We had exchanges this week with our sister
training leader and things went really well! Since it is my companion's first
transfer out, we didn't actually split up, our STL just came with us for the
day. She said that my 12 week training
hour is the most productive she has ever seen her entire mission. She told me that I am doing everything
perfectly (they keep telling me that, yet I know that I can still improve) and
that she can tell we are working very hard in our area and that it will be
blessed down the road because of our efforts.
It was a good exchange and good for me to know that I am training
correctly, because I had no clue if I was going about things the right way or
not.
We had interviews with President and Sister
Jenkins as well this week. I met with
Sister Jenkins first and the first thing she said to me was, "Sister
Poppe, you are just so fun! We love
having you in our mission. We know you are trying your hardest in everything
you do. Thank you for being here."
It was the best thing she could have told me. I don't care what my numbers are
or if I baptize a single person while I'm here; I just want to know that I am
working as hard as I can. I don't even
care if President and Sister Jenkins recognize that because I know that I am
working as hard as I can. It was nice
though to know that despite my low baptismal record, my mission president and
his wife know that I am giving it my all and that my numbers aren't a
reflection of my work ethic. President Jenkins talked to me about what I want
to accomplish on my mission and how I want to achieve my goals. He said that my goal of setting a good
example for my children is wonderful. He
said it makes him sad when people were bad missionaries and then subsequently
don't ever talk to their children about their missions. He said he looks forward to the thought of me
telling my children how to be missionaries while they're on missions as I
communicate with them once a week. He said I am definitely on the right track
to being a good example to my future family (as well as my current one). The
fact that I've been in my area for six transfers came up and he asked me to
think about if I should stay another transfer or not. He wants me to think about how well Sister D2
would do without me and how the area would do if I left such a new missionary
here to be the "seasoned" one. I've given it a lot of thought and
think that I should stay another transfer, which was a hard decision for
me. Ultimately I know that I'm just
giving my input and that he may decide differently. We find out transfers on Saturday, so I'll
let you know next week what happens! I
can't believe how quickly this transfer has gone; I'm almost halfway done
training Sister D2!
Hobbit Hole Grandpa has had some concerns
about the church that he has come across on the internet that are
frustrating. He mentioned a false
prophecy about Joseph Smith and a temple in Missouri. I couldn't find it anywhere, partly because I
didn't have the time to really look and partly because he didn't give me a lot
of information to work with. I was
praying that I would be able to find what he was talking about so I could read
it and interpret it. Then on Thursday
Brandon messaged me and said he needed help answering a question about a false
prophecy in Doctrine and Covenants 84:1-5 and that was HHG’s prophecy! I was so excited! It was an answer to my
prayer. I was able to read it and study
it and explain to HHG that it isn't a false prophecy, just one that hasn't been
fulfilled yet. He said he can see how it
would be interpreted that way, but that he still doesn't believe it is a true
prophecy. Even though he didn't get out
of it what I wanted him to, I still learned from the experience that my prayers
are answered!
We were given a referral from the bishop in
the Twin Knoll's ward for a couple and we taught them for the first time on
Saturday. There is a slight language
barrier, but I don't think their English is so bad that we need to hand them
over to the Spanish missionaries (I do too much of that already!), so we will
continue to teach them.
We did some service at Lavender Brown's house
this weekend and it was so fulfilling! We
got so much done in their yard and their Arizona Porch (or as we call them in
the rest of the world, three season porches). She was pretty caught up in
something else while we were in her backyard, so I just took charge and told
people what to do. It was nice to have
some organization and structure to our service.
We got so much done in the two hours we were there!
Disclaimer: don't read the next paragraph if
you don't want to read a rant about sister drama and mission politics.
As you have seen, I changed my profile
picture for the whole "I'm a Mormon" profile picture event thing. I
saw someone else post a picture that said "super totes Mormon" and
naturally I loved it. I think I love abbreviations so much because they juxtapose
my normal vocabulary in such a comical and ironic way. Anyway, I changed my
picture, and as per the instructions, mentioned the real name of the church. I
decided it would be funny to say that hipsters call the church by the full
name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because it is so not
mainstream to use that instead of Mormon. Pretty witty, eh? Well I received a
Facebook message from another sister telling me that I should consider removing
my comment as it was not dignified and change my profile picture to the
appropriate "I am a Mormon" template. Okay, I can take correction
when I need to. But here is the thing that killed me, this sister isn't my
sister training leader, my district leader, my zone leader, an assistant to the
president, the mission president or his wife, a member of the leadership of
either of the wards I'm serving in, my mother, or my companion. She is a
"co-district leader" in another area of the mission, but she doesn't
have any stewardship over my soul. She has no direct authority over me and
isn't called by the Lord to be my companion at this time. She literally had no
right to message me. On top of everything, she said everything in a tone that
implied that I would roll over because she told me to. If it concerned her, she
should have taken it to my district leader and he could have corrected me. I
stewed about this and debated about whether I would take it down and decided I
would ask my district leader for his opinion and that I would respect whatever
he said. Because when appropriate, and when guided by the Spirit, I can, and
will take correction humbly. I asked him about it and he said that he didn't
see a problem with what I posted (he had actually liked my picture already) and
that if it didn't bother me or feel inappropriate to me that I could keep it
up. Boom! Win for the priesthood! And me. So I kept it up and sent a short
polite, yet firm, response letting her know that I saw her message but after
discussing the situation with my district leader I decided I was going to stick
with what I wrote and keep everything the same. Remember that one time
President Monson called Amanda Poppe on a mission and not Amanda Poppe but only
if she changed herself and became someone that is not Amanda Poppe? Yeah I
remember that time too because it happened exactly a year ago on October 9th.
How fitting that I read her message on that day. It strengthened my resolve to
continue to be myself and spread the gospel in the ways I know how to best. I
am a champion for uniquely obedient missionaries everywhere! For Zion! And
Aslan!
To infinity and beyond!
Sister Poppe
*Mom's note.
Two funny stories that Sister Poppe sent me later. I thought it would include them in the blog
because, as I mentioned, they are funny.
1)
Elder Kennard and I are both going for the
last little bit of Martinelli's sparkling juice and I snag it.
"Sister Poppe! I was going to get
that."-Elder K
"You get the priesthood, I get the
Martinelli's"-me
2)
Sister
D2 HATES it when boys wear sweaters. We all know how I feel about
sweaters and their amazingness. I love them so much.
"I
bought a sweater last winter because all the elders did...it does get cold on a
bike and a sweater looks nicer than a jacket."-Elder Young
"I HATE men in sweaters; I just hate
it!"-Sister D2
"Sister!
It's a blessing. Imagine how easy it will be to lock your heart when you
despise everything about all the elders' winter wardrobes. I, on the other hand,
will have a really hard time locking my heart with all those sweater clad elders
running around! I can't get enough of that kind of thing!"-me
The
elders about died; they thought it was hilarious.
We
had another ZTM this week. Sometimes the calendar works out kind of weird
and we have two in one transfer. You'll never guess who was asked to give
a training...yep, Sister Dawson and I. We gave one on having the faith to
find. We focused on using the ward council to help you find instead of
aimlessly wandering around. It went well and people loved it. I
gave them Reese's pumpkins too, so that is probably why.
Time
for a new profile picture. To the cactus garden on Hawes!
My
little craft! Sister H was getting rid of some scrapbooking paper so I
took it and made cute little things that I am going to frame when I get home
and put in my living room someday when I actually have a living room to call my
own.
Maya
learned how to braid hair so she wanted to braid a piece of mine.
Naturally we had to get a picture, and Noah wanted to jump in. We had our
dinner cancel on Sunday and I hate asking people to feed us, but an opportunity
presented itself after church when Sister Bowman said, "Why hasn't anyone
texted me to feed you guys lately! It's been awhile since we have had you
sisters over!" So I asked if she wanted the opportunity that night and
thus our dinner was saved.
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