Week 31: Happy Halloween! (& Videos!)

So, I sent a big, long email full of too much motherly advice yesterday, since I felt that Sister Fairbanks was a little down last week.  I thought she was just being too hard on herself about some things, and it turns out that I wasn't very far off the mark!  She got to spend a whole 24-hours with a different companion (they call it "going on splits") this week, and her temporary companion is a Sister Training Leader, and Sister Wright gave Becca much of the same advice I did.  In fact, I think I'll just share most of the letter to me, because this is the kind of thing I see from so many people all the time.  We are too hard on ourselves, and Sister Fairbanks learned some valuable lessons about that this week that are worth passing on to those we love:

Mom!

It's been a better week! We had a lot of fun and I was actually able to figure out a lot of what has been bothering me and your advice nailed it on the head. 

We had exchanges on Thursday and Friday. Sister Larsen went to New Hartford for 24 hours and Sister Wright came here with me. I was nervous as all get out because I wanted everything to go just right in our area while our sister training leader was here... but we actually had a really good time. (Even though all of the appointments fell though.) Turns out that Sister Wright and I think SO similarly and we just talked the entire time and tried to figure things out. (You know you and I like to figure things out as we talk? She's the same way.) It started when I asked her how she stays so diligent and focused. She just laughed because she hasn't felt very diligent lately... So we had a discussion about that which led to talking about homesickness (I like what you said about being home-anchored ❤) and then about feelings of inadequacy. And... we discovered that I have been beating myself up way too much. I mean, I kind of already knew that, but Sister Wright and I were able to have a good, long talk about it. I can't remember exactly all of what was said but I remember that I feel so much better afterward. Conclusions: if I want to love and serve the people better like I have been wanting to do, I have to love myself and be nice to myself first. Self-flagellation does not equal humility, even when I don't realize that I'm doing that. I'm doing better than I think I am. Sister Wright even called me a consecrated missionary. She gave me a lot of awesome compliments, which made me cry. Nice little pressure release. Then she committed me to say two good things I did that day in my nightly prayers to Heavenly Father. My accounting to my Father had turned into only saying "I did this and this and this wrong today." It has been refreshing and encouraging to recognize that I do sometimes do things right during the day and that that is what Heavenly Father is looking at. Anyway... it also got a lot deeper than that and there was a ton we talked about. But I can tell you that I am feeling SO much better. 

After exchanges I read this really great talk by Elder Soares from 2013. It's called "Be Meek and Lowly of Heart." It's just what I needed. He talked about behaving with goodness, kindness, to show strength, serenity, healthy self-worth, and self-control. And he talked about how improvement comes one day at a time. "Control your temper and convey your feelings with patience and gentle persuasion. It doesn't mean you have to be silent. Just be kind." I really liked the whole talk. 

We saw some miracles this week and had lots of giggles while tracting [walking around, knocking on doors]. It's been cloudy and dreary all week. I never thought I would be sick if rain. But when it's only 40° it's just not as fun! Haha. 

...While we were tracting one afternoon we came up with this: 😊
[To the tune of] I'm Trying to be Like Jesus

"I'm trying to get a head cold
By walking in freezing rain
It happens when you go tracting
Over and over again
At times I am tempted to stay in the house
But the Holy Spirit whispers into my heart saying 
Get your rump outside and knock on those doors
Go find those people who want to learn more 
Be humble and obedient in deed and in thought
These are some missionary thoughts..." 

Also, freezing rain is a real thing out here. It will be about 30° but it will still rain... and freeze on the ground... and the cars... wonderful, isn't it? 

I'm doing good. I'm happy. 😄 I'll have more stories in my mass email. 

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! Thanks for the pump up talk. I was actually secretly hoping for one. ;) Have a great week! Take it one day at a time. [I told her I had a busy week ahead] 😊

1 - emailing you this morning 

2 - walkin' in the rain

4 - Sister Wright, my STL angel 

Here's the group email:

Hello! 

It's been a wonderful, cold and wet week here in Oneida! :) We've actually had a lot of fun. On Tuesday we went to a member's house and made him calzones to cheer him up. Sister Larsen makes great calzones and we all visited and laughed the hardest I've laughed in a long time. :D That night we were tracting and found this guys wandering around in the dark. His name was Robbie and he was super nice. His world had just been turned upside down that day and we walked him back to his car, gave him a Book of Mormon, and invited him to the chili cookoff and church. It was one of the most natural conversations I've ever had with anyone where inviting him to come closer to Christ was easy. He admitted that life was better when he was going to church in the past. Unfortunately, he never came to the dinner or church, and we have no way of contacting him. Pray for Robbie! Pray that we will meet him again. He's a great guy. 

We had a lot of tracting in the rain and it was all so fun. We were laughing our heads off at the most random things and making up new lyrics to primary songs. It was a lot of fun. We delivered cookies to our good friend Bryan and he said, "How did you know my heart was sad today?" We had a great visit with him and we had lots of laughs with him. Nothing brings this guy down! 

We had exchanges with the sister training leaders and I got to spend 24 hours with Sister Wright. It was a blast! She came to Oneida and we were able to visit and chat as we worked and she really lifted my spirits. She's a wonderful missionary and I look up to her a lot. 

On Friday we saw a great miracle! We went tracting and the first door we came to the woman let us right in to her home. Her name is Laura and her grandpa was a member of the church. She remembers how happy her grandpa was and she felt like he was on the other side telling her to let us in. We were able to share some scriptures with her and she invited us to come back. She was so sweet! I'm excited to see her again this week. 

On Saturday we had a branch chili cookoff and carved pumpkins with the kids. We had a riot. I adore the people in this branch and admire how much they love each other. There's was good chili, too! 

Yesterday we had an extra tiny pumpkin that we planned to give to our elderly friend, Lois. She's from New Jersey, has an accent and everything, and lives alone. She's loves when we come over to visit about once a week and shares the craziest stories of when she was a school bus driver and her nutsy family. She says that her family asks if she's loney up here and she tells them, "No, I have my friends Jamie (Sister Larsen) and Rebecca that come and visit me." She said that she thanks God every night for us. How I love her! 

I so love the people here in Oneida. They have captured my heart and I might stay forever. Okay, maybe not forever, but at least for now. I love this incredibly opportunity I have to meet amazing people and spend time with them. 

I hope you all have a great week! Happy Halloween! 

Sister Fairbanks