Don't Give Up!

Jeepers, it's been awhile hasn't it? Sorry about that. I decided mid-month to make this blog a monthly thing. So I waited until the end of the month after the month I was in. Because I'm a procrastinator and I like to do things at the last possible minute. Many things have changed. Unfortunately not that bit. Yet.

Anyway, I'm doing well! December has been a weird month. Halfway through this month, my first companion, Sister Pickett, went home and I got my second companion, Sister Woolsey. Boy has it been an adjustment. I don't know if you all are aware of this, but people have different personalities and different ways of doing things! I guess I had forgotten. As companions, we're literally with each other 24/7 except for very rare circumstances. Your first companion, or your trainer, teaches you about how to do things out on the mission. You can get really attached to your trainer. Actually, it's time to learn mission lingo....

Mission 101: (Sisters Version)

Formal Term                                  Slang Term                     

Coming into the mission                  Being born

First area                                        Birthplace

New Missionary                             Greenie

First companion/Trainer                  Mom

First District leader                          Dad

Others Trained by your Trainer       Sisters

People you Train                             Children (daughters)

Starting to want to go Home            Getting Trunky

Going home soon                             Dying

Gone home                                      Dead

Your companion going home           Killing your companion

Mission family relationships get really complicated. My basic, super simplified mission family is Sister Pickett, who is my mum, Elder Kerr, my dad, then I have two sisters out on the mission, and Elder Kerr trained Elder Clayton, and he's my brother. This is excluding all of the half brothers, nephews, grandparents and great grandparents. It gets weird, but it's entertaining. 

Anyway! The reason I told you all of that was so that I could say the sentence, "I killed my mum", and you would all know what I was talking about. So yeah, Sister Pickett is dead and actually is probably reading this blog. (*waves* Hi Sister Pickett!!!!!!) She is a fantastic missionary and taught me a way of doing things that I really like. I learned a lot from her, and I love her so much. So much that I don't even mind that half of the people out here call me Sister Pickett by mistake. After three months of the two of us being 'Sister Pike and Sister Pickett' I'm really not surprised. I'm proud to be "Sister Pickett's girl", as I've been called a few times.

Alright, alright, I can hear it now, "Gosh, enough of the 'Sister Pickett Appreciation Post' Sister Pike! Tell us about other things pleeeaaaasseee." Ask and you shall receive, my friends. My new companion is very different from Sister Pickett, but just as wonderful. We had a really nice Christmas together, which was super fun. Unfortunately, it wasn't super eventful, so I don't have a lot of stories to tell. Although I may have indulged in a karaoke rendition of 'Let it Go' with a member's daughter. There is no evidence. Anyhow, Sister Woolsey is really sweet and really thoughtful. She's a lot quieter than Sister Pickett, and as of right now, seems to be considerably more sane than Sister Pickett ;) It's a change of pace, but it's so good for me to see a different way of doing things. It's helping me to define the way I like to do things.

The nature of the mission (and life) is change. This is my first real taste of it, and it's shifted my perspective on a lot of things. Before I really get into that, I want to talk about the work for a little bit. A while ago, we met this awesome girl named Harriet. We started teaching her, and she is doing fantastic. We haven't been able to see her a lot recently because of the holidays, but she is so awesome. She quit smoking in a week flat, and has been smoke free ever since. Since the day we introduced The Book of Mormon to her, she has read every day with just a couple exceptions. She's an inspiration to me. She's done some incredibly difficult things, and she hasn't flinched, hasn't turned away from the challenge of changing. 

Right now, Harriet is the only person we're really teaching. We have a couple other people we're beginning to teach, but I want to focus on Harriet. I talked about this in my farewell talk--change is an essential part of the human experience. At some point in our lives, God will ask us to make some changes. Sometimes they are little changes, sometimes they're 'stop smoking' changes. When we invited her to stop smoking, she was more than a little nervous. However, she knew that quitting would change her life for the better, and as scary as it was, she wanted what was on the other side. So she dove right in. It wasn't easy. Not in the slightest. But she's happier now. She's said it, and we can see it and feel it as we talk to her.

This last month, there have been a lot of changes. Some that have just happened, and some that I've chosen to make. In both cases, the challenge initially looked absolutely terrifying, but I knew, and I continue to know, that I want what is on the other side of these changes. It's better. Not that where I've been is bad or wrong, but where I'm going is much, much better. That's not to say that the way is easy. The path to worthwhile change hardly ever is. But, as Josh Groban sings in probably the best song ever--don't give up, because you are loved. 

You are loved. You have your friends, you have your family, I love you and the Lord loves you. The Lord loves you so much. Don't you give up. Stare those changes in the face, whatever they may be, and say, "Whatever comes, the other side is worth it," and dive right in. Reach out to those around you for help and strength. I have asked for help so many times in the past month, and it has been so worth it. It's been the only way I've made it through.

This mission is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and it's only just beginning. I want to bear a firm witness to you that God lives. He loves each and every one of us individually, and He is looking out for us even now. I know that our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered for our sins and afflictions. He is there with us through ever step of our lives, to help us carry all of our burdens. I feel this, I know this, I have seen the effect of this truth in my life and I can never deny it. And I have gained all this knowledge through serving my brothers and sisters. Serving, helping others is the greatest thing we can do. As we reach out to others, showing them the love we have for them, we learn just how much we can become. And we have a lot of potential. 

I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord and my friends here in England, and I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to share my thoughts and feelings with you all. If you ever have anything you'd like to share with me, please email me and tell me about it! I promise I'll be thrilled to hear from you :) Remember "Everybody wants to be loved. Don't give up, because you are loved." Have a great month and a brilliant new year! (And seriously look up that Josh Groban song because it's fantastic :)

The Lord loves you and so do I,

Sister Alyssa Pike