email of 28 September 2009

Happy almost-last-day-of-September!

I didn't have anything but a financial notice and a 5-word reply email from Joseph in my inbox today, so hopefully you're on and writing so that I'll have something before we get mail on Friday!

Well, Wednesday marks the beginning of my third transfer in the field! It's so crazy to think that I've been out that long already; it occurred to me the other day that I'm almost at my 5-month mark...which is pretty darn close to 6 months, which is pretty stinking close to a third of my mission already. AAAAAAAH!!! How does it happen?!?!? I'm NOT trying to count down or wish it away or anything, but it does go so fast.

I've been really realizing lately how much of a mini-super-condensed "life" a mission is. It's like an entire lifetime all smooshed down and crammed into 1 1/2 years. And because of that, EVERYTHING is extra concentrated too -- the experiences, the study time, the learning, the growth, the emotions, the joy, the struggles, EVERYTHING. My companion has a quote about how it would take something like 48 years of the regular 3-hour block of Sunday meetings to get in the same amount of spiritual study-time that you get in 2 years of a mission. So if I'm 23 now, then that means I'm coming back an old woman (my deepest apologies if I offended any women who are 71 or somewhere close to that)!!!!!

This week's been good, but kind of hard for me too; I was feeling really lonely (yes, it's possible, even with a companion at your side 24-7), and just struggling a little bit personally. Not to worry, I'm fine now - it was just one of those super-concentrated times of struggle that allows you to learn and grow. And so from that experience, here's something that I learned. As I was (finally) talking to my companion about things, she told me,

"Hermana, you don't have to be perfect in order for someone to love you."

That's really stuck with me. Not that I didn't know it before -- I did -- just never really KNEW it before. I'm discovering that I'm the kind of person that really likes to do everything right -- I like to be liked, to always be happy, to be smiley and bubbly for everyone else, to not look like a moron because I'm doing something that I don't really know how to do (i.e. talk to strangers in Spanish), and when I'm in a situation where I'm made painfully aware of my imperfections, and painfully aware of the fact that there's someone else who's ALWAYS with me and sees all of my imperfections too, well, I have kind of a hard time with that. Because I can see who I want to become, but I'm not there yet. That's just the thing - it's who I'm BECOMING. Thankfully though, the Lord knows that, and He loves me anyways, and has given me a companion who does too, (as do all of you...).

That's not all though. I learned something else along those same lines just yesterday. As I was getting frustrated with my wonderful companion, the thought came to me,

"She doesn't have to be perfect in order for you to love her either."

Well HELLO, McFly!!! THAT just went and completely changed my perspective again, helping to make me a happier, more loving, and less frustrated person as well...

Ok, That's about all of that. Just one more little thing - My first comp, Sis Foutz shared this quote with me that I think about a lot:

"All frustration comes from unmet expectations"

Chew on that one for a while :)

Mom, I totally forgot to mention anything about the RS Broadcast last week--I was praying for you all week though! I hope everything went well, and that it was a great "last hurrah"!!! Wasn't the broadcast wonderful?! All the sisters in the mission got to go up to the mission home on Saturday evening to watch it together, then had a light dinner afterwards; it was so nice!

Did you know that they're coming out with a "Where the Wild Things Are" movie?!?!?! I don't know if our billboards, etc come out sooner/earlier here, but I've just started seeing them pop up for "Where the Wild Things Are," due out I think in a couple of months. I couldn't believe it! First of all, I was really excited, because, well, hello - "Where the Wild Things Are"! Secondly though, I'm wondering how on earth they've managed to make that into a full length film...it only takes about 5 minutes to read on "Reading Rainbow"...

Speaking of "Where the Wild Things Are," I've been thinking a bit lately about our little Max. I think being a missionary does that to us, because I remember Joseph and Sam both talking about him too...it's just cool to be about the same work as your little brother (who, granted, I don't really know too well just yet) who's on the other side of the veil. His birthday's coming up too, isn't it Mom? Sometime in November, I know.

Ok, that's it - less than a minute left.

I Love You!!!
I Love Being A Missionary!!!!!!!

Hermana Sallie

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!

ps - does anyone know what a fuller is (or could you look it up for me)? I'm wondering because of the scriptures that refer to the "refiner's fire and fuller's soap," and I've just been curious to know what exactly a fuller is...

pps - I don't think that we'll have temple p-day next week (new church policy about missionaries only going 4 times a year instead of 8), so I'll probably be writing on Monday again