Monday, November 25, 2013

Growth

Friday evening, we finally got around to teaching Nick again. The week before, we asked him about a baptism date and when he feels he should be baptized. At this lesson, we brought up that commitment and he said that he'd been praying about one but has yet to decide on a date. Sister Devenport and I then decided to ask him how he felt about being baptized on December 14 and he seemed to light up when we mentioned that day. Of course, we fervently invited him to pray about that date, but I'm very confident that Nick will be baptized on December 14. 
I cannot adequately express the joy in my heart! I've been teaching Nick since August and he has come such a long way. I distinctly remember my first lesson with him - completely shut off, wouldn't even look at us, and didn't say a single word. The whole time, he sat there fiddling with his hands, staring at the ground. I felt so awkward when I left.
And now? The whole lesson he was staring at us straight into our eyes. He was absolutely beaming and shared so many amazing stories with us. His countenance was bright and he couldn't seem to stop smiling and nodding. The light of Jesus Christ has entered into his life and you can distinctly tell. Nick expressed that he wanted to be absolutely sure about the Church before he was baptized, but by the way he said it, I could just tell that he would know for sure by the baptism date we set.
I remember one of my first weeks in the mission, Elder Green, my district leader then, said, "I'm glad that we don't baptize a ton of people. Because every person who I teach that enters into the waters of baptism? They mean so much to me. I remember every single lesson I ever taught. I remember watching them change. They're not another number among dozens of baptisms. I know them and I love them."
He was so right. I could tell you about every single lesson with Nick. I could tell you all about him - his wants, his fears, his dreams. He means so much to me. I wouldn't trade anything for those lessons with him, those moments. I truly feel as if he's one of my friends. 
I cannot wait for December 14th. 

My current district leader said the other day, "You either already have a ton of hope, or you need to learn hope in this mission." It's true. Hope is what drives us missionaries here in the Mississippi Jackson mission. Hope. You wake up in the morning, hoping your lesson for that day doesn't fall through. Hoping that you'll meet someone to teach. Hoping. When that lesson falls through, you hope that you can reschedule. You hope that they are still interested. You hope for them. You hope for their salvation. In this mission, you hope that you can bring save one soul unto salvation. Hope that you make a little difference in someone's life. You either already have a lot of hope or you were sent here to learn how to hope. 

I wouldn't trade this mission for the world. I am supposed to be here. I'm so grateful that the Lord has seen fit to send me to this mission. The days sometimes drag on, the weeks sometimes seem bleak, but the future is bright. I have hope.

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All my love,

Sister Sarah Michéle Durrant

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