Hello Everybody!!! :)
What a week. This week has definitely been an emotional/mental/spiritual roller coaster.
It's interesting how The Lord teaches you things and how Heavenly Father answers prayers. I distinctly remember praying this week to have a better understanding of the atonement and to learn how I can be more humble. And The Lord definitely showed me both of these things. It wasn't in the way I expected but it was in a way where He knew I would learn it best. After all, he definitely knows better than I do.
This week, Jackie, my dear friend and investigator of 5 months died unexpectedly on Friday morning. Her 5 year old daughter found her.
You truly have no idea how much you love someone until they are taken away. Saturday was probably by far the worst day of my mission. I woke up and was beyond depressed. I was already done with the day and it was only 6:25 am. I mustered up the humility to pray and ask for strength for the day. And I felt something push me to the gym. God answers prayers. Saturday we ran into every single rude person and none of our gators answered their door. We were on bikes and it was incredibly hot and my faith was shaking and I felt so weak. I sat on the cement exhausted and drowning in my own sweat and tears and offered up another prayer and asking for some type of deliverance. The next thing I knew.. Those beautiful storm clouds blow in and it starts to sprinkle and the temperature dropped a considerable amount. That gave me the strength to stand up and move on. God answers prayers. After running into so many rude people I was about to throw in the towel.. Saying to myself "I can't be a missionary today. I just can't. I can't do this. I am going to give up after this next door, help me Heavenly Father". Holding back tears I pushed my way to the next door. I heard the spirit whisper "keep praying Sister Chamberlain, I'm here". I don't know how many times the spirit told me that. But every time i offered a simple prayer asking for help and was able to move on to the next house. We passed a dying cat who was half eaten by a dog and covered in flies and it sat there and meowed for help. I lost it. I sobbed all the way to the next house still praying. At that moment I know that my strength had been exhausted. My gas tank was empty. It wasn't my strength that kept me going... It was The Lords. I felt like someone was carrying me. And (quite literally) by the grace of God I made it to the end of the day. At the end of the day I collapsed and with tears of gratitude I thanked my Heavenly Father for sending me the help that I needed for that day.
Ironically.. I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting about the power of prayer. I just sat up there and sobbed. Haha.
I know what the enabling power of the atonement feels like. I understand now. It is so incredible. There is no way I could've survived that day without Him. I know that prayer is real and that by pressing forward and continually praying He will help you. So what you said about grace and the atonement ... Yeah. Amen and amen! It's real, so incredibly, wonderfully real. I know I can do anything with the help of my Savior!
And then Sunday came and it was probably THE BEST DAY of my whole mission. So many blessings. So many tender mercies. We had an investigator randomly show up to church and tell us he wants to be baptized and the next week his less-active wife was going to start coming. So amazing. A member gave us a pound if bacon. AND cookies. Heavenly Father sure does know how to lift my spirits. And then President Craig surprised us with Elder Christofferson.
Yeah. I met an apostle of The Lord and it was probably one of the sweetest moments of my life. He answered every single one of my questions. I shook his hand even!!! Wow. The spirit that was with him was amazing. He is so kind! And so humble!! Such a tender mercy.
As for Jackie.. Her service will probably be this weekend. We get to plan the funeral cause she doesn't really have any family or friends.
What a week. This week has definitely been an emotional/mental/spiritual roller coaster.
It's interesting how The Lord teaches you things and how Heavenly Father answers prayers. I distinctly remember praying this week to have a better understanding of the atonement and to learn how I can be more humble. And The Lord definitely showed me both of these things. It wasn't in the way I expected but it was in a way where He knew I would learn it best. After all, he definitely knows better than I do.
This week, Jackie, my dear friend and investigator of 5 months died unexpectedly on Friday morning. Her 5 year old daughter found her.
You truly have no idea how much you love someone until they are taken away. Saturday was probably by far the worst day of my mission. I woke up and was beyond depressed. I was already done with the day and it was only 6:25 am. I mustered up the humility to pray and ask for strength for the day. And I felt something push me to the gym. God answers prayers. Saturday we ran into every single rude person and none of our gators answered their door. We were on bikes and it was incredibly hot and my faith was shaking and I felt so weak. I sat on the cement exhausted and drowning in my own sweat and tears and offered up another prayer and asking for some type of deliverance. The next thing I knew.. Those beautiful storm clouds blow in and it starts to sprinkle and the temperature dropped a considerable amount. That gave me the strength to stand up and move on. God answers prayers. After running into so many rude people I was about to throw in the towel.. Saying to myself "I can't be a missionary today. I just can't. I can't do this. I am going to give up after this next door, help me Heavenly Father". Holding back tears I pushed my way to the next door. I heard the spirit whisper "keep praying Sister Chamberlain, I'm here". I don't know how many times the spirit told me that. But every time i offered a simple prayer asking for help and was able to move on to the next house. We passed a dying cat who was half eaten by a dog and covered in flies and it sat there and meowed for help. I lost it. I sobbed all the way to the next house still praying. At that moment I know that my strength had been exhausted. My gas tank was empty. It wasn't my strength that kept me going... It was The Lords. I felt like someone was carrying me. And (quite literally) by the grace of God I made it to the end of the day. At the end of the day I collapsed and with tears of gratitude I thanked my Heavenly Father for sending me the help that I needed for that day.
Ironically.. I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting about the power of prayer. I just sat up there and sobbed. Haha.
I know what the enabling power of the atonement feels like. I understand now. It is so incredible. There is no way I could've survived that day without Him. I know that prayer is real and that by pressing forward and continually praying He will help you. So what you said about grace and the atonement ... Yeah. Amen and amen! It's real, so incredibly, wonderfully real. I know I can do anything with the help of my Savior!
And then Sunday came and it was probably THE BEST DAY of my whole mission. So many blessings. So many tender mercies. We had an investigator randomly show up to church and tell us he wants to be baptized and the next week his less-active wife was going to start coming. So amazing. A member gave us a pound if bacon. AND cookies. Heavenly Father sure does know how to lift my spirits. And then President Craig surprised us with Elder Christofferson.
Yeah. I met an apostle of The Lord and it was probably one of the sweetest moments of my life. He answered every single one of my questions. I shook his hand even!!! Wow. The spirit that was with him was amazing. He is so kind! And so humble!! Such a tender mercy.
As for Jackie.. Her service will probably be this weekend. We get to plan the funeral cause she doesn't really have any family or friends.
Things I've learned on my mission.. How to plan a funeral. Everything is coming together beautifully. (Another tender mercy). I'm still a little shaken up about it. But I am so grateful that the work does not end here. This life isn't the end. I know she is being taught in the other side. I am so thankful for the endless amounts of hope this Gospel provides. :)
I love The Lord so much. I love this work so much!! It's beautiful!
Thank you so much for all your support! It means the world to me. :) things are looking up! The sun is coming out. :)
Sorry for the semi-dramatic email buuuut.. Such is the mission life. Haha.
Never take anything for granted! Especially the beautiful gift of
prayer. The power of prayer is real. :)
Love you all immensely!!! :)
With all the loves in the world,
Sister Chamberlain :)
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