January 5, 2015

Oh my goodness, my week was CRAZY. Get this. Last Saturday we went to the baptism of Musa Monseray. We brought an investigator and her returning less active friend. Now during the half time show the missionaries showed the video "None Were With Them" right after that our returning less active stands up and proceeds to tell us all that Jesus Christ was not perfect. He had a perfect soul, but we can be just like him and he was just like us.

Pretty crazy right? We were a little alarmed and decided to teach her about Jesus Christ in the next lesson that we have. But then on Sunday right after the opening song she FREAKS out, stands up and walks out. So we follow her out and ask what's wrong and she keeps saying that this is not her church and that she has to leave. And as I try to pull her aside and talk to her she just looks at me all crazy and says, "I'm awake, I'm here and you don't recognize me." and I'm like "what do you mean?" and she repeats it. and I'm like, yeah I know you! and she goes, "don't you recognize who I am?" So keep in mind that I have a new trainee that is just following along behind me and I'm like holy crap this lady thinks that she is Jesus Christ. So she storms off and I'm sorting out the possibilities of what just caused that to happen: Possible possession, becoming schizophrenic, maybe personality disorder. like who knows. So we inform leaders and what not, and they say to keep reaching out and they will figure some stuff out.

On Monday a lady in relief society calls us saying that our friend called her pretending to be an Yvonne, and had a super dark voice. So we were wigged out and I called our friend and she was rambling about storming out of a bible study and walking home and seemed very mentally unstable. So we drove over there to visit and she proceeds to tell us how she became Jesus Christ the day before but now she had done something bad and God withdrew his spirit. It was nuts. But in between all the crazy talk she said that she stopped taking her bipolar medication. So we left because we had district meeting but she called twice while we were meeting with out district and we kept in contact.

The rest of the week were periods of visiting her regularly, her getting priesthood blessings, getting kicked out of her home, returning to her mom's place and just one second being normal the next second just completely irrational. Friday our ward mission leader called us at 5 in the morning to say that she's been calling him to try to get him to come pick her up from her parents because they are "the devil" Literally it has been the most chaotic week I have EVER seen on my mission. And my poor little companion had no idea what was even going on... ahh it was very frustrating. and exhausting. Especially the waking up at 5. But then she tried to kidnap her niece because she's Jesus and her parents are the devil. She got arrested and is now in the hospital getting the help she needs. So a happy ending, but an emotional rollercoaster of a week. In all of this I have learned how vast our baptismal covenant is of bearing one another's burdens. That that is what is expected of us, what we promised to heavenly father that we would do. And that's why he can trust us with his children, because he knows that we will love them and help them.

Side note- on new years eve I aroused myself at 11:58, tried to wake up my companion but nothing could disturb her slumber and took some pictures of me and her. Woot woot! ringing in the new year with style! I'll have to send you the pictures next week. :) also we did some zumba and played apples to apples with the sisters in the zone.

Good luck with school, play hard and probably work harder.

What I've been thinking a lot about lately is the power of perception and self talk. You know that quote, "whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." and how true it is. That's the greatest part of faith, that as you believe in God and Jesus Christ you can expect that they will help you in your life. And as you are obedient to His commandments you know that you will receive blessings. So why not expect success? That's what I want to work on more, is expecting that miracles will happen, working my bum off till they do and in all things give thanks.

But also, my goal for this year is "to be captained by Christ, motivated by Christ, literally lighting motivational fires in others because I, myself, am on fire." and doing that by working hard and expecting success. Being a man of my word, honest in very action and deed, living spirit of the law and letter of the law. And subjecting the natural man. Starting with being healthy and not eating sugar as well as to work when I don't want to work and not ever stop going! Here's to 2015!

Love, Sister TERRY

Sidney, Musa, Sister Smith