Monday, September 22, 2014

My National Day To Serve


Happy Monday, Readers - 

This week was crazy. So crazy, I don't even know where to start.  I am going to start jotting down the weekly anecdotes of my daily life. In other words, keep a better record of what I should say in my weekly posts. You deserve to hear only the best and craziest and funniest stuff.

I want to begin by thanking you so much for all the support you have given me these past few months. In this business of being a missionary...one needs support. It means so much. Everyday, I am humbled and so grateful. Thanks for just reading my blog and appreciating what I write. I love you all. (And if there is some random creeper from let's say, the Ukraine, who is stalking my mission blog? I thank you, as well.)

I want to start by spotlighting two awkward moments I had this week. 

**Awkward Moment #1 - I was really (like really....) tired and we were at a less active's house home teaching her about prophets. I decided to lay my head back on the chair to see if that would make me more comfy. The gal yelled in her SASSY African-American voice, "OH YOU WANNA TAKE A NAP? YOU WANNA? WELL GO ON AND TAKE A NAP!" I thought she was ticked. Come to find out, she was actually serious. She offered Sister Savage and I a spare key to her apartment...in the occasion we are in the neighborhood and we get tired (again) and need to take a nap.

**Awkward Moment #2 - I am now officially a Facebook Missionary. First step, I had to clean out my FB profile. Then I had to hide (I REFUSED to delete) all my photos that don't "fulfill or correlate with my  missionary purpose." Looking at all my 80s dancing photos at a public library, with my "Sister Kelly" name tag on, was a real treat.

This week's missionary moments are as follows:

A quick update on "B." He got sick and had serious back pain this week and as a result, we were unable to teach him. All is not lost. We will not give up on "B." 

This past week, in terms of "stereotypical missionary progress" such as baptisms and new investigators? We fell short. But in terms of bonding and gaining really deep trust with less actives and members?? We struck gold. 

I saw first hand the strength of the Oakton, VA members of our church. I am truly amazed. This past Saturday, September 20, the Oakton Ward had their National Day To Serve combined with The Church of The Brethren Presbyterian Church and the United Methodist Church. We made blankets, organized 3,000 kits for laundry and made hundreds of infant care kits. Our Mormon congregation (we have about 400 members who come to the Oakton Ward every Sunday) and the two mentioned congregations, met at the Methodist church. We had a blast! 

I particularly enjoyed getting to know Pastor Singleton from the United Methodist Church. (#mynewbff) She loved talking to us about our mission. About 200 people showed to serve at the Methodist building and 80% of them were from our church. The other churches were astounded and shocked at how much we were willing to serve. A few people asked me, "HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY YOUR BISHOP TO GET PARTICIPANTS AND SERVICE LIKE THIS?!?!?!"  We had to break it to them that our Bishop doesn't get paid and no one gets money for their service or church assignments. 

Also, I was able to bond with Karl, a member of the Church of the Brethren. This awesome 60 year old man with a SWEET ponytail and beard, is in charge of a donation center and wants us to help in Vienna (no...sadly not Austria). He was so kind and sweet. I LOVED the Day to Serve. I loved everything about it. I loved how willing people were to help others. Mostly, I loved the fact that we were all from different faiths and backgrounds. We are all under one God.  

Service, from what I have learned, is the glue that holds our world togther. It is truly a beautiful thing. Service can be the smallest of acts...like a smile or a card. Sometimes the smallest things are the biggest. Little acts of service truly make the biggest difference. I know that to be true.

xxoo
Sister Kelly

Loving our National Day To Serve

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