Well hola again everyone!
This has been a good past week. Our area is bigger now so my legs are a little more sore but I can conquer those hills! I love biking. Yesterday I actually crashed haha, but somehow miraculously I landed on my feet! (that really is a miracle because I am an extremely clumsy person haha). Yesterday was just a clumsy day. I even accidentally got smoothie all over me because it exploded out of my blender in the morning, so my right eye was full of berry goop haha, should've taken a picture.
I had a really cool experience this week with a new investigator that we just started teaching. She is 15 and has been learning about the Gospel since March from other missionaries, and now we are in her area. We were talking about faith and how we can trust in God and she brought up a humble question that I think almost everyone has- "Would God ever give me something I can't handle, because I don't feel like I can handle this." It made me think of specific challenges I've had in my life, where I've felt weak and like I couldn't do it. There was one specific trial I had last year, that led me to ask for many priesthood blessings. I remember that one of the blessings from my dad told me that the experience, even though it was difficult would be for good, and that it would help me understand specifically people I would meet on my mission. Well that prophecy was fulfilled last week! It turned out that 15 year old Samantha had had a similar trial, and I was able to empathize and understand and help. I know that the Lord guides our path and leads us to the people that we need to talk with. That is something I am learning here, well, re-learning- nothing is ever coincidence!
We have been teaching a lot about the Plan of Happiness to people, and really helping people understand that we each have choices to make in this life- we each have the freedom to choose, the freedom to act, the freedom to move, to shake the dust. I have been pondering about this topic in my personal study and I came across a scripture that helped open my eyes to more understanding. I had been reading in the New Testament and noticed how many times when talking about the Savior it said that "he was moved with compassion". I let myself sit and ponder for a second and thought about all the things we do in a day. Everybody is busy. We all have a never ending list of "things to do". As missionaries, we're always busy. There is never an hour to sit and rest, not until you're in your bed. But I thought for a second and just let the question sink in- "What moves you?" Is it stress, a desire to be the best, to get things done? There are plenty of reasons for the things we do, but I think if there is something I've learned this week is that we need to be more like Jesus-moved by compassion. I have to learn daily when the alarm goes off that love is never ever lazy. What moves us? Let is be compassion-whatever we do, wherever our choices lead us, let them be led by compassion-I know that this will bring us closer to Jesus Christ! I read a beautiful talk by Elder Bednar a recently and he said something I really liked- that the Savior didn't just diefor us, but that He desires to live in us. I know that if we try to be more compassionate, we will have more room for the Savior to live in our hearts!
Well, I am happy and I am doing good. Every day I get to ride my bike down the hill before we head home and I get to see all of the city lights from Tijuana, and I know that the mountains are to my left and the Pacific to my right and I'm just happy. Keep being awesome! Share the Gospel with people!
Con amor,
Hermana Clawson!
*spanish mistake worth sharing* I was talking with some members yesterday and tried to say that something happened "often", which I think is "a menudo?" but I've just been saying "menudo" to people, which they all laughed and told me was like cow skin or intestines or something, apparently a popular food haha. slowly but surely I will learn this language!!
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