we went to the temple today. wow was that a spiritual recharge. It was the most peaceful hours of my life. I hadn't felt that amount of the spirit in a long time. I'm really thankful for the temple, man. it's a lifesaver.
as my first year in this service comes to an end i've been reflecting a lot and it is amazing to me how blessed I have been in so many aspects, when I look back on all that time I just want to shout and yell and say "i did it!" because it was hard, and because we have done so much. and because we have seen so much of the Lords hand in our lives. I know that there are other missionaries who feel the same way. I read a talk about being more of a consecrated missionary the other day, and the author included a quote he had recieved from an elder just finishing his mission. I would like to share the same quote, as I feel it matches my feelings exactly.
"I was reflecting yesterday if I would call the mission a sacrifice. And for everything it seems I might have sacrificed, I feel like I have been given tenfold. If I say I have sacrificed time with my family, then I must realize that I have been rewarded with a family more united and loving than ever. If the has been a sacrifice of time, I have been rewarded with knowledge that no university in the world could have taught me. If it has been a sacrifice of my talents, I have been rewarded with more than I ever had before. I can speak Spanish, I care more genuinely about people and I am less quick to judge and more anxious to serve. If it has been a sacrifice of human relationships, I have been rewarded with practice in speaking to men and women from all walks of lifeand in diverse situations. If I have sacrificed my earthly possessions, I have been given new ones that I value infinitely more. For anything I have sacrificed I have been given more."
I know that that quote we can apply to all of ourselves, not just those in a mission. we can all devote ourselves to our callings more, or other causes, and get more than that we have sacrificed. how lovely is that assurance.
our beautiful family that we are going to marry, had some complications with the papers and stuff so the wedding and baptism is going to be the other week. This upcoming sunday we recieve transfer calls and im 100 percent positive im leaving, which makes me sad but I'm so excited as well. so many things are happening. missionaries make a joke that when we are at our year mark we are just like at the top of a rollercoaster. I truly feel that way. I just want to baptize the world haha i have so much desire. but I just gotta put my head down and work. I hope I get sent to a hard area so I can just put in my all.
we had a classic experience this week, elder mollo and I. at this point we really dont have many investigators so like ive said in the past, we are knocking on doors and contacting like crazy. my goal is that everyone knows us in this tiny little area. we knocked on one door in a creepy little alleyway and a woman answered so we talked to her. she seemed disinterested, and then all of a sudden her furious grandma waddles up to the door. we didnt have any teeth. she says this, "HELLO. WE ARE CATHOLICS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? LEAVE." in just the most menacing voice. we smiled and said, "we just want to talk about Jesus with ya!!!" she frowned deeply and shouted, "VAYANSE POR OTRO SITIO. SOMOS CATOLICOS, ENTIENDEN? ENTIENDEN??" and slams the door. I just started busting up laughing, it was the funniest thing. I love when stuff like that happens to us so I can provide you guys with stories or when I can tell them around a campfire. maybe one day ill get robbed. hahahaha.
love you all,
elder caldwell.
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