I have a new companion that just got here from the MTC! Her name is
Sister Cleaver and she is great. So when you train a new missionary,
you have no idea who you are training until the day of transfers when
you are sitting in a meeting with everyone and they say "Sister
Haertling, please stand up *drum roll* you will be training sister
Cleaver!". Then she comes over and you sit by each other and that's
it! So when we pulled into the parking lot and saw all of the new
missionaries, I just knew right away I was going to be training her.
She is from Washington state as well, up near Seattle in a little town
called Poulsbo. She is the oldest of 9 kids and has 5 sisters and 3
brothers. She also just graduated high school with her associates and
we have the same Eddie Bauer coat haha. So before we knew sister
Cleaver was coming, sister Stevens and I had been planning a sacrament
meeting for February 26th. Then we got transferred on the 22nd and so
for sister Cleavers first Sunday on the mission she got to give a talk
with me and sing a musical number. The great thing is that she is an
amazing singer...amazing. And so she was actually really excited. We
talked about missionary work and the blessings that come when we share
it. We have been meeting with the Meena family a lot lately! They are
continuing to pray with their family and come to church. The little
girls love coming to church and are really starting to build
relationships with members of the ward. It makes such a big difference
to people coming for the first few times when members are so welcoming
and wanting to talk with them. They are planning on being baptized the
last Saturday in March! Along with getting a new companion, we
switched apartments -back to the apartment complex we moved out of 6
weeks ago- and we have roommates!!! Sister Kunz and Sister Reese.
Sister Kunz and I came out together and every night in the MTC we
would just laugh and laugh and laugh and our companions probably were
so ready for us to be out of the MTC haha.. now we get to live in the
same apartment and still laugh every night. So the first night when we
moved in here (Wednesday) I was getting into bed and feel this plastic
thing in my covers. I reach down and there's a Ken Barbie doll laying
in my bed. Sister Kunz found it here in the apartment a couple months
ago and will hide him in the most random places. Sometimes he's in he
fridge, the shower, or writing in my journal haha:) it's like an elf
on the shelf but a lot funnier and weirder. Anyways, I'm so grateful
for all the sisters here, it is a lot of fun and great to have so much
support. Something that I was studying this week that I really love is
the experience that Peter had after Christ had died. I never had
really thought much about the apostles and how they really felt after
the crucifixion of Christ. They had walked, talked, learned, taught
with Christ and seen Him perform miracles, heal the sick, and had this
perfect example to serve with. They probably grew so much and become
better disciples. Then He was gone and they were left to be these
disciples without Him physically by their side. I was studying the
time after His death when Peter and some of the apostles are back
fishing, when Christ comes and asks them why they are back here
fishing like before. They had just been out testifying, teaching and
performing miracles with the Savior and now that He was gone, they
were back fishing again. Christ then goes on to ask Peter multiple
times, "Peter do you love me?". Peter answers Him over and over again
confused at why Christ is continuing to question if he really loves
Him. I love Elder Hollands words to describe this experience. (Elder
Hollands elaboration of Christ speaking to Peter) “Then Peter, why are
you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets,
having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it
obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter,
are disciples--and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my
sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend
my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and
loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. So, Peter,
for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave
all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until
the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”. I
think sometimes it's easy for us to have spiritual
experiences/"testimony builders" in our lives that change us, but just
like these apostles, afterwards we go back to our ways of living or
don't share those experiences to help strengthen those around us. I
know I'm guilty of it for sure! I want to be better at sharing the
experiences I have had and also letting them change me and not fall
back into the ways before I had those spiritual strengthening moments
in my life. Elder Holland ends with this quote that I love, "If ye
love me, keep my commandments,” Jesus said. So we have neighbors to
bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to
defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do.
In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in
demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can’t quit and we can’t go
back. After an encounter with the living Son of the living God,
nothing is ever again to be as it was before. The Crucifixion,
Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a
Christian life, not the end of it. It was this truth, this reality,
that allowed a handful of Galilean fishermen-turned-again-Apostles
without “a single synagogue or sword” to leave those nets a second
time and go on to shape the history of the world in which we now
live." We all have those "nets" in our lives and we can leave them
behind by going out and sharing the testimonies that we already have
in our hearts. We have such an incredible knowledge that so many
people don't and it really is such a divine gift to be able to share
it. It changes he lives of others when we share it and then in return
changes ours. I'm grateful to be on a mission and serving here at this
time. I love you all!
Love, sister Haertling
Middle: Sister Haertling and Sister Wilcox with their new companions
Bottom: Sister Haertling with her new companion Sister Cleaver and her first companion Sister Freeman
No comments:
Post a Comment