Hey y'all.
This week was good despite being a little sick. I spoke in church yesterday and it was a great experience. I always learn a lot more than the people who hear me speak. I based my talk on the talk by Jeffrey R. Holland, "Remember Lot's Wife"; definitely one of my favorites. I spoke about how we have such a tendency to miss blessings right in front of us because we are stuck in the past. I see this in myself as the still-new missionary that moved into the struggling Deparo area. I was homesick not for home, but for my new found family in Fairview. I caught myself constantly "looking back" and not being able to focus on the work in front of me because of the things that I missed. Doing so made the adjustment difficult. But, I'm happy to report that I've come to love Deparo, and all its many hardships, dearly. As I sat in the front of the chapel I realized that not only have I come to love the people that I've been called to love, but they love me back. Although at times it wasn't as warm as I could have wished for, this ward welcomed in a pretty awkward, little American missionary and taught her a big lesson on patience, tough love, and not looking back. I love the quote by Francine Rivers that says, "Love God and He will enable you to love others, even when they disappoint you." I think this works both ways. Maybe in some ways I wasn't the fantastic, fluent, graceful missionary they were expecting. And this area and ward definitely took me for a surprise. But we've come to love each other and work together. I guess that's the beauty of the gospel; we all have room to change and the Lord is there to help.
Mahal,
Sister Cork
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