I'm Worth the Baggage

Well, I'll start it off with letting you know what's happening to me for the next six weeks. I'll be remaining here in the College Park ward in Lubbock and working on Texas Tech Campus. I'll be remaining in the same assignment with my same companions and we hope to continue growing together and learning from one another. Elder Major will now take the cake as longest companion- at the end of this transfer he and I will have a total of 4 transfers together... 24 weeks. Its going to be a good transfer. Another one that's going to test my metal. But I look forward, again, to the challenges that it will bring and the growth those challenges will provide. 

Never has there been a week on my mission where everything has gone "according to plan". There is always opposition to the plans we set and the golden rule of thumb for being happy out here is being flexible. We of the Texas Lubbock Mission are "flexible". Hahaha, we of course don't live in an ideal world and that means that sometimes we face less than ideal circumstances. Not letting the little things bother you is a big part of being able to find happiness in whatever situation you find yourself in. For example- just a few things from this week. We knocked over 40 apartment doors with no answer! We could've let it get us down, but we made it into a competition to see who could actually be the one to get the first person to answer. 

We also change up our knocks and make them interesting so it doesn't just sound like you've got the FBI pounding on your front door. Or another example, missing a few turns on our way to a destination- that happens on a daily- being able to shrug it off and learn from simple little mistakes and laugh at yourself are some attributes that can serve us all a little better as we use them more often. I've never been very good at forgetting "the little things". I let it all build up inside until my emotions find a way out somehow. I'm glad I've gotten a lot of practice out here! Although I'm not perfect at it yet, I've definitely made some progress, and if I hadn't I would be completely miserable! 

This week was filled with transfer things as we prepped for the onslaught of new missionaries coming in, old missionaries leaving, and missionaries changing areas, and instructions at a few meetings next week. Week 6 and Week 1 are usually the busiest and most stressful time for me. One of those times I'm not so good at not letting the little things bother me! We've been working hard the past few transfers on making sure that Elder May and Elder Cardon know how to set up and do transfers for themselves. Elder Major and I will be leaving in September and so its vital that the other two know how to do things. There's a fine line between sitting back and watching them do everything and then on the other hand, doing everything yourself. Its gotta' be a lot like being a parent watching your children struggle through life- you can't carry them all the way or they'll never learn how to walk and you can't leave them all by themselves or they won't learn from your guidance and experience. 

It's a lot like being a missionary and interacting with those that you learn to love and that you teach. You want to be there to help, but it needs to be their journey, or conversion and if it's not, decisions made aren't for themselves, they're made for you. We as missionaries have a duty to make them feel an obligation, not to us, but to Jesus Christ. A deeper rooted spiritual commitment will change attitudes and behavior- nature, whereas a surface change of desires and behavior lasts only as long as there's wood to feed the fire. And, just like when you're camping, the wood never seems to last very long. 

I have now found a favorite Slurpee flavor at 7/11. On 7/11/16 the 7/11 store had a free Slurpee day. Elder May and I ran over in the morning to a gas station for exercise in order to get a free Slurpee but it didn't start until later in the day. So we went home empty handed. I've been a little bitter since that experience so I was hesitant to accept that my companions wanted to get a drink while taking a break on transfers. Sonic happy hour was over and I didn't want to pay a ton of my precious money for a slush, so we made our way over to the gas station. The Peach Lemonade Slurpee was a winner,and I now love it! 

It was a different break from transfers now that the word among the rabbits has spread and they all seem to be staying away from the church building and the crazy pack of missionaries that likes to hunt them in their down time.  

Jesus who was baptized last week went to the temple yesterday with us to do baptisms for the dead. Our bishop does a wonderful job of getting converts in and getting them active as soon as they are confirmed members of the church. Jesus had a great experience and I had a good time baptizing and confirming members of the ward, some of my companions included.  Elder May and Elder Sork at the Lubbock Texas Temple:

This week has been great- one of the reasons being that we've been able to visit the temple FOUR times! Once for an endowment session to confirm transfer decisions with President on Thursday, Service there on Friday morning where we got another tour and got to go up on the roof...

Another time for Jesus that night, then this morning we got invited to go do baptisms for the dead with the Monahans branch who needed a few more priesthood holders to attend with them. I got to see a few good old friends from Kermit again, Modesto included. 

What a great week. Outside of every temple, inscribed in the granite, are the words, "Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord". There's nowhere else on earth I've felt as much peace. It's a wonderful place to be- even just walking the grounds. The spirit you feel there is different than anywhere else. It's hard not to have such a good week with being able to attend the temple so frequently. 

For service at the temple we generally wipe down the granite sidings, benches, and fences of the Temple because of the dust and grime that collects on them over the course of the week. 

We spent a good two hours wiping down all the granite surfaces and they're all now clean as a whistle. It's sandstorm season and we've had a few hit Lubbock. 

They're worse out on the edge of town where you have nothing to block the wind coming in from the flat plains. 

Whenever I get out of a meeting with President Heap he always ends it with the same phrase. "You're a good young man. You're not perfect. But you're a good young man." Then he smiles and gives me a hug and tells me that he loves me. Sometimes I just want to roll my eyes and say, "I know I'm not perfect President! Thank you!" But this last time he did it the spirit whispered something to me. Of course he knows I'm not perfect- no one is. President, like Christ, knows that I'm imperfect. I come with "baggage" if you will. He acknowledges that but accepts me for all of the good and the bad. I'm worth the baggage to them both. I've discovered successful relationships are dependent upon acceptance and love- despite the weight of imperfections and the "extra baggage" that they bring. 

I love you all! Its been a great week. I hope things are going well for everyone back home. Let me know if there is some way that I can help you out. Take care! Stay gold.

Your friend, missionary, brother, and son,

Elder Austin Daniel Sork