Tullahoma, TN

 

What's good everyone!!

Long time no see haha

It's been crazy out here but crazy is normal. This Transfer has been super fast and we're already on the last week. I've been out in Tullahoma, TN with my companion Elder Crapo who's awesome. I also have been a missionary for over a year now! At the beginning of my mission the days were long but the weeks were short and now it feels like the days are short and the weeks are shorter. Kinda puts into perspective how short a mission is. Everytime I think about it I feel like I hit an awakening because I realize that I have a little less than a year left and it feels like I'm running out of time. I'm trying my best to make sure that I'm constantly improving each and everyday so that I can know by the time I go home that I've given it my all and did everything I could to be better. I refuse to go home the same person that I was when I came out. I was definitely not impressed with who I was when I came out💀🤣 I've changed a lot since then but I constantly wondered if I've changed enough. I refuse to go back home the way I was. I've been gifted the opportunity to go from being a boy to a man and I refuse to come back as anything less or I've failed myself and most importantly my Heavenly Father for wasting an opportunity that he's given to become who I've always pictured myself to be. Which reminds me of sacrifice. Sacrifice has been probably one of the biggest things that I've been able to learn on my mission.

[You sacrifice something you want for something you want more]

Nothing that was ever worth it was easy. Heavenly Father has always been a God of sacrifice. He asks us to do things that are hard and inconvenient and that will never change because those are the things that pay off the most. Everybody wants a thousand dollars but how many people want to work for it? This may not be what people want to hear but blessings aren't free. Heavenly Father blesses those that will sacrifice. Sacrifice means to give up something when itsm is hard. We can give up all the things we want and that doesn't mean anything. But when we give up things that we don't want to give up for the greater good, that is when the blessings come. There was no greater sacrifice then a Father giving his Son to save the world. So I guarantee nothing you have to do will ever compare to how hard it was for Heavenly Father to give up Jesus Christ. Of he can do that for me, the least I can do is give up time and energy for him for all that he's done for me.

There was a young lady in our ward just a little older than me and Elder Crapo that we talked to alot and has been going through it mentally. For the past few weeks often she had been feeling like God was punishing her for things that she's done and that God hated her. Me and Elder Crapo sat there and listened to her and we asked her. "How much do you love us?"

"I love you guys so much"

And then I asked

"I know you've only known me a few weeks since I've been here, but how much do you love me?"

"I love you so very much"

"Then because you love us and we love you I will say this very boldly as your brother. Stop being selfish. Everyone is having a bad day not just you. If The Savior sat around and felt sorry for himself because of how hard his life was then nothing would ever get done" as soon as we had said that she started to cry because she knew that we were right.

The Son of God sacrificed. God himself sacrificed. Who are you to refuse to give up a few little things for him?

Ofa Lahi Atu Famili and Hurrah 4 Israel💜

- Elder Vimahi💜