BIG Changes
So kinda BIG changes... first of all I hit my 6 month mark a couple days ago which means somehow I'm already a third of the way through my mission which is kinda scary but I have spent my whole mission here in Woodhaven and I have just loved it so much but apparently it's time for a change. President called us on Saturday and told Sister Brunsdale she would be training and then he said, "so Sister Hollist are you open to learning a language?" .....first I was shocked, then BEYOND excited and then I was terrified & then excited again and then cried and then got excited again and that pattern is just continuing. YAY but ANYWAYS!!! I have been called up to Evansville, Indiana Marshallese speaking !!! I am so so so excited, it is really cool to see all the work that they are doing up there. nearly my whole district is doing Marshallese work and it is just poppin over there. so here's to my first transfer yay!! my new companion is Sister Hassler and she was serving in the Marshall Islands before corona & I will be in the River Run district & I will be an STL in the Evansville North Zone so definitely some big changes but I am WAY excited!!!! kinda freaking out but it's fine.
we had zone conference a week or so ago and there were two missionaries going home that were bearing their testimonies before they left that day. one of them had been serving in Evansville and was talking about his journey of learning Marshallese and the difficulties with it all. he explained that he was struggling and knew the only thing that would help is strength from God. so he started to role play in Marshallese with God in prayer because what better person to role play with? and he said it just changed the course of His learning as he allowed Heavenly Father to be His teacher. I thought that was SO cool and he bore the end of his testimony in Marshallese and it really just touched me as I felt the spirit come from his testimony. I didn't understand what was being said but the language and the spirit really made an impact on me so when I got called to go up there I felt an assurance that that is where God wants me to be at this time. I know it is going to be really hard but that's kinda why I am a little excited, I probably wont be saying that in a couple weeks.
thought- in Luke chapter 9 it talks about a man who says to the Lord that he will follow him wherever he goes and then Jesus kind of explains the hardships or uncomfort he may have to experience. regarding this I read, "when a 'certain man' said that he would follow the Savior wherever he went. The Savior answered that, 'the Son of man hath nowhere to lay His head.' indicating that he had no home of His own. His mission was void of comfort and ease; implying that such may also be the case for those who follow Him." sometimes following the Savior can be uncomfortable but the joy of the gospel will ALWAYS outweigh the discomfort largely. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to follow the Savior so closely and to experience just a small token of the discomfort He experienced. I know that the next couple transfers (and year) might be uncomfortable but I am so excited to be able to experience moments where I feel the Savior strengthen me because I know I will need that. hard things are SO good !! God loves ALL of His children and this work is beyond special to me, I cant express my gratitude enough for the opportunity to serve Him.
we had zone conference a week or so ago and there were two missionaries going home that were bearing their testimonies before they left that day. one of them had been serving in Evansville and was talking about his journey of learning Marshallese and the difficulties with it all. he explained that he was struggling and knew the only thing that would help is strength from God. so he started to role play in Marshallese with God in prayer because what better person to role play with? and he said it just changed the course of His learning as he allowed Heavenly Father to be His teacher. I thought that was SO cool and he bore the end of his testimony in Marshallese and it really just touched me as I felt the spirit come from his testimony. I didn't understand what was being said but the language and the spirit really made an impact on me so when I got called to go up there I felt an assurance that that is where God wants me to be at this time. I know it is going to be really hard but that's kinda why I am a little excited, I probably wont be saying that in a couple weeks.
thought- in Luke chapter 9 it talks about a man who says to the Lord that he will follow him wherever he goes and then Jesus kind of explains the hardships or uncomfort he may have to experience. regarding this I read, "when a 'certain man' said that he would follow the Savior wherever he went. The Savior answered that, 'the Son of man hath nowhere to lay His head.' indicating that he had no home of His own. His mission was void of comfort and ease; implying that such may also be the case for those who follow Him." sometimes following the Savior can be uncomfortable but the joy of the gospel will ALWAYS outweigh the discomfort largely. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to follow the Savior so closely and to experience just a small token of the discomfort He experienced. I know that the next couple transfers (and year) might be uncomfortable but I am so excited to be able to experience moments where I feel the Savior strengthen me because I know I will need that. hard things are SO good !! God loves ALL of His children and this work is beyond special to me, I cant express my gratitude enough for the opportunity to serve Him.
