Hosting in general was so fun, I loved it! (Oh ya, I got to host the new missionaries! Didn't see my family though, oh well) It was nutso. Since next week is Christmas, we got double the missionaries coming in. We got almost 800 missionaries. Wow. So awesome. I love missionaries :)
One of our main teachers left for home this week for Christmas which made us all so sad because we love him and it's our consecration week which is a pretty big thing to miss (not to mention we leave for Albania in what, 2 weeks maybe less, crazy). But when came back from Devotional Tuesday night, there were Christmas presents from him on our desks and a big note on the board telling us how much he loves us and whatnot. It was the sweetest thing! I love our teachers, they really take care of us.
We got to clean the temple this morning for service. It was a really cool experience. I learned some things from it that I really appreciate and am now going to share with you :)
First.... we've been to the temple a few times for our sunday walk and it's still beautiful as ever and I love it. When we went in today, they told us that there was major construction being done. As in they basically ripped out the whole basement and dug a massive pit through the concrete foundation and then pounded steel poles into the ground deep enough to get into the bedrock and make the building more earthquake proof. Did you have any idea that that kind of massive construction was going on inside the temple? Because I sure didn't. I had no idea the temple was being ripped apart on the inside. Everything looked so normal and beautiful on the outside.
It made me think about how many people look so fine and so happy on the outside when their inside is being ripped apart. We may never know that our neighbor or coworker, etc... is going through an incredibly difficult time and their very soul is being shaken. How important it is for us to love everyone and be charitable to everyone because we may miss every sign that would tell us how much they need our love.
The second thing... we got to change into white scrubs with our tennis shoes and clean one of the floors. It was actually really fun :) Afterwards, they took us on a little tour of the temple and we got to see the places people don't normally get to see. We also got to go and just sit in the Celestial room. Even though we were dirty and in scrubs and gross tennis shoes and the whole building was taped off and under construction, the spirit was the same. It was so strong, so peaceful, so fulfilling and so different than any other room in the temple. It made me think about how even though we may feel that our life is being ripped apart, if we center our lives and our focus on the Savior, we can still have peace. I can testify of that. Despite all my trials, I was able to find peace and comfort in my Savior and it saved me. I love my Savior, I love our relationship and how despite all my weaknesses and imperfections, He still is my Advocate, my Brother and my dear, kind Savior and Friend.
I love you all, center your lives in the Savior and it will bless you.
Motra Russell
 |
| the sisters from my zone right before the finish missionaries left this week... that was a sad day, full of tears, I sure came to love them. (the white balance was off... just judge the blue grossness) |
 |
| one of my favorite sisters ever. she was an answer to so many prayers and is no blessing the lives of the people in the Finland. |
 |
| Elder Eliason drew pictures of our district, I loved it :) guess what one is me! haha |
 |
| My brother and me!! and his companion! and my fake companion because you need your companion in pictures with the opposite sex and mine was eating food and didn't want to get up so I had another sister substitute haha (long sentence) |
No comments:
Post a Comment