digging a little deeper ✨️
Brownie points to anyone who understands that reference (and I've learned how to make some pretty fabulous ones out here shoutout Jarvis) To be quite honest with you all at the start here, it feels like I was just writing one of these johns and yet SO much as happened since I last did.
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT
🇫🇮Herra näkee sydämeen
"...hänen sydämensä oli vahva Jumalan silmissä...Hän rakasti Jumalaa koko sydämestään, ja hänellä oli syvä halu olla kuuliainen Jumalalle."
🇺🇸The Lord Looketh on the Heart
by Elder Barcellos
"...his heart was strong in the eyes of the Lord...He loved God with his whole heart, and he had a deep desire to be obedient to God."
(DISCLAIMER this is just me translating the finnish so it might not say these exact words in the talk)
So bringing this back to the idea of "digging deeper" as I was reading this talk I was struck with one of those "ja haa" moments where everything just makes sense all the sudden. BUT basically, everything about missionary work is founded in LOVE. And just literally everything, God's plan of happiness, Jesus Christ's Atonement. God loves His children so He sends missionaries to invite them to make choices and actions to give them added joy. Missionaries serve missions because they love God, and they love the people around them, so they want to invite them to learn about Jesus Christ, the center of all things joyful! Which I wouldn't blame you if you're thinking all of this pretty standard stuff, but hear me out. Elder Barcellos mentions in his talk that sometimes we do the right things possibly without putting much thought into them, these actions are still good and will bear good "fruit" so to speak. HOWEVER the real change and conversion comes when we do the right things for the absolute best reasons. I can't help but think of the example of Tiana in Princess in the Frog. She is such a hardworker, she has a good motive and dream, yet she misses the entire point of life because she's forgotten that love is what really brings meaning into everything. In other words, I can be an amazing missionary, I can serve others and do good work....but if I'm not doing because I love God and I love the friends I am teaching then I'm totally missing the mark and I'm not doing this work in the Savior's way. This was such a good example and reminder to me because on those days the streets aren't making me very excited I can take a step back and remember the WHY of it all. I am here because I love God and I find so much love for these people when I invite them to Him. I invite us all to "dig deeper"! And remember we love Him because He loved us first. Are our hearts in the right place?
Anyways, hopefully this is insightful to one of yall as much as it was for me!
UPDATES
🐸 Had a really fun first "game night" here in Kuopio with an lit assortment of people. Definitely some of the most laughs I've had playing the board game Secret Hitler.
🐸 TRACTING MIRACLE where we literally didn't knock on a single door- number 1 because all them apartment buildings were locked BUT we saw a door left open so we booked for it (yeah on the ice and no I didn't fall) then in the top floor we met this finnish lady going into her apartment, she asked to talk outside...AND we learned she was really really good friends with past missionaries before Covid19. So we had the most lovely chat and were able to get her back in contact with those friends and she is just the sweetest lady.
🐸 Amazing lesson with our friend and his young daughter (she made a drawing of the two of us, it was adorable) and I was reminded just how much I can learn from the friends we teach and their unique and powerful testimonies.
🐸 BEST STREET CONTACT OF MY MISSION we literally taught a full lesson right there in the street for possibly 45 minutes- so there was an older man we stopped and were talking with and somehow ended up teaching him all about the Plan of Salvation and he was asking things like "If I'm not a believer, where am I going after this life?" I felt so connected to this man even though I'd literally just met him, it was incredible. Built my testimony that we are all children of God.
🐸 FIRST SUNDAY IN KUOPIO I've had a couple "first" Sunday's in areas now and I've gotta say this was one of the better ones haha. I totally just got yapping with the ward and they are all so lovely. AND I've been able to break out of my little fearful finnish speaking bubble with them. A miracle in of itself!
🐸 Super great lesson with a family here. I had no idea it was the second lesson, partially because of the spirit that was so obviously present in their home. We had a little "scary" moment where the father asked us if we believed Jesus Christ was God or the Son of God...we told him we believed him to be the Son of God and he agreed completely and was asking us about setting up another time we could meet with their family! And just like that, my testimony that God is preparing people to hear this message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ has grown so much.
🐸 It's been starting to warm up and feel like it did when I first got here which is such a surreal feeling- I just feel super thankful and privileged for this time I have to be a missionary and I'm looking forward to all that's ahead!
Send me them updates and emails and johns and know I love yall!
Kaikki järjestyy,
Sisar Dickson
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