Erin's Mission: January 5, 2015

Sis. Gale's District

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Christmas in Ohio

I am sorry that I didn’t write this week. It’s actually been super hard trying to get some letters written to family. It’s one of the hardest things to explain when calling or even writing home seems unreal. It’s hard to even talk to people about normal life. Like, what the heck is wrong with me...?

Haha Plus, it stinks when my best friend is getting ready to leave. I’m going to have to get a whole new companion, and there are so many changes that are going to be made in the zone and the likelihood of me being over 5+ companionships of sisters is crazy to me when I can’t even help the two that I am currently over.

The Malone's Baptism

We had one of our zone leaders go home today, actually.

Things are going great here in Xenia. I absolutely love the work and the people. The baptism was amazing, and we are hopefully going to be having another one either by the end of the month or sometime next month. We are super excited for it, and the Malone's are the fellowship for this other person.

It is really crazy how you grow up in an area for 20+ year,s and then you get sent somewhere (not by choice), for 18 months... less than 2 years, and it seems like home, where you wake up every day and it seems like that’s life. I could see why people served for 10-14 years because it just becomes life.

Happy New Year!!!

It is hard though, and the trials and changes that come are not fun; the love that you develop with missionaries that you are not happy with is incredible... it breaks my heart to see them fall, leave, cry, etc.

Zone Fun Day!

I want to just help them all, but there isn’t anything that I can do except for love them and serve them. The friendships that I have made are ones that I never thought that I would make in this life, but I have and it’s great. Sister Hansen is like my sister.

I can’t believe how short of a time it has been yet we are able to grow together and help each other through the hard times. She even wants to come and see my homecoming... How nice is that?!

I just can’t believe how true revelation is and how in tune some people are to the spirit such as President Daines. I love this work so much, and I apologize again if I slack in writing… things are getting busier, and my brain just is focused I guess.

I love you so much, and I look forward to seeing you, as always!

God is real and knows us so personally. I love my Savior, and I am so grateful for the Atonement that He provided for us. The cleansing power of it is real and available to us all.