43: The Mission Is A Happy Place

This week was just soooooo good. Very happy week all around.

We started off with an awesome mission leadership conference!! This conference was super special because Pte and Hna Tolman's daughters came into town and shared their testimonies with us during the conference and it really brought an amazing spirit. It definitely stoked my flame for this work and the work I can do to personally improve every day.

I am getting used to city life: learning where not to go and when not to go there. I am getting to know the ward more and the people that the elders were teaching before and we have been starting to see some success. But there has been a pretty big hiccup in getting our Areabook up and running so basically we are going old school and paper reporting our days and planning in little notebooks to bring with us. 

Even though there are some logistical headaches, we had some awesome lessons. One with Gisela, who is an absolute gem haha. She has been looking into the church for a long time but has never been baptized and told us that all she needs to do is read the Book of Mormon more. We had the opportunity to testify to her of the truthfulness of that book and committed her to be baptized! Yay! 

I have been able to find joy in a lot of little things this week. Laughing with my companion, eating PB&J oatmeal, watching The District, going ham on the Libro de Mormon reading, riding in the elevator in our apartment complex, making little kids laugh in lessons, getting Easter candies from members, listening to Josh Garrels, talking to the really cute old ladies, appreciating people's cute gardens, etc. The mission is a really happy place.

One thing that I have done this week in preparation for Easter is study the life of Christ, study his sacrifice for me, and study the sacrament. And wow did I need that. I have been getting pretty dang self-conscious the last few weeks: feeling like I am inadequate as a missionary or not as good as other missionaries around me. Studying about how PERSONAL Christ's suffering was FOR ME was a much needed reminder that I am a daughter of God. Sometimes comparisons get me in a pretty deep hole, but because of Christ's Atonement, I can always trust that God only compares me with old me. 

So yes, a very happy Easter week. A very happy, imperfect Hermana Thrasher just doing her best out here in wild Rosario. I hope you all know how much God loves you too, and that you enjoyed Easter. I extra hope that you got to share your feelings about this special season with someone! (And if you didn't... it is never too late haha).

Love you guys!

Hermana Thrasher

1. Read 'em

2. Paper daily planning like we live in 2006 or something

3. Rosario showed off

4. Yeah

5. READ IT

6. We ran out of money and food and this was our fridge on Sunday morning haha

7. MLC!

8. Elevator selfies >>>>