I missed a week because I was simply having too much fun at the op shops last p-day and it slipped my mind. Alas, here is 2 weeks worth of updates!!
- Training is going well!! I love Sister Pratt, we are two peas in a pod and she understands all my niche references. She also enables my sweet treat addiction....🍦💃
- We get the car once a week now which means I HAVE TO DRIVE on the other side of the road (pray for me!) I avoided it for an entire year, but there was no getting around it and now I'm quite proficient at hugging the line every five seconds, using roundabouts, and yielding for koalas (yes, we saw one crossing the other day). I am now inevitably nauseous and anxious for one day out of the week!🆘️🤮
- I loathe winter. For all of you northern hemisphere peeps, enjoy it. Seasonal sadness + no Christmas to balance it out = nightmare. We've been caught in the rain many times, but we stay persistent nevertheless!! Rain cannot stop us talking to you at the bus stop!⛈️🗣
- So much service lately. But after all I've said about winter, when it's not raining, it's actually really nice weather for yard work! I love getting to help people in the community!🚜☀️
- Interviews w/ prezzy!! OK real talk, I've been getting a little discouraged in the work, but he really gave some great advice on trusting in the Lord through the ebbs and flows of areas.🌊💪 We've really worked on inviting everyone to church this week. Like hour blocks of just finding people and inviting them to church. Most of the time they say no, but we found a few people this week that were actually really keen to come!! God is preparing people all around us!⛪️🤝
- We did double exchanges, so we both stayed in our area with the STLs! It was nice to be able to kill two birds with two stones lol! And we even got some free tim tams🤭🍫
- District switcheroo. As of yesterday, we moved our district leader....so we are all the district leader (kidding mostly)!! We're sad that the Noarlunga familia is switching up a bit, and some adjusting will take place this week, but I know everything happens for a reason!! And this is the closest I'll ever be to being a DL🤑🤪
Sorry for the yapathon. Here's a quote from Sheri Dew's BYU-I Devotional, "Will You Engage in the Wrestle?"
"Questions are not just good, they are vital, because the ensuing spiritual wrestle leads to answers, to knowledge, and to revelation. And it also leads to greater faith."
I had the same conversation with one of our friends. He's married to a member and has been taught frequently because they feed the missionaries several times a month. He just has so many questions, which I've learned is a good indicator that someone is at least taking what we say at more than face value.
Questions are great. This church began on questions. But they can lead to either of two very different outcomes. If we let them fester inside, don't seek answers, or get discouraged that there appears to be no answer in that moment, we can start losing faith.
OR they can stretch us spiritually, teach us the language of the Spirit, help us have genuine faith, and inspire us to action.
Which path we take is up to two things: 1) we take the time to search, ponder, and pray, and 2) we come to terms with the fact that we might not find an answer right now. And that's okay. Sitting with the wrestle is okay.
God has given us the more crucial answers, the foundations of our testimony. And maybe questions about church history or life hereafter or God's timing or any other myriad of things is just an addition to that foundation, and not necessary (at this time) to those saving principles we have for sure.
The point is if you have questions about the gospel and the church, great!! Turn them into faith builders, it's on you to seek truth now.
But I promise, whether or not you engage in the wrestle will change everything, I know it has for me.
Love y'all, stay safe out there
Sister Kristen Kline