"But Sister Pike," you may be thinking,
"What does this have to do with the nature of missionary work?" Boy
am I glad you asked. The phrase "it's gonna be a bumpy ride" is an
incredibly accurate description of mission life. Sometimes it's just a bit of a
bumpy road, but a majority of the time it's a veritable emotional roller
coaster. There are good days and bad days, of course. Then there are the days
where you feel fine one minute, and then something happens and you drop like
it's the Tower of Terror. And then 20 minutes later you're feeling great again.
I've begun to wonder how long my sanity will last. Maybe it's gone already!
Maybe I never had it....
Seriously though, it's a wild ride. My catchphrase for
the past couple weeks has been 'buckle up'. I like it, cause it reminds me of a
couple of things. First of all, I chose to get on this crazy ride. I paid for entry,
and waited in line for 10 years for this roller coaster of a life I'm living
right now. It was my choice, so there's nothing for it but to strap in, hold
on, and enjoy whatever gets thrown at me as best I can. Secondly, it reminds me
that, as much as I get thrown around, I can be belted in. The Lord has designed
things to hold me fast and keep me buckled up. I have a companion who is a
spiritual rock. I have the scriptures to remind me who I am and how much God
loves me. I have prayer to communicate with my Father in Heaven, to get
guidance, to resolve my concerns, and to thank the being who is responsible for
all of my happiness. Those things are always there, but I have to make
the effort to buckle up.
We all have those things available to us. Life can be a
roller coaster. We can get tossed around a bit. So buckle up. Hang on to the
things that have been given to us to keep us safe. Read the Book of
Mormon every day. It's the thing that keeps me sane, and keeps everything in
perspective. Pray daily at least, or as often as you may feel the need. I can
promise you that as you make that effort, though the ride may get bumpy, you
will not be shaken loose. You will be held fast. There are definitely times
where I feel like I don't need to be buckled, like everything is fine and
stable. Those are the times that we most need to check our seat belts. We never
know when the ride will get crazy again, but it's almost guaranteed that it
will. If we hold on while things are fine, we can be more confident in the
harness when things are not fine.
These past few weeks have definitely been bumpy, but they
have been so good. Sister Pickett and I are really getting settled into
Cannock. We're coming to really love the ward, and they're
starting to get comfortable with us. Good things are happening here. I'm
learning how to bring the person I was back home to England, and as I'm
figuring it out, I'm having more and more fun. Fun is important. Fun is the
beating heart of work well done.
Apropos of nothing, it's getting kind of cold here, so
whenever I walk into a warm house after being outside for awhile, my glasses
instantly fog up and I can't see anything. It's great when it happens in
members homes, cause then I can stagger around a bit and call out, "I've
gone blind!" In everyone else's homes I just have to deal with it. Side
note: Houses here are tiny. Everything here is tiny. Most of the roads are only
about two small cars wide, and people generally park on the curb along roads,
so it's pretty normal to see cars driving down the wrong side of the road for
stretches when there are cars parked along. Traffic here is mad. Roundabouts
are complete madness, especially on bikes. I think I've seen one stop sign
since I've been here, and we've gotten around a bit.
The Lord loves you and so do I. Stay buckled up, and keep
your arms and legs inside the ride at all times. :)
-Sister Pike
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