October 22, 2012

The Marathon of the Lord

Hey people!

Well, it's another rainy day here in Bahia. I swear, it ALWAYS rains on pday. BOO! But I got to take a nap for a WHOLE HOUR. Oh my. It was heaven. And this week we will end the transfer! What the!? I can't believe it's already over. Time is flying. 


- So yesterday was Mother's Day here in Argentina. We handmade cards for the hermanas in the ward complete with glitter (UNICORNS AND GLITTER!!!) and they LOVED it! We didn't get into anyone's house... "Chicas tengo gente...."(**girls, I have people here) so we delivered our cards to menos activos(**less actives) and other hermanas in the ward. Sweet Hermana Cortez would have spent the day alone since her kids live in Buenos Aires and Spain, so we dropped by to see her too. It was a great day. I loved it. 

- Saturday we had a great ward activity. We ate empanadas and chorizos and played games. There wasn't much I could do in a skirt, but I DID win the Potato On a Spoon Race against the hermanas in the ward. We couldn't run, but I definitely am the tallest of all the women, so I smoked everyone!!!!!  One of our menos activos came, Miriam, and brought her daughter-in-law, Florencia. We tried teaching her before, but she was like "no, I want to stay in my church." But now she's interested! She wants to change some things in her life, so we are super excited to work with her! It was such a fun way for everyone to just chill out and get to know each other better. We definitely need to have more activities to unite the ward more!!
- SO. Earlier this week, it was really warm. Like WAY warm. Like time to ditch the tights warm. So for 3 days I did... It felt SO WEIRD! First time in almost 9 months that I haven't worn tights. My legs are SO WHITE!  Who needs street lamps at night??!!  My legs will light the way home!!!!! Haha, in time I'll be a little morochita. (***tan country girl)  It's already been pretty warm, and all the Elders are dreading summer. We'll see!

- We passed by a members house this week and their little boy was outside. He's six, but has a growing disorder so he looks like he's 3 or 4 with the tiniest bones. He's so cute and I just want to squeeze him! So anyway, we waved to him and later his mom told us that he said "Las Elderas passed by and they waved to me! They saw me!" It was so cute. It's so hilarious when people call us "Las Elderas" or "Las Elderes". I'm always like, ohhhhhkay, we're hermanas... but whatever. It's a little endearing.

- HOPEFULLY we'll be moving to a new house this week. They called us last Monday and told us we'd be moving on Tuesday, so we packed EVERYTHING, but the next day they said that they were fixing up the house! NOOOO!!!!!! So EVERYTHING is all packed in space bags and I have TWO skirts that I've been wearing. Fun times. I'm sure going to miss my Vawdrey. :-(

- So, I read my weekly pday letter from Aunt Lori last week, and she shared two excerpts from Dave and Greg's emails from when they were serving. I LOVED what you two said, it really has helped me. They compared the mission to a marathon, and the longer I serve, the more I realize it really is like a race... an 18 month race. This is what Dave said, (direct quote because I cannot do it justice by summarizing) "Now is my time to RUN full out. When a runner finishes a race, how much should he have left? The answer is NOTHING. If it is anything else, he didn't run the race right. I want to run the race correctly by expending myself fully so as not to have any regrets or wonder what might have been. And oh yes, I will finish despite how tired I may have been throughout the 2 year marathon-- and as I hit the crimson tape, both my index fingers will be extended to the sky. But not to glory in my own achievements, but more in the attitude of praising my Heavenly Father for sustaining me when the track got rough. I'm not an idiot--I know it is going to be difficult. But I also know of the promise made by my older brother Jesus when He said, 'I never said it would be easy, I only said it could be worth it'. Yes, I will stumble and probably even fall flat on my face just at about the point I reach maximum speed... so what? At this point the Savior will come and put me on my feet, brush me off, clean up my cuts and help get me started again. He'll whisper words of sympathy in my ear saying, 'Kinda stings, doesn't it? I know how you feel--but you must not let it slow you down. Know that I am with you the entire way and will carry you across the finish line upon my back if you require it'. I have already felt the Savior carrying me throughout this race-- I know I am accomplishing things beyond my efforts and abilities with the Lord's help. I am doing the Lord's work, and so it is in His best interest that I succeed. I have the faith that my Savior will not quit 'saving' me-- He IS my Savior, not WAS my Savior. Despite how tired, sick and weak I may become, the Lord will lift me up and I CANNOT fail in the Lord's work." Wow. I can honestly say that I have never felt so tired and worn out in my entire life. But I know that my Savior is sustaining me. He is helping me keep going, amidst the blisters, rejections, sweat, cold, and rain. This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but I will endure it with the help of my Savior. It is also the most rewarding thing. We don't have a bunch of success, but when we do have success, even a small miracle, all the tough times make me appreciate it more. I'm trying to gather up my energy and run full out, run until I have nothing left, until I cross that finish line and get on that plane home, and feel the Lord accept the work that I did here in the Bahia Blanca Mission... I want to feel Him say," Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter now into the joy of thy Lord." I want to leave the field with no regrets, leave knowing that I accomplished the work the Lord called me to do. 

Shoutouts: Cousin Heather, THANK YOU for the email and the updates on the real world!! Tio Hector, thanks for the email! Glad things are well. 
Happy birthday this week tooooo Amberly, Jonathan and Myrinda!! Hope you all have great days!! 
Kris... the last dearelder I got from you was a few weeks ago... I MISS YA. 
Hunter, WELCOME TO THE EMAIL LIST! This is where the cool people are. :-)
Okay people. I hope you all have a great week. Remember I love you.

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Squire

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