Letters from Texas

I was so excited to get my longest email yet from Teach this week! She is so busy and happy and working hard. I know I usually post things from her on Thursday, but I just couldn't wait. I hope you don't mind.

On Sunday, the Dog Walker was invited to give the closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting. One of his good friends had just returned from his mission so we had a pretty full house, probably about 400 people. He gave an awesome prayer and toward the end he asked for a special blessing on the missionaries, especially Teach. I was relieved when the entire congregation responded with a resounding "Amen." when he was finished. So I made sure to tell Teach this week that hundreds of people had been praying for her specifically.

I'm REALLY glad to hear that the Dog Walker prayed for us. We definitely need some miracles this week because our numbers were really low. We taught really good lessons just not very many of them. I want to teach more. I really struggle with finding new people and then... going from small talk into teaching about the gospel. Everyone seems to be wary of us because they know we aren't "just there to chat" which we aren't, but they think we're... I dunno. It's interesting. I need to pray about it more so I can figure out a good approach to help us find more investigators. (: 

Teach and I both suffer from this problem.

You know how I really struggle to see my beauty? Well, Sister Lewis wasn't going to have any of that so she made it her personal responsibility to tell me that I'm beautiful every day. She has a mini white board and she wrote "you are beautiful" on it. Whenever I would say something negative about myself she would prop it up on her desk so that I had to look at it. I appreciated the effort, but we both know that nobody can force you to see your own beauty. But we were talking about it and she tried MANY different tactics. and then there was a point where she said. "I want you to listen to me as I describe this person... She's a daughter of God. Who created her and sent her to two parents that love her. She has a wonderful family. She has two friends that she has helped through many struggles and pains. She has a brother whom she loves very much who has been dealt a rough hand in life." This is the point where I started crying, Mom. It was the most... interesting experience. I teach people about this type of feeling every day. The Spirit truly testified to my heart that the things Sister Lewis was testifying of - that they're true. I knew it without a shadow of a doubt. The Lord wrapped his arms around my heart. As she continued on she said, "You can't tell me that this girl isn't beautiful. That this girl doesn't deserve a man that will love her and cherish her." I don't remember the exact words, but in hindsight the Spirit says that this is what I needed to know. I finally FELT beautiful. and I know that I am. That I have an inner and an outward beauty. 

 

I went to bed with this feeling deep in my heart. When I woke up in the morning we went running. I pray a lot when I run so I don't focus on how painful it can be. So I pray and I always come home with revelation that I record in my journal. This time the revelation was the Spirit AGAIN confirming the beauty that I have. I know that I am beautiful, but I know that the beauty comes from God. Remember how Grandma Benson had that sign - "I know I'm somebody 'cause God don't make no junk!!"?  

 

This is the thought that really struck me. I was caught up in a thought of genetics and how carefully planned my body was. I come from such a diverse background and it all led up to ... this. (: Picture my face. That's me. and that is exactly how God wanted me to be. That's pretty stinkin' cool. (: It just made me really happy. Then I realized... this is true for EVERYONE. we are all the children of God and it has been by careful selection, science, nature, and care that we are the way we are. These are the bodies we carry with us forever. This is it. I'm not going to be Hispanic in the 2nd coming. I'm not going to be a 3- legged frog. I'm going to be me. It's cool. That's how God wants me to be. It is what it is. 

I just love that! I wish every young girl could hear these words. I think the media has us all believing that there is only one standard of beauty and it's just not true.

I sure miss this girl! Don't you agree that she is growing up beautifully?