Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Some blessings come soon, some come late... but... they come.

So, about two months ago I attended a Sacrament meeting where President and Sister Greer from the Highland Stake reported on their time serving as mission presidents. While in that meeting, I just kept feeling: that is where you're supposed to be Brittney. You are a missionary, and you are meant to be in the field.

Now, for those of you who don't know, once a young woman serves a mission for the LDS church, it is highly encouraged that she return home and find a spouse. It is very uncommon for sisters (or anyone, for that matter) to be asked or allowed to serve a second full-time mission.

Knowing this, I felt confused, and even a little taunted or hurt by my desires and feelings that I should be serving a full-time mission. I felt that perhaps the Lord was telling me, yes, that may have been one of the best experiences of your life up til now, and it would definitely be good for you to do it again, so I'll just remind you that you want to, but I won't let you have it. I was slightly pained...

Anyway, fastforward to making a crazy last minute decision to move to a new country for a job I know nothing about, having a rough second week here, then being pulled aside yesterday (or whenever Sunday was) by a member of the bishopric. Here is where the story resumes.

So he mentioned that for some reason the Lord is not currently blessing the ward with full-time missionaries, and so as a ward they are trying to gain His trust by building up the ward mission work. He asked me to serve as a ward missionary, stating that he would like me to work with my companion (a young sister who is preparing for her full-time mission) as much like a full-time missionary as my life and schedule would allow. We will be having two "district meetings" per month with the ward mission program, and she and I will be working hand in hand to unify some of our part-member families in the ward.

He said, "We feel like we prayed you here, and as an ex-missionary, you are the blessing we have been hoping for. This will be your second mission."  Those, my dear friends, were his exact words. And in that moment I knew that the Lord was not taunting me, but foretelling of things to come in my life that would bring me even more happiness.

The Lord loves us, and blessings come. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/10/an-high-priest-of-good-things-to-come?lang=eng

In a post-note, my darling sister Kelly had her beautiful baby Rosie this morning. I am so grateful for technology that let me see her beautiful little face. I wish I could be there to hold her but I send all my love.