Well well well. It's been about a year.. Weird! The time is
just flying by. And I just get more and more sentimental with each passing
month. Anyway. I have done a lot of reflecting and thinking about my mission
and about who I am as a missionary. It is easy to get into a rut. It's easy to
let things slide. It's easy to make excuses. It's easy to just pass right
through. But what on earth is the point of a mission if you just pass through
it?? I can't say that I am a perfect missionary. Nor would I dare say that I
will be a perfect missionary by the end. But I can honestly say that I seek to
follow the spirit and I try to be obedient to the rules and the commandments of
God. I repent every single night. I set goals every single week of how I can
improve and things that I can change to be a better and more effective tool in
the Lord's capable hand. I sometimes set the same goal over and over again each
week until I have finally been able to accomplish it.
I have learned a lot in this past year. I have gained a deep
and abiding testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I have read the
Book of Mormon twice and I am about to finish it for the third time on my
mission. I have fallen, physically (just ask any of my companions about how
often that happens), spiritually, mentally. But I have also felt the sustaining
power and strength of the atonement. I have seen miracles. Sooooooooo many
miracles. I have sobbed my eyes out watching others deny God and Jesus Christ.
I have seen some of the most difficult circumstances that I have ever seen in
my life. I have worked with amazing people, missionaries, investigators, less
actives, members. I have truly been changed for the better by those that I have
been blessed to work closely with. I have experienced the most joy and the most
sorrow I've ever felt in my life here on my mission. I love this mission that
Heavenly Father has blessed me with, and I wouldn't change a moment of it. I
know that I have so much more to still change and improve. I need to be more
patient, more knowledgeable, more service oriented, more charitable, more
obedient, more selfless. I am far from the ideal or perfect missionary. But I
will try every day to improve and become better.
This has been a wonderful week. We had a fun new years
breakfast in church! We have eaten SO much food. But more than all the great
fun stuff we've done this week, We have truly seen God's hand in His work. We
have been seeing so many new possible investigators just come out of the
woodwork! We have been fasting and praying to find new people to teach and God
is really answering our prayers right now. We have received two referrals from
members this week of whom we have already met and set return appointments!
We have also been having incredible success working with
some of our young single adult members. We have been inviting some of these
young sisters to come out with us and they have willingly accepted! There are
about 5 of them that come with us and that have mentioned thinking about
serving a mission. We talked to the bishop about starting a mission prep type
course for them and he thought it was a great idea! So my companion and I are
just SOO excited to start helping these young women continue the process of
preparing themselves for missionary service! It has brought me so much joy and
every time that I talk with one of them about it, they start to get more
excited, which in turn makes me even more excited! It's so fun.
Mercedes will be getting baptized on
Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Words cannot describe the joy i feel in my soul for
her. I love her so much and she is SO ready. After her interview, our mission
president said to us, "SHE is well prepared... She is VERY ready to be baptized."
And I just get teary eyed every time I think about her and how proud and
excited I know her father is on the other side. He isn't here physically, but I
know that he has played a huge part in her conversion. I am so grateful that I
have had the privilege of working with her and helping her along this path back
to her Heavenly Father.
I really love being a missionary. I just want to be better
and continue to be more of a preach my gospel missionary. I love leading the 12
week program because it really helps and inspires me to change and to become a
better missionary and disciple of Christ.
We had a great zone training this week and my companion and
I are working hard to implement good traditions and notice maybe not so good
traditions that we can get rid of so that we can work more effectively!!
I know that the gospel is true. I know that The Book of
Mormon is true. I know that Jesus Christ lives and is our savior. I know that
the family unit is eternal and God has a plan laid out for each of His children
to return back to Him. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that through
him, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ restored their priesthood, and today we
have that authority to baptize, to bless, to heal, to perform all of the
ordinances necessary for salvation. I will never be able to negate or deny my
testimony. I plan to share the gospel with everyone I know for the rest of my
life. I have seen and felt it change me. It would be selfish to keep the
blessings of salvation and eternal joy all to myself.
I love you all! Thank you so much for your support and
prayers.
Love,
Sorella Tokarski
