July 7th, 2014 - Happy 4th of July

JULY 7, 2014

 

hey!

so we had a pretty dang good week this week.  Although we didn't teach a lot of lessons, we definitely had a lot of success! This week, we set a date with the "M" family for 26th of July. ALL of them are going to be baptized! we're so excited! everyone is finally ready, and they can't wait to be baptized. They even have their friends coming in from Virginia to see the baptism; they are the people who introduced them to the church.  Super super cool! They are so ready.  I'll be able to see them through the temple next year! how awesome is that? Man, I can't even explain to you how stoked I am for this baptism.

Ihad an epiphany this week. I probably should have known this before, but it just took me a little while to understand it. So on the 4th of July, I'm not gonna lie, i was not in the greatest mood. the 4th is literally one of my favorite days of the year back home. i love being in a swim suit all day swimming at grandmommy's house, eating burgers and homemade ice cream, hanging out with friends and family all day, and watching the fireworks over at the park, RIGHT underneath where they shoot them off. Seriously, it's like the best day ever. You can literally FEEL the patriotism in the air. it feels different when you walk outside on the fourth of july, it just does. i can't explain it, it's just different. 

 

So, when i walked outside to go out to work on the 4th, I could feel the same thing - only thing that's different is that i was a missionary and i can't do all those things anymore. it made me kinda sad, and it just got worse and worse as we were riding the bikes. everyone was out, bunch of kids and young adults driving around having fun listening to music all loud, and we got made fun of quite a bit. lots of honking, lots of pointing and laughing, and that sort of thing. you kind of get used to it on the mission, because lets get real, we look super weird riding bikes in church clothes...but it kinda got to me on the 4th of july because i was already a little upset. and we had 0 success. 

 

So the point is, i didn't want to work at all. like, NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST. all i wanted to do was go swimming and eat homemade ice cream. and what made it worse is that i felt bad for feeling that way, if that makes sense. I was like "man, i'm a missionary, i should love doing this work right now, even if it IS the 4th of july." i was upset that i didn't want to work. but i kept working. and when i went in that night, i got my epiphany.

 

I realized something...it's completely okay to not want to do things. it's okay to not like certain aspects of the gospel. it's okay to struggle with some things and wish you didn't have to do it sometimes. even Christ when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane asked for the cup to pass from him. he didn't want to suffer anymore, he wanted to quit. but he said "not my will be done, but thine." he submitted to the will of the Father. we all have opportunities to do the same. there are many times when we don't want to do things, but we still do it. We swallow up any sort of pride we have, and we just submit our will to our Father. this isn't doctrine here, but i think that He is more happy in that moment, that moment where you chose to be obedient to him EVEN THOUGH you didn't want to be, than in moments where it's easy to be obedient, where it's easy to do the things he's asked. i finally realized it's okay not to be perfect, it's okay that sometimes i hate riding the bike in 100 degree weather (okay, all the time. i don't like riding the bike haha). but i'm still gonna do it anyways, and i know that my Heavenly Father is proud of me for doing that.

sorry for the little bit more solemn letter this week, but i thought i'd just share that with you. love you all, have a great week, and keep doing good! seeya!

Elder Snow
ps - here's some pictures of me on the fourth of july haha.