June 10, 2014

Agency is Everything

Hola,

     So much has happened this week it's felt like an eternity since the last time I emailed. So on Monday we had a great afternoon. Both of us got our haircuts and we went shopping and then that evening we had a BBQ with the Ellsworth family (mom, Sister Ellsworth is the one who sent you the picture of me) and all the Missionaries here in Newton. After that we decided to go and see Kelly and go over all of the key parts in the lessons so she could be ready for her baptismal interview with President Bell the next day. So we get there and Stevie (Kelly's two year-old) comes running out to meet us. This should've set off warning bells in my mind because Kelly never lets her do that. We get in side and Kelly isn't in the living room. So we go to her bedroom and there she is sobbing into her bed. Automatically my heart dropped into my stomach. Hermana Fernandez and I knew right then and there that she had relasped.... So long story short she only lasted three days after she got out of rehab until she started drinking again. We tried to talk to her about what triggered it but she was back to her crazy drunk self and was running around the house, yelling at her mom, ignoring us to talk with some people on the phone, and she even started smoking.

     When we got back to our apartment Elder Walton (our District Leader) called to check up on us and to see how our day went. When we started to explain what had happened that's when we both started to break down into tears. I am so grateful to Elder Walton because he was so understanding and helpful. He told us of a similar experience that he had when he was in his first area. He read us some scriptures and told us how he overcame his experience. After that we had a companion prayer and I ended up saying it. It was definitely one of the harder prayers I have ever had to say in my life.

     The next morning we had to call the members in the ward and president Bell to let them know that the baptism was canceled and that was hard too because pretty much the whole ward has been a part of helping Kelly be baptized. We were still feeling kinda of low after that and what do you know there were the Zone Leaders at our door with Chocolate Chip cookies and McFlurries. They talked to us for awhile about the Agency Factor in Missionary Work and how they had been struggling with that this month too.

     That really helped and I was so determined to have a really good day and not let Kelly get me down. And it was a really really good day. We talked to everyone we saw and we got two new investigators and like 6 potential investigators. We also had a really great lesson with one of the less active families in the Ward and they helped us even though we were there to help them.

     So all in all this week has been really great, aside from the Kelly thing and that she hasn't tried to stop drinking since she relasped. We found five new investigators this week and we have two new people on baptismal date. Something that has really helped this week is realizing that we are not here to just baptize Kelly. There are so many other people here in Newton that are prepared and ready for the gospel we just simply have to find them. I also realized the importance of having a good attitude even when times are rough because I know that's how I was able to get through Tuesday was because I could stay positive and good to work.

     In other news this week is Transfers!!!!! Drum Roll Please.......... I'm staying here in Newton. Hermana Fernandez is going to Guymon Oklahoma and she is a little nervous about that but I know that she will do great there. My new companion is Hermana Seigfried and funny story, she was in the Mexico MTC with my and she is my mission "aunt" because her trainer trained Hermana Fernandez. It's a small little world here in Kansas.

     Spiritual Thought: When the Zone Leaders talked to us the day after Kelly relasped one of them said this "Agency is everything to our Heavenly Father. He lost one third of the hosts of Heaven and his most beloved Son died so that we could have it." I had never really thought of Agency this way before but it's incredible to think of what things Heavenly Father has done so that we could have the ability to choose. He lost one third of his children... it's so much more meaningful when you look at it that way. So even though it's tough at times, we need to always respect the agency of others. Because it is of great worth to our father in Heaven and to us.
Well, that's all for this week and I hope you all have a wonderful week! :)

Hermana Kammeyer