Thursday, June 30, 2016

True Greatness

I feel like every single email I send home I just rant about how much
I love being a missionary. But it's so true! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!
Ahhhh! I just wish I could transport all of you here to see how
wonderful life it!

This week was.. Odd. Odd but so good. Monday afternoon we had district
p day with our district and we went candlestick bowling. From reading
my letters so far I would assume that most of you have figured out
that Maine is weird, and has weird things, like candlestick bowling.

Candlestick bowling is just like regular bowling except the bowling
balls are like a little bit bigger then a soft ball and the pins are
really thin and light. So we all go in to this little run down ghetto
as heck bowling ally. It was so old that we had to keep score by hand
on a piece of paper and reset the bowling pins ourselves. Hahaha but
it was so fun. I love everyone in the district! We had a party!

Monday night we picked up a new investigator named Megan. She is so
solid. We also met some really great potentials. Then the Ellsworth
sisters came over that night for exchanges. Sister Hallam wakes me up
a little bit earlier the next morning and it took me awhile to
comprehend what she was saying. You know me in the mornings, I'm not
very coherent or even very nice. Haha but anyways after her repeating
the same thing like 3 times I finally understand what she was saying.
She told me that she had been way sick all that night with the flu and
we needed to cancel exchanges.

I felt so sad that we couldn't go out with the sisters. But the
mission nurse forbade us to leave the apartment that whole day! In a
way though it was a slight blessing in disguise. Not saying that
Sister Hallam dying all day was a blessing, that was not that fun. But
my back was killing me from the day before and I could barely move.

So we just had to sit in the apartment all day and fill out 350
mormon.org cards and laugh about how we were falling apart. The Bangor
elders were really nice though and they came and gave us a blessing.

Staying in the apartment all day really is not that great.. Quite the
opposite actually. When Wednesday came we were both so pumped and
ready to get back out and work.
We picked up some new community service that we now do every Thursday
morning. We volunteer at the bake shop called Friars Bakehouse. We
didn't realize that the bake shop was run by a monastery. It is so fun
volunteering with a bunch of monks. We wash dishes and clean and such!
I felt like I was on the movie set for Nacho Libré.

"They give me no eagle powers! They give me no nutrients!"
"I get to sleep alone for the rest of my life, it's fantastic! No go
along, read some books!"
"Have you ever been in love with a nun?"
"Now leave, while sister and I talk of holy things."

None of the quotes will be funny to you if you haven't seen Nacho Libré.

Anyways, on Friday we had zone conference. I LOVE ZONE CONFERENCE. I
didn't know that I could love being rebuked so much! Haha!

It was President and Sister Stoker's last zone conference they will
have before they end their mission in July. It was very emotional. I
have learned so much from them. Even though I will miss them so much,
I am very excited to meet the new President and his wife. There names
are the Blairs. It'll be a fun adventure.

Saturday was great! In the morning we got to go to the University of
Maine and volunteer at the special olympics! Where I got to see the
HopeSmith family and Charlene from my last area! It was so fun. We
helped give out sneakers that a shoe company had donated. Later that
day, we taught one of our new investigators, Portia. Portia is like a
power mom and she has the two cutest boys ever!! And we picked up a
new one and her name in Mary Ann. She is literally the sweetest lady I
have ever met. She is so excited to learn more. Then we had dinner and
a lesson with Lorraine, another investigator and we all sang "I Need
Thee Every Hour" together. It will continue to blow my mind at how
much I can love these people. I hardly know them, but yet it feels
like I have known them forever.

So I guess it is time for a spiritual thought.

In relief society we had a lesson on true greatness. I love this quote
by Joseph F. Smith that says "Those things which we call
extraordinary, remarkable, or unusual may make history, but they do
not make real life. After all, to do well those things which God
ordained to be the common lot of all mankind, is the truest
greatness."

I have reflected a lot on what really makes someone great. I feel like
the world would tell you it's by how successful you are. I think I
would agree with that, but what is success? When I think of how the
world portrays success I think of fame, money, having nice cars and a
nice house, being well recognized and popular. But when we look at
those people the world would classify as "great" and see how they
really live, it's very obvious that they are anything but happy.

So what makes one truly great? It is being settled firmly on a
foundation of truth and light. It is by small unrecognized kind deeds
and words. It is the giving of ones self and the quiet example one
sets. True greatness comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ and
loving all men. It's in the little everyday to day acts, decisions,
and moments that make up eternity and define greatness. That is when
we become truly great and extraordinarily happy.

Alma 37:6 "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but
behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great
things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth
confound the wise."

Have a great week!
I love you!
Xoxo
Sister Dickson








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