Madison McCurdy's Mormon Mission: Week 75 - "This chair could hold an elephant. If it was a small elephant."

Okay so I left my sticky notes about what I was going to write about at home.....awkward. Anyways, this is what happened this week.

Hermana Black is a great missionary. She has some amazing habits that I have no idea how she developed them (maybe she was born with them?) but they make her a really good missionary, and then she is also a very good friend. She is the type of person that can make anyone feel good about them self. She also goes a long with all of my craziness, which is another plus to having her as a companion. When I'm saying things like, "I want to decorate the apartment" she says, "when do we start?" When I say, "I want to hang up lots of Christmas lights and make a bijillion snow flakes and make our own Christmas tree," she says, "I was hoping you would say that." And when I say things like, "A chocolate milkshake sounds nice" she also has the courage to say, "Hermana it is freezing outside and we had ice cream at lunch" just kidding. And of course she always has the courage to shoot my bad ideas down too.

Hermana Black found out that King David is her 122nd great grandpa. That was cute.

Speaking of it being cold, I don't know if I'm just accustomed to the humid hotness all the time, because this week I have been so cold! And it's only been about 50 degrees, if that.

This week we had more meetings. They were fun. We got fed Chinese food. I learned a lot about how to use my faith in everyday mission life, and how to help myself and others develop more motivation. It was pretty nice. Then later in the week we had zone meeting. We took some cute Christmas pictures. We also had pan dulce and chocolate abuelita for snacks en la reunion de zona. It was bomb. I like our zone a lot! I have always loved it but somehow I felt the energy change this week. In a good way.

Also this week we faced a lot for rejection than normal. We got doors slammed in our face, yelled at, told we were deceived, sworn at etc. etc. and I couldn't have been more happy about it. There's been this little fire brewing in me that kind of likes it. How strange to still be joyful in such a thing. Not that we do it on purpose of course, that would be crazy. But I can't help but think about how Jesus Christ was rejected even before He was born, (with the innkeeper) and how grateful I am that He let me experience a little tiny part of it.

Giselle Roque. I don't know if I've mentioned Giselle. Giselle is this recent convert of about a year and a half who has already read the Book of Mormon twice. She is 19 and she can't make up her mind about whether or not she wants to serve a mission. She started coming out with us all day. Then she decided she wanted to serve a mission again. So she filled out her papers, and she is waiting to hear back about some things about a mini mission. But it is funny because other than sleeping in our apartment, she basically is already on one. She even weekly planned with us this last week, has her own planner, counts key indicators, puts lessons in the area book, and calls us to ask if she can go out with us. Best. Member. Ever.

She also got to help us set a baptismal date with Heidi, our hilarious English Investigator this week. She loved it. It was so cute too. Heidi was so excited and in her prayer she also told God that she loves Him. That's a big thing for Heidi. It was super cute. She also is on fire in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon can do anything. I know it.

In total, sorry for the scattered email, as I forgot my notes, but I think this is what stood out to me the most this week:

Jesus Christ should have been the saddest person in the entire world. He was completely innocent of alll wrongs and He had horrible things happen to Him. He was crucified and denied by the very people that He came to save. He was betrayed by all. He took the weight of all the wrongs, sins, sadnesses, sicknesses, bad days, bad hair days, EVERYTHING upon His shoulders, and even still there are many that will never accept Him. When I try to think of how horrible that must have been my brain cannot comprehend it. This week as He let me taste a little bit of that weight of the world He also shared with me some of His joy as I watched God's precious souls come closer to Him, and that happiness was stronger than any pain or rejection. It was happiness that came straight from Heaven to my heart. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel that way every time we choose to take a step closer to them, no matter how small the step. And I also think, that although Jesus Christ has every reason to be the saddest person that ever lived, He is the happiest too.

Love you all to the sun and back! :)
Hermana McCurdy