Madison McCurdy's Mormon Mission: Week 12 - The Great Adventure part 1: Damsel in distress

Just before I forget, I did actually have a dream that Gandolf and I went on an adventure to save the world in a gray SUV. I don't remember how it ended haha.

To my family (which does include everyone of you),

Last Monday my district (the Elders and my companions) and then another companionship went with us into downtown Houston to go to the science museum because it was p-day. We took the metro in and I met this really sweet old lady with a southern accent named Edna, and it was more concrete than I have seen in a long time. Most of all it really made me miss the city (New York City).

Although there are three Houston missions (The Texas Houston East Mission, and the Texas Houston South Mission exist too, but my mission is the best), my mission is the one with the Houston temple in it. Yesterday we got to go to the temple and give tours (in Spanish) around the outside of the building for our investigators and people who were just curious about the giant beautiful white building. That was really cool!

In my mission we have cars and most of the time we just drive from teaching appointment to teaching appointment, but the other day we decided to do walking. Somehow in the middle of Houston I found myself on a dirt road next to a set of lone power lines next to a small field. The overall effect was that if I closed one eye a little bit and stretched my imagination, I was the main character in an epic tale of a life or death adventure. So maybe there are not dragons or princesses in this adventure of mine (and let's face it, if there were I'd probably be stuck unglamorously in the tower), but I am on a life or death adventure and the farther I get down the road the more I realize I though I am here to help 'rescue' other sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, I am also here to rescue myself. I have lived in a different country and now speak a different language, but the thing that has changed the most is myself.

God has given each of us a path to walk in life. It ends in his house, when we finally make it home and can live with him again. The path has a gate, and is rocky and dusty, the sun is warm and bright overhead, and I suspect that it also has a lonely pair of power lines running parallel to it too. The prophet Nephi said, "And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

I know that as we pass through the gate and walk our path of life with a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men, keeping his commandments, we will find more light and a larger capacity for happiness that we ever thought possible. We can be better and more improved and more happy every step of the way.

I know that this is true, especially as I help others walk on that same path and see them change their lives. I am so glad that I chose to come on my mission. The gospel is true. It can make all of us happy and can heal our wounds. I know this truth to be universal.

I love you guys! Let me know if there is anything I can ever do for any of you :)

-Hermana Madison McCurdy

Ps. This is what my district calls our Vampire diaries picture because it's all black and white and fabulous