So if you follow me on Facebook this letter might sound pretty familiar :)
This
week we had the opportunity to have a meeting for all the missionaries
serving in the New Orleans area. One of the main focuses was joy and
finding joy in the mission. It got me thinking of a quote from my
favorite Mormon Message, "The Refiners Fire." (If y'all haven t seen it
go check it out on lds.org.) The
lady in the video makes a very profound statement. In effect she said
"the greater our sorrow, the greater our capacity to feel joy." I
have come to learn on the mission that that is so true. To be totally
honest y'all, the mission is hard. Some days you just don't want to go
out, you miss home, you miss friends and family, you want to be away
from your companion, you want to help people but they just won't listen,
and most of all you want to be perfect but you are reminded everyday
how far away from perfection you are. I have never felt more sorrow,
pain or discouragement than I have on the mission. That being said, I
have never had more joy than being on my mission. Sounds funny yeah? How
can you have joy while being sad or discouraged? It's because, for the
first time in my life, I have decided to follow the Savior Jesus Christ
as best as I can. Through him, we can feel joy even in the hardest of
times because he is the path to joy! If we will only follow Him then we
will have the joy that only He can give! I would encourage y'all,
whenever you are going through something that seems too much and you
don't feel like it can ever get better, to look to our Savior because he
can bring you joy!
Zone
Conference was definitely the highlight of this week! It is always
awesome to gather as missionaries to learn and to teach one another!
Well y'all I'm sorry for the short letter this week! The next one will be bigger I promise!
Elder Nathan Stoddard
