Monday, August 28, 2017

"When the Going Gets Tough...Look Up to Our Savior"

Hey everyone! This week was different than some of my other weeks in the mission. It was filled with many, many growing experiences. In other words, we had a few challenges this week that we learned how to overcome. I have learned how to look outward in times of struggles. I will share a quick experience that I had this week that changed my perspective.

Saturday night, we were walking in a very sketchy part of Van Nuys. We were on our way to meet our Branch President and his wife and then go to some food trucks for dinner and a lady started yelling at us from across the street. She asked us if we were Christian and we said yes and walked over to her. Her name was Jessy, and she was obviously homeless and a little drunk. We sat down on the sidewalk and started talking to her. She then told us her life story and how she had been homeless for 4 years, she was only 24. This was a very tender moment for all of us. We gave her a Book of Mormon and a pass along card of a picture of Mary looking up at our Savior. She started to cry again, and told us that she knew why we gave her this picture. She pointed at Mary and said, “This is me, I need to look up to my Savior at all times, no matter how hard life gets.” 

In my own little world, I thought my life was pretty hard. I was going through a time that was making me think negatively. Until I met this wonderful lady Jess, who has now helped me realize that I need to stop thinking about myself, and what I am going through and realize that many people are going through much worse trials and I need to go help them. Last night we went and visited her again and she was very surprised that we came back to visit her. I am so glad that I am able to help her learn more about our Savior.

I invite you all to find a way to look outward this week .... even when the going gets tough. Because it does get tough sometimes and that is when we should not be focused on the worries in our own lives and look up to our Savior!

Love you and have a great week of serving others:) 

-Hermana Hadley



Jessy, Hermana Starke and Hermana Hadley
Mom Note: We asked McKay who the other person was, but unfortunately she is timed on a computer at the library and right before she was kicked off McKay only said she was a lady who is very ill. 




The Pass Along Card we gave Jessy and her friend



Awesome Zone Conference!



The Welcoming Committee on Sunday!



All 5 Hermanas in our apartment wearing matching stripes ;)



Love the pictures we receive from Hermana Vasquez of their Adventure Mondays! 
Many families are blessed from their great service to our cute Hermanas! <3




Look at the cute Spanish guy photo bombing in their picture! Haha!