This week, like my subject line says, was a full one. It was a week full of the Spirit, good times,
lots of driving and much more. Some
things didn’t go as planned, but that is just how missionary work goes. That being said, this week ended up being
very productive. I know this because the
time flew by.
So, I guess I will just hit the highlights of the week, but
there are a decent amount of them so stay tuned!
The most exciting part of this week was the baptisms of D__,
C__ and I__ R__ on Saturday. I cannot
even begin to explain how strong the Spirit that was. To witness this recently reactivated father
use his priesthood to baptize the rest of his family was something very
special. When they entered the water,
all of the 30+ people in attendance started to tear up and cry. The cherry on top of the whole thing was R__
(the dad) is a big, tender hearted guy and the way that he laid each one of
his family members into the water was so tender and love filled.
Ugh, I cannot even try explain it without tearing up. It was such a beautiful thing. The next day (Sunday) they were confirmed
members and that was another beautiful and tender moment!
The second best part of the week would have to be the special
trip to the Temple on Wednesday. The spirit was also very present there and the
whole time I defiantly felt God’s love for all of us.
The following day we were able to attend a Zone Conference,
maybe my last one. We learned about the
importance of teaching and serving others.
However, at this point in my mission, attending zone conference is kind
of like beating a dead horse, because there is only so much you can learn after
being taught the same lessons over and over again. That being said, I still managed to pull some
things out for my benefit. Also being
that it was potentially my last conference, I was looking for how I could use
what I was being taught in my post-mission life, since there is no more hiding
the fact that that will be happening in the near future.
So, Saturday ended up being the R___ family’s very big
day. Why? Well, not only was it the day of their
baptisms, but it was D__ (the mom) and R___’s (the dad) anniversary. Also, it was D__’s (the mom) birthday. A little overwhelming, right? After the baptism, the party really got
started. We spent the afternoon
preparing and spit roasting a pig. It
was a little harder than when we did it with the O___ family in Midvale, but it
ended up working out. I was able to use some
of my knowledge gained in Midvale Ward.
However, this time everything was done by hand – the old fashioned way. Plus, there were so many Filipinos there and
they are worse than the people in south Tucson when it comes to feeding us too
much. I ended up eating like 13 egg
rolls. I think they just thought it was
funny making me eat so much, lol.
Saturday was a really good day and there were plenty of laughs to go
around for all of us! As for D___, all
the hard work was worth it, because she said it was the best birthday ever. That really made me smile!
For this week’s spiritual thought, I would like to leave you
with a simple thought that God truly does love us. This Sunday we were able to teach the lesson
in Gospel Principles Class. It was about
the Creation. The lesson’s subject
matter coupled with some of the answers some class members gave really made me take
a step back and think of all the blessings we see every day - but take for
granted. Blessings like clean drinking
water, the scenery we see every day, the precious AZ sunsets and air to
breathe. His creation, the Earth, is His
canvass and each and every day He manifests his love for us.
I would like to leave a challenge with y’all, that even on
the worsts of days, look for the beauty, the hidden blessings and the
manifestations of God’s love. I promise
that as you do this you will feel of His abundance and never ceasing love.
I can’t wait to hear from y'all. I love you, Keep the faith.
Love,
Elder C.W. Dickinson
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