted. But that isn’t the journey you had hoped for, and it’s not the journey Heavenly Father sent you to take. Remember, you are truly a daughter of God!"   

    He was 100% correct. I could go throughout my days feeling bad because I didn't know the language, I very literally felt misunderstood. And as a missionary you face a lot of rejection, so unwanted isn't a feeling to far away. But than I had to remember I was a daughter of God! And that journey of frustration and sadness was NOT the journey I had expected nor was it the journey He has sent me here to take! Whether it be my journey here on the earth, or my journey as a missionary!  

 

   This was the turning point for me. And from than on the little blessings seemed more beautiful, and had greater importance in my life. It no longer was about doing my hair, or having the fancy cell phone, or even having a "real" and by real I mean running shower! It was about being able to tell my niece that every night when I walked home I get to see Tinkerbell (the fireflies), and that she is a Filipina! And it was being able to look up and see the starts and moon and not only feel a deep connection to my Father in Heaven but to also know that even though my friends and family were half way across the world, they were being held in the palm of His hands! And it became more about being able to hear from those same family members and friends and becoming interested in their lives and how I could help them! "Finding joy in the journey" helped my to better recognize the wonderful blessings that were already in my life. And less about the things that I wanted to be in my life. And it taught me just how real and how powerful prayer and the atonement are! I know that God hears all prayers. He doesn't just hear, but he listens intently to our joy, to our dears, and to the desires of our hearts! And because of our faithfulness and the atonement, we are able to be granted those righteous desires!

    

  I admire my trainer for her perseverance and her love. I know it wasn't easy for her, but she was a great example to me! In fact I'm sure my other companions got tired of me saying "Well, Sister Ultra taught me this" or "Sister Ultra that..". I will always hold our friendship close to my heart, as I know that she was a gift from God. Even though we were only together for 3 months I learned things from her are things that I would in no other way be able to learn! So my dear Sister Ultra, thank you for teaching me how to do my laundry, for getting buko pie AND ice cream on those really rough days, and for teaching me how to speak Tagalog (I know that was probably the toughest part!). But most of all thank you for showing me what it really means to come unto Christ and how to truly accept the gospel, along with how to help other fully understand just how much their Father in Heaven loves them! 

   

 In his talk President Uchtdorf continues...

"I invite you to walk confidently and joyfully. Yes, the road has bumps and detours and even some hazards. But don’t focus on them. Look for the happiness your Father in Heaven has prepared for you in every step of your journey. Happiness is the destination, but it’s also the path. “Peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” is what He promises.That is why He commands us to “be of good cheer."

    I to want to extend this invitation to everyone who may be reading this. Sometimes life doesn't seem fair! Sometimes we can see a great length of pathway in front of us. But other times all we can see are a few steps. But those few steps, though difficult they may be, are full of wonderful blessings to be realized! Choose NOW to take the journey that you had always imagined and the one He has prepared for you! 

-XOXO-