EB Mission Blog: A raw but precious jewel...

Dear Family and Friends,

So this week has been good but hard at the same time. I think I am cursed to be ill once a transfer or something...but this time I gave my illness to my comp as well

BUT don't worry, I am all better now! And my comp is as well. It was just a couple days flu/cold thing. Anyways...

Monday - we went to Costco! That was weird...but fun. It felt like I was back home cause Costco feels the same no matter where you go! It was weird. Sister Webb took us and we bought a GIANT box of gluten free brownie stuff because..I do love gluten free things! And then we went grocery shopping...and just chilled with sister Webb and her friend Laura (who was sister Gaffney's EFY counselor...weird...) but it's was really fun!!! That night we taught Paul, who is just AWESOME! He just loves the gospel. And I love that. We also saw Lisa!!! And we taught her as well and are going to see her soon :)

Tuesday was #miracleday - So we taught Wendy in the morning, and also Lisa (the other one), and also visited Rosemary....the poor thing had a fall so we helped her out with hoovering and some other things, and just tried to uplift her and make her happy. We visited with Deb as well, and then a lovely lady named Joan who is just so sweet. We were able to see SO many people and we didn't even have a bike for sister Gaffney yet so we were walking...it was a miracle we were able to see all those people! But it was wonderful :) we also had a broadcasted fireside that night all about ward council, with Elder Ballard (so yes, it was amazing).

Wednesday, we had zone meeting!! There were a LOT of new people in the zone, which is cool but it was such a good meeting. We learned a lot about faith, and also talked about the new Christmas video the church is going to put out soon! I am SO excited for that. I love Christmas and the spirit it brings :) I got the play the organ for zone meeting as well so that was lovely. I LOVE playing the organ now. I think I am just growing to love it more and more. We then traveled to Fairwater and walked quite a distance to see Lisa....but she forgot we were coming and was in town :( but it's ok. We talked to lots of people and had some good comp bonding/walking in a windstorm/rainstorm time.) We then had volleyball that night, Paul came and our new dear friend Lauren who is planning on going on a mission soon (SO FUN!) and we also had ward coordination! It was a very good day, although tiring.

So on Thursday we had Sister Gaffney's bike from the mission home, and we had to fix it up so we did that...and I was feeling quite ill....quite quite ill....as was Sister Gaffney. Turns out we both had this awful cold/flu thing (we don't really know what it was. But it was unpleasant) so we rested a bit, and then went to the Holcombe's, and then to this interfaith meeting our church was holding at the chapel. It was SO cool, and we met a ton of people from different faiths and just got to share a bit about what missionaries from our church do, and it was amazing! I loved it.

Friday, we went out in the morning with Sister Liassides to try and visit a few people....and none of them were home :( but we got to spend some time with her which was good as well. When we came home...I had so much mail! I feel so blessed :) I had a letter from France, a postcard from Romania, and a package from Canada...wow! Thank you friends and family for sending me love and support :) it really brightened my day as we were both feeling quite ill, so thank you! We then went by to visit Marilyn...who wasn't in..but we left a lovely note and will hopefully see her next week! That night we had games night at the chapel. And there were LOTS of people there! It was crazy! As sister Gaffney and I weren't feeling quite well, we didn't play basketball, but just played some cards and watched the basketball.

Saturday was service day!!! We got to go with the Elders and some other members to the Bishops house and paint quite a few walls and doors and such...and it was so fun! I love service :) and I love painting especially. We did that and then bishops family made us a lovely lunch. We were also able to see Vicki and her family! She has the sweetest kids, and we had some curry (which was apparently Elder Pillays recipe

) but it was very good, and then we finally got her to call the patriarch about getting her blessing, which is going to be AMAZING! We are so excited about that :)

Sunday we had church! Church was amazing, and I definitely felt that it was all meant for me.... Our stake president and his wife spoke, and they were both just amazing! She talked all about her studies about Moses...and wow. I want to work on my studies to apply them more to my life than I have been. Our stake president talked about the 6

's that president Hinckley spoke about, and applied all of them specifically to the Sabbath day and how we can use them to make our Sunday more focused on God. It was a really thought provoking talk. We then finished our weekly planning and had dinner at the Riders! OH! We are having thanksgiving dinner this Thursday at the Riders, Brother Rider is American, and since I didn't get my Canadian Thanksgiving we are invited! So I will get thanksgiving this week - it may be late, but that's ok!

My spiritual thought this week and challenge is from a talk by Elder Oaks, called "Gospel Teaching." In it he quoted a book called 'Tuesday's with Morrie' (I don't know if you've read it, but it's good from what I remember)

“Have you ever really had a teacher? One who saw you as a raw but precious thing, a jewel that, with wisdom, could be polished to a proud shine? If you are lucky enough to find your way to such teachers, you will always find your way back.”

Teachers are really SO important. They change our lives in so many ways and influence us in careers, political views, and all sorts of things. Now...we have lots of different kinds of teachers in our lives. School teachers are one, and they are amazing...but I think parents and friends are also teachers. Everyone can be a teacher in one way or another.

So this week, I was thinking about if I am really seeing the potential in those that I teach and those that I talk to. Am I seeing the gem that they can become, or the unpolished Jewel that they are?

I just want to challenge you all, to find a way that you are teaching people, and to do your best to see their potential. Yes, everyone makes mistakes...but that isn't important. It is what people can become and do and how you can help them get there that is important!

I love you all so much!

Love,

Sister Emma Beazer