Week 42: Raymond

Hi Everyone!

This week was busy but fun!

-We had a follow up meeting for the end of Hermana Garcia's training! It has been amazing to see her growth this transfer. It was pouring rain that day so we celebrated by getting Hot chocolate from In n Out and listening to Christmas music in the car!

-We were able to start teaching Maricela, Sky, and Lupita again. They were taught a little bit in the past but have been taught in the past. Marciela actually told us thay years and years ago, she was struggling a lot and missionaries were able to help her. She is looking for a stronger relationship with Heavenly Father and a Foundation to raise her girls with and knows she can find it here! They are miracles!!

-Cornelio returned home from the hospital. We were able to get in contact and have a lesson with him.

-We had an amazing lesson with Paula. Hermano y Hermana Garcia accompanied us and shared their beautiful conversion story. Long story short Hermana Garcia was searching for the truth since she was a little girl, attended many different churches, but still felt an emptiness. One day (12 years ago), she was praying for help for that emptiness to be filled. That same day the missionaries here were praying for a family to teach. They knocked on the Garcias door. A few months later, Hna. Garcia and her 3 children joined the Church and one year after that her husband was baptized. The Spirit was so strong. Paula wants that in her life too! She is ready to be baptized, just can't come to church yet because of work. So we decided to all fast & pray together that Friday that Paula can come to church Sunday the 20. Please add her to your prayers:))

-On Friday, I got to go on exchanges with Hna. Young and Hna. Jackson, two of my favorite people!! Hna. Jackson had departure dinner and Hna. Young had her aunt's temple sealing in the Newport Beach Temple at the same time, so I got to go with Hna. Young to the temple and it was so beautiful! This was the first time I have ever seen a sealing since I've been here on earth. It was so powerful. The sealer was giving some words of Wisdom, but then when the actual ceremony started, I could tangibly feel power food into the room. I know that God's Power to bind families for eternity has been restored to the earth. I know that I will be with my family forever because we have been sealed in the temple. Just sitting there, I remembered that this is what it's all about. This is why I am here. So that others may have this same blessing. And it also reminded me that I would never settle for anything less in my life.

-I had a sleepover at Hna. Young & Hna. Jackson apartment and then woke up early to go to Cypress morning pickleball. It was so fun! Then I exchanged back with my companions and we had dinner & a lesson with our recent convert Iriana who is the best! Later that night, we opened transfer report...

Transfer news ......

I'm getting transferred to La Rosa in Huntington Beach to be companions with Hermana Amezquita!!

Hermana Votaw will be staying here in Raymond and Hermana Garcia is training a new missionary in Long Beach East!

I have to say I was not expecting to be transferred. It's going to be so hard to leave these friends, members, and companions I love so much.

But I trust in the Lord. I know He has a plan for my mission. There is no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone so here we go on another new adventure!!

Lessons learned in Raymond (8/23-11/14):

1)Prioritizing

In my first transfer as an STL, I was feeling so overwhelmed. In my interview, President shared with me advice given by President Hinckley to leaders of the Church many years ago and applied it to my life as a missionary. He prioritized responsibilities in this order. It has allowed me to identify and choose what is most important over what is urgent.

#1 Relationship with God -> same (Personal Study)

#2 Relationship with Spouse -> companions (comp study, comp inventory)

#3 Relationship with Children -> friends we are teaching (lessons, language study)

#4 Job -> missionary responsibilities (finding, teaching, baptizing)

#5 Church calling -> leadership assignment (STL, ZL, DL, AP, TR)

2)Transactional v. Translational obedience

This transfer in my zone we've had some problems with obedience. It's been really hard to see. But it has soldified my desire to be obedient and helped me reflect on my WHY. Elder Bednar has taught that there are two types of obedience. Transactional is the lesser obedience. When we are obedient to gain a reward, or blessing. The missionaries who struggle with obedience view it transactionally. They rationalize certain standards because they still see miracles, or feel the Spirit, and have success baptizing even without following the standards, which have been established by the Prophet and apostles. The higher obedience is translational, when we are obedient because we love God. That is an obedience that we cannot rationalize. That is when we recognize that our leaders of called of God and they have been inspired of Him. Christ taught his disciples in their last moments together: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." That is why I strive to be obedient. Because I love Him. And then I mess up, and repent, and take the sacrament where I renewing my promise to be obedient, and I keep trying.

3)How to get along with people who are hard to get along with

I've learned the importance of talking through when we're frustrated or angry because usually it's a misunderstanding. I've learned to forgive quickly & love unconditionally, always assuming that everyone has the best intentions. I've learned the importance of understanding my needs and my companions needs and striving to meet them because we're all different. I've learned the importance of being honest and vulnerable and serving my companions because that's what builds Friendship and the bests friends make the best companionships.

4)Giving my heart, might, mind, and strength to the Lord

I thought I had no time before but this transfer, covering the entire ward (before we split it), training Hna. Garcia, and STL responsibilities left literally no time to waste. We got started at 6:30 a.m. and finished at 10:30 p.m. and there were still things at the end of the day that didn't get done. At times it was frustrating. Many a night I fell asleep at 9:30 on the kitchen floor because I was completely exhausted. But I really came to understand what God meant to Joseph Smith Sr. when he said: "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day" (D&C 4:2). Serving God with all my heart, might, mind, and strength doesn't mean it's going to be perfect or flawless, or that things won't Drop through the cracks but it does mean giving Him everything I've got and knowing that He will accept my offering.

5)The importance of loving

This is something I struggle with. Time and time throughout my mission, the Lord has reminded me of developing the gift of charity. I really saw that gift in my companion Hermana Votaw and in the ward members, especially the Sorianos and the Garcias. If I could have gone back to the beginning of the my time in Raymond I would tell myself to love first, even if they don't love you. That is the kind of love Heavenly Father has for us. And no one, especially missionaries, is going to meet His High expectations if they don't feel loved first. Elder Wirthlin taught: "True love lasts forever. It is eternally patient and forgiving. It believes, hopes, and endures all things. That is the love our Heavenly Father bears for us. We all yearn to experience love like this. Even when we make mistakes, we hope others will love us in spite of our shortcomings—even if we don’t deserve it. Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will."

6)We serve two missions.  One to the people we teach and a second to save the rising generation.

This has helped me find meaning in my responsibilities. Sometimes it's hard spending a lot of time in planning meetings and councils knowing I could be out street contacting, but I have found purpose in striving to help my fellow missionaries become more converted to Jesus Christ, even though it's something you can't always see the impact of right away.

And so many more things. One of the biggest miracles of a mission is how much opportunity there is for growth and change. My time here in Raymond has changed me. And I'm excited for what's in store this Christmas season in Huntington Beach!

Love you all <33

Hermana Dudley

1. The Soriano kids! So hard to say goodbye to them!

2. Last ward huddle

3. Mis compañeras <3

4. I love the Garcias! I am going to miss them. They came to so many lessons with us these last few months and always gave us the most delicious food. They have the biggest hearts

5. SAE w/ Sis. Haven't

6. We sang Christmas carols to Hermana Becky's family

7. Morning pickleball w/ the Cypress zone

8. Outside the Newport Beach Temple w/ Hna. Young before her aunt's sealing

9. Sweet Hna. Becky made my mom's chocolate chip cookie recipe my last day on the area

10. SAE Zone