Tratra toan!
That is how everyone will greet you here for the entire week. It's pronounced like "cha-cha tone" and is usually accompanied by three kisses. So this week...ahh, where to start. This e-mail goes out to a mixed audience so for some of you, this will be old news and for some of you new news. This week has been a definite rollercoaster. I'll just cut to the quick. On thursday, the 31st I recieved a call from President Adams toward the end of the day during which he told me that I should skpe call my family because there was some serious news about my Grandmother's health. I'll admit, my blood ran cold. If the mission President is calling you and then telling you to call your family it can only be bad news. I imagined that my family would tell me some really bad news, that my Grandmother had cancer and was going to be sick for a long time and undergoing chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the news was even worse than that. My Grandmother did have cancer but it had already progressed to stage 4 and had spread all throughout her body. The Doctors estimated about two months left for her. I think for that evening my world slightly seemed to shatter - because I felt like I was in some surreal movie. I had never experienced such intense grief as that moment. I had seen it in movies millions of times but had never yet myself lost someone close to me or had a family member with a fatal diagnosis.
However, never before in my life have I had such a strong testimony of the Plan of Salvation. During the whole moment, I never once thought "Why is this happening to us?" or "How will we ever be able to move on past this trial?" Because I too - like the late Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, believe with all my heart that Sunday Will Come. That there WILL be another day when we will ALL reunite. I know that seeing any of our deceased family and friends is not a question of IF but of WHEN. And in the timeline of God, that when is oh so short. It is like a mission - it seems and often feels SO long but in the end, it will seem to us and our Heavenly Parents that it passed in the blink of an eye. So too will our separation seem like the blink of a heavenly eye, once we have a heavenly perspective. Oh the time can seem so lonely and spread out before us, but those we have lost are always there. They are just on the other side of the veil and if we could but for one moment pull it back, we would realize they were at our sides and not feel alone. I know that Christ was the first fruits of them that slept. And Because and Through Him, ALL men will rise again. And thanks to the blessings and ordinances of the gospel, when we rise, we will be sealed to each other - to live in eternal family units with our loved ones forever. Without fear of pain, death or sadness again. And what seems like a beautiful fairy tale to many people, is real to me. I feel the truth in every bone in my body and have devoted the last 16 months of my life preaching this truth. As sure as Friday, and the end for each of us will come - so too will Sunday. And that day will be glorious. And it will be bright. And all will be well. I see it as though it will happen tomorrow because of the assurrance that I have that it WILL happen. How blessed are we that this is our future - that this is the truth - this is each of our destinies. To rise again. Glorious and perfect and full of joy.
I do not question why this trial has come into our lives at this moment. It is the Lord's plan. Plus, I already have my personal answer. One of the sisters in the house in La Reunion always questioned why one of my companions hadn't been translated yet, because according to her, the Lord translates people once they become perfect (and she couldn't find a flaw in my beloved Sister Isham, none of us could). Well, if it's true that the Lord doesn't leave perfectly righteous people on the earth very long (Moses, Alma the younger etc) then I suppose that's the reason it's Grandma's time to leave. She's spent her whole life converting herself to the Lord and preparing and changing herself to reflect our Savior and the Lord just doesn't leave perfectly righteous people on the earth. It's not exactly translation but the Lord has His many ways.
In light of this new news, it seems likely that I am going to go home with the transfer before my date (February 4) instead of after (March 18) so that I can go see and then live with/take care of my Grandparents for a couple of months. I still need to talk to Pres Adams about leaving early but I feel really good about coming home four weeks early. I feel like I would be fulfilling another mission to the Lord to be able to serve my family. So I feel like in some ways - as awful as this timing is - it also is proof of the Lord's timing. That I can be in the situation where I won't have obligations like the rest of my family - no one else can fulfill the job that I will when I go home - so I feel like that is proof of the Lord's hand and timing in our lives. I don't know, I could write about all the emotions and thoughts from this week but I will be able to talk to everyone in person in ony four weeks(!) That seems crazy that my mission will be over so quickly, and it's bittersweet but I'm ready. I feel a super strong purpose in coming home. Anyway, that's my news for the week - the Lord is trying me in EVERY way - put I am putting my trust in Him and believing that I will come out a stronger person and in the end, everything will be alright.
Love,
Sis Stewart
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